The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees took no action at a workshop meeting Monday, but they reviewed several proposals, including a plan to improve student performance, a conservative energy plan, and waivers for class size restrictions.

FBISD board members will vote on these proposals at their next meeting Oct. 23.

Improvement plan for Ridgemont Elementary School proposed

Because Ridgemont Elementary School received an “improvement required” rating from the Texas Education Agency when it failed to meet performance standards for the 2016-17 school year, FBISD staff has submitted a plan to improve student performance.

This targeted improvement plan includes measures, such as conducting parent engagement workshops, enhancing communication between families and educators, providing additional training for teachers, and increasing student assessments to track academic progress and teacher assessments to track professional development throughout the year, according to meeting documents.

The goal is to strengthen support systems for students’ individual learning needs and promote parent involvement in the learning process, FBISD assistant superintendent Anthony Indelicato said.

“We do feel we are on track to make significant gains this year,” Indelicato said.

This is the third year Ridgemont has failed to meet TEA standards, FBISD spokesperson Amanda Bubela said. If it does not meet standards this coming academic year, TEA officials may enforce stricter regulations, requiring frequent progress reports, according to TEA documents.

Ridgemont principal Stephanie Houston said she feels confident this plan will help the school meet state standards.

“I believe in myself, I believe in my team, I believe in the district’s support,” Houston said. “Ridgemont is getting everything we need to support our deficits or anything that we identify that we’re lacking.”

Conservative energy plan drafted

In accordance to a recommendation by research company Gibson Consulting Group, FBISD officials have developed an energy plan to become more energy efficient and reduce consumption.

The goal of the plan is to save money, reduce the district’s carbon footprint, and effectively manage limited natural resources, according to meeting documents.

In addition to creating guidelines for managing energy use in facilities, the plan outlines strategies, such as raising awareness of energy consumption, identifying opportunities for savings, and measuring and tracking usage.

The plan also calls for the formation of an energy committee to meet on a quarterly basis. Their duties include receiving and discussing reports on utility usage, investigating possible solutions to excess energy consumption, and planning programs to promote energy efficiency.

Waivers for class size considered

FBISD board members reviewed waivers requesting the TEA to waive state requirements that prevents kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms from exceeding 22 students per teacher.

This is a measure FBISD officials are taking to make sure classrooms are staffed effectively, Bubela said.

There are several reasons for these waivers, ranging from limited classroom space to increased student enrollment to inadequate staffing, she said.

“You need highly qualified teachers, so if you’re just not going to find a teacher, then you would support those classrooms with higher [student numbers],” Bubela said.