Fort Bend ISD approves $2.7M agreement for online spirit store

Fort Bend ISD residents will soon have a centralized place to purchase districtwide apparel and promotional items on demand.

The overview

At a May 11 meeting, Fort Bend ISD’s board of trustees voted to enter into a $2.7 million agreement with local marketing agency STS Brand to develop, operate and manage the district’s online spirit store.

The 24/7 centralized, user-friendly virtual retailer will serve as Fort Bend ISD’s main hub for access to district apparel, outerwear, accessories, promotional items and merchandise for occasions such as back-to-school season, homecoming, graduation, championships and other district initiatives, per agenda documents.

Zooming in

According to agenda documents, STS Brand will be responsible for several management services, including:

• Campus-specific webpages
• Securement of online payment
• Purchase order capability
• Order fulfillment and shipping
• Inventory management
• Customer service
• Commission remittance to the district
• Optional fundraising opportunities for campuses and organizations

The district could generate $270,000 in commissions to offset expenditures, per agenda documents.

Next steps

The three-year contract will begin June 1 and will last through May 31, 2031, with two optional one-year extensions, per agenda documents.