The board of trustees approved Superintendent Thad Roher to OK student device purchases with a vendor at its June 9 meeting.
Along with that, the board also approved a one-year contract, totaling about $300,000, with TABI, a company that provides TCOLE—or Texas Commission on Law Enforcement—certified and trained law enforcement officers to both public and private school districts across the state, according to district documents.
The overview
Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, all Friendswood Junior High students and ninth grade students at Friendswood High School will receive a district-owned device. Devices will also be available for students in grades 10 through 12, according to district agenda documents.
The student device replacement plan, which will be 12 years long, includes the following:
- A projected cost of $560,000 for year one of the plan to purchase new devices for sixth and ninth graders, along with Windsong Elementary, as well as protective cases for select devices.
- An annual device refresh for incoming sixth and ninth grade cohorts, in which those devices will remain with those students during their time at their respective campus.
- Device refreshes during the first three years of the plan for Windsong and Westwood elementaries and Bales Intermediate
- Device refreshes for grades two through five will be given from redistributed devices from outgoing eighth and 12th grade students by year four of the plan
This 12-year plan was made in anticipation of increased state funding and in alignment with the district’s new cellphone policy, according to district documents.
The plan will also eliminate the bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, system at Friendswood Junior High. By 2028, BYOD will be phased out at Friendswood High School, as well, district documents note.
The plan will be funded by the district’s instructional materials allotment, device insurance process and technology funds from the 2020 bond, according to district documents.
Also on the agenda
FISD will also continue its partnership with TABI for the 2025-26 school year for armed auxiliary officers at Cline, Windsong and Westwood elementaries, and Bales Intermediate.
The district partnered with TABI for the 2024-25 school year to adhere to House Bill 3 from the state’s 2023 legislative session. The bill, among a number of safety requirements, calls for districts to have armed officers at all campuses during school hours.
These officers will work under the oversight of FISD and the Friendswood Police Department, and alongside the school resource officers at Friendswood Junior High and Friendswood High School, according to district documents.
An officer will be at each campus, with one officer for Westwood Elementary and Bales Intermediate, as they reside just over three miles from each other, according to district documents.
The anticipated cost for this service is about $300,000, and will be funded through the district’s general fund, according to district documents.
