The impact
Nearing the 20th anniversary of her death, Amy Coleman was nominated by community members who remember her impact as the district’s first Black female principal, according to a May 21 district news release.
Amy Coleman served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal of Briargate Elementary before opening Hunters Glen Elementary School as principal in 1985, according to the release.
Krista Coleman, Coleman’s daughter and a second-grade teacher at Heritage Rose Elementary, said she remembers her mother's legacy as a passionate educator who will live on through the school.
“I feel like God brought me here to serve at Heritage Rose, and now these kids at my school are going to be zoned to go to her school,” she said in the release. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
What’s in a name
Amy Coleman was the first in her family to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, according to the release.
Throughout her career, she received multiple honors in education, including the Mu Kappa Omega–Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Excellence Award, according to the release.
Per the release, she also served her community through the NAACP Missouri City chapter, Friends of the Missouri City Library, the National Society for Black Educators and as a founding board member of the Southwest Educational Project, which organized historically Black college and university tours for students for over ten years.
“First and foremost, she loved God,” Krista Coleman said in the release. “She had a huge faith, she loved her family and she loved the Fort Bend ISD community.”
How it happened
On May 15th, the district's naming committee—composed of trustees, staff, parents, students and community members—narrowed 11,197 community submissions to 254 names, Payal Pandit, executive director of FBISD's collaborative communities department, said at the May 19 meeting.
Per criteria from the board’s naming guidelines, the committee chose a namesake based on their impact on society, the honor they bring to the school, and well-known achievements in areas like education, science, the arts, public service or Texas history, according to the release.
Next steps
Middle School No. 16 is scheduled to open in August 2026, according to the release.
