FBISD approves out-of-district course policy to protect student credits 

Fort Bend ISD board members approved policy revisions at the Nov. 17 board meeting to prevent students from losing credit for out-of-district distance learning courses, while ensuring unapproved credits are not included in a student’s grade point average.

What’s changing?

Currently, the district allows students to complete virtual credits, including in- and out-of-district options, per the district policy.

Under the recommended revision, Beth Martinez, deputy superintendent chief of staff, said any unapproved out-of-district virtual courses that students complete will be added to their transcript for credit only and will not be included in the student’s GPA.

Martinez said the adjustment would ensure compliance with the Texas Administrative Code, which requires that all completed courses appear on a student’s official transcript, noting that this guarantees transparency while preventing unapproved coursework from influencing GPA calculations.

How we got here

Martinez said an increasing number of students have been taking virtual courses without prior district approval.

When these courses are not approved in advance, the credits cannot be applied toward graduation requirements, resulting in students having to repeat courses they have already completed.

Looking ahead

The policy will take effect during the summer of 2026, Martinez said.