With a $34.6 million budget shortfall looming for the 2025-26 school year, Fort Bend ISD is considering up to $17.4 million in potential savings identified in a new audit unveiled at a May 19 board meeting.

The biggest proposed savings—$12.6 million—could come from consolidating 19 elementary schools, primarily located in the district’s eastern area portion, where student growth has slowed compared to housing development in the Harvest Green and Sienna communities.

The background

In October 2024, the FBISD board of trustees approved an $85,000 cost savings audit by Gibson Consulting Group, as part of the district’s internal audit program, according to the report

The consulting firm informed the report based on a six-year history of staffing, expenditure and operational data in addition to interviews with administration, President Greg Gibson said.

Prior to the audit, FBISD administration already implemented $21.7 million for the 2023-24 school year, including $14.9 million in staffing guideline efficiencies and $3.21 million in four elementary school consolidations including Blue Ridge-Briargate and Mission Bend-Glen elementary schools, according to the report.

The approach

Gibson said the audit focused on identifying "opportunities," rather than issuing direct recommendations. He said the the savings could be realized in the following four areas four areas:

1. Elementary school consolidations—$12.6 million annually: FBISD currently operates 19 elementary schools with enrollments under 600 students. The audit found that smaller campuses cost the district significantly more per student annually—$8,836 compared to $7,000 at larger campuses.
2. Secondary school master scheduling efficiencies ($2.3 million annually): The current campus-level scheduling system has led to inefficiencies in class sizes with 61 secondary teachers average 15 or fewer students per class. The audit recommended optimizing scheduling by adopting centralized tools.
3. Indirect cost recovery from federal programs ($2 million annually): By adopting the state’s “unrestricted indirect cost rate” of 12.25% for payroll-related expenses, the district could redirect federal reimbursements—particularly from its Nutrition Services program— to the general fund.
4. Water usage reduction ($510,000): With an annual water expenditure of $3.4 million, the audit revealed significant disparities in usage across campuses. A 15% reduction in water use at high-consumption schools could yield savings, although further analysis is required to pinpoint exact amounts.

Zooming out

Fort Bend ISD is launching a long-term plan to balance enrollment across campuses starting in the 2025-26 school year in response to shifting population growth, officials said.

Beth Martinez, deputy superintendent chief of staff, outlined a three-year timeline that includes redrawing attendance boundaries, reviewing feeder patterns annually and potentially closing underutilized schools at a March board meeting.

Growth in the northwest and southeast regions has led to overcrowding at schools like Neill Elementary—now at 129% capacity—prompting immediate overflow measures, while officials work towards a district-wide solution, Martinez said.

Next steps

While no immediate changes are mandated, the administration is expected to evaluate the identified opportunities and return with specific recommendations for action, Gibson said.