Residents of the Village of Diamond Bay, a neighborhood in the Pearland master-planned community of Shadow Creek Ranch, are petitioning to detach from Fort Bend ISD.

Citing a disconnect between themselves and the Shadow Creek Ranch residents whose children attend school in Pearland, the petitioners are asking to be annexed into Alvin ISD instead.

“The majority of students in Shadow Creek Ranch [Village of Diamond Bay] are attending schools other than the Fort Bend ISD-zoned schools, which leads to a disconnect within the community,” the petition stated. “The students are alienated and isolated from their peer groups.”

Every Shadow Creek Ranch residence has a Pearland mailing address, but unlike most of the master-planned community, the Village of Diamond Bay is in Fort Bend County. Students in the neighborhood attend Blue Ridge Elementary School, Christa McAuliffe Middle School and Willowridge High School.

FBISD will hold a public hearing on the petition Sept. 26. AISD Director of Communications Daniel Combs said his district will hold its hearing Oct. 3. Each school district affected by a potential detachment and annexation is required to do so, according to the Texas Education Code.

“FBISD is currently evaluating the petition and has not yet made any determination about the petitioner’s request,” said Kristin Tassin, president of the FBISD board of trustees.

The Village of Diamond Bay has 1,706 homes, according to the community’s management company. However, Combs and Amanda Bubela, FBISD director of external communications and media relations, said they do not know how many students would be affected by a potential annexation.

Combs said AISD is adding about 1,300 students every year.

The petition states the FBISD schools to which Shadow Creek Ranch residents are zoned received lower student achievement scores on their STAAR reports for the 2014-15 school year than scores received by the AISD schools zoned to the community. It also cited other factors.

“Given the lack of safe walkways and sidewalks, as well as distance, students in Shadow Creek Ranch [Village of Diamond Bay] are unable to walk or bike to school,” the petition stated.

According to the state’s education code, a petition for annexation must be signed by a majority of the registered voters residing in the territory to be detached and annexed.

Both boards of trustees must sign to detach and annex the students, respectively. In addition, the Commissioners Courts in both Fort Bend and Brazoria counties must enter an order to redefine school district boundaries before the move is finalized.

If one board disapproves of the petition, the petitioners may appeal to the commissioner. However, if both boards disapprove the decision may not be appealed, according to the code.