Fort Bend ISD is now a District of Innovation, plus 3 other things you missed from Monday's meeting

Fort Bend ISD joined the ranks of Austin ISD, Friendswood ISD and other districts across the state to become a District of Innovation on Monday, among other actions taken by the board of trustees. See what major developments took place at the regular business meeting:

1. District of Innovation plan passed

FBISD began its process to become a District of Innovation in August as a way to have more flexibility in meeting state education mandates. As a District of Innovation, FBISD can exempt itself from certain requirements by creating a local innovation plan to submit to the Texas education commissioner. The local innovation plan includes:

• Changing school calendar start dates
• Flexible certification requirements for hiring for “hard-to-fill” teaching positions
• Student attendance rules

“I think that’s excellent,” board President Kristin Tassin said to applause from the audience. “I think that it was a long process but thank you again to Mrs. [Beth] Martinez [FBISD chief of staff and strategic planning] and everyone who was a part of that.”

2. 2017-18 academic calendar approved

Trustees approved a new calendar for the 2017-18 academic year which includes 174 days of instruction. The school year will begin Aug. 22 and end May 31, 2018, with high school graduations taking place June 1-2, 2018. Trustee KP George praised district staff and community members for creating the new academic calendar, the vote on which was delayed so recommendations from the new innovation plan could be incorporated into the schedule. “I got a lot of feedback and I’m glad we were able to do that,” he said. “We made a lot of people happy.”

3. Trustees torn on tax rate election

The board received further information on holding a tax rate election to raise FBISD’s maintenance and operations tax rate by 2 cents and lower its interest and sinking tax rate by 4 cents. District staff is recommending the move but trustee Dave Rosenthal expressed concern. Rosenthal said he was skeptical that the rate of property value increases needed to generate more tax revenue could support the cut in debt service funding. “I’m supportive of this, I hope we can do this,” he said. “I just wonder.”

4. Compensation adjustments pass 5-2

The board approved 134.84 new positions for the 2017-18 fiscal year for a cost of about $8.8 million as well as about $9.1 million in compensation adjustments. Trustees Addie Heyliger and Grayle James voted against the measures; James said she disagreed with the increases with first securing additional budget revenue in the tax rate election. “[The cost] is just about equal to what the tax swap would net us,” she said. “I wouldn’t move to a higher rent apartment until I knew that my income was going to be able to cover the rent for the long-term.”