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Fort Bend ISD will close seven elementary schools ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
What's happening?
The closures—located in the district’s northwest/central and southeast/central areas—were approved by the FBISD board in multiple 4-3 votes at a March 9 board meeting. Board members Angie Hanan, Adam Schoof and Angie Wierzbicki cast the dissenting votes.
The closures come after a Feb. 23 recommendation from the district’s school boundary advisory committee following a January survey, which shows nearly half of respondents were neutral about the potential elementary school closures. However, 34% of all stakeholders were against the closures.
Board President Kristin Tassin shared her past experience of rezoning her own daughter as a school board member and said she is taking into account the entire district’s future.
However, Hanan said she voted based on what she thought was right, regardless of the consequences.
“Some of my votes tonight reflect that I know the burden that has been placed on me by the community, and my votes are based on the fact that I simply can’t surrender my judge based on this perceived threat of being on [the Texas Education Agency’s] radar,” Hanan said.
The background
The changes are a part of the district’s three-year boundary planning process due to stabilized enrollment patterns, resulting in under- and overutilized campuses across the district, Community Impact reported.
The consolidation of campuses focuses on seven campuses—each with enrollment under 600 students as of Aug. 29. The most recent facility condition scores indicate the campuses are less stable in terms of infrastructure, Zonda officials previously said.
Although the district was initially built for 100,000 students, Superintendent Marc Smith said the student population has not exceeded 80,000 students in several years, creating the need for the district to adjust.
“The challenge that we are living with is that enrollment is a reflection of a long-term shift that we’re seeing and is putting us in the situation that we’re in, having to make these decisions,” Smith said.
The financials
The closures come as district officials in March predicted a $38.5 million budget shortfall for the 2026-27 school year—a 46.95% growth from the $26.2 million initial shortfall projection last summer.
This comes after the district saw 1,801 fewer students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year than were budgeted, Chief Financial Officer Bryan Guinn said.
District officials said they expect to save $2 million from the closures in the first year and $5 million to $7 million annually in following years.
What they're saying
What else?
The district launched seven new programs ahead of the 2026-27 school year as a part of its Fort Bend Redesign program aimed at retaining and recruiting students and staff.
The new programs encompassing both primary and secondary schools that will go into effect this fall include:
The program also caters to faculty by launching an employee child care program and leadership pipelines, said Jaretha Jordan, FBISD’s deputy superintendent of teaching and learning. Jordan said the seven programs are the first phase of a multiyear process.
Looking ahead
The district will be prioritizing communication with students, families, staff and the community at large as these changes are implemented ahead of the 2026-27 school year, officials said.
Following the primary school boundary review, FBISD is set to begin secondary concept development in March and April. Final recommendations are expected this fall.
