The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees received school safety and security updates, accepted a memorandum of understanding with Houston Community College and approved an order to cancel the May 5 election for board trustees position two and six due to a lack of contested races. 1) Safety and security update The school district is in the process of implementing safety measures outlined in the 2014 bond program, including the installation of updated security cameras, reinforced window films to withstand strong force and security vestibules, FBISD Police Chief David Rider said. A security vestibule is an enclosed, secured area where visitors check in before gaining access to the rest of the school, said Amanda Bubela, FBISD director of external communications. “Only 19 campuses remain to have [camera] installation, and those will be complete in phase three of the 2014 bond in August of 2018,” Rider said. Security vestibules were planned in all the schools that did not have a security vestibules in place and upgrades were planned for existing ones, he said. “Of the 41 planned installations, only 15 remain to be implemented and constructed,” Rider said. “They are in phase three of the 2014 bond, and they will also be completed by August of 2018.” In the wake of the recent Florida high school shooting, staff is considering every option to enhance security and minimize risk, including a concealed carry policy for employees, installing metal detectors and hiring school marshals or additional police officers, Rider said. A safety advisory committee will be organized to discuss and make recommendations. FBISD schools and classrooms also have existing safety measures in place such as an emergency reference guide designed specifically for FBISD, real-time cameras and electronically secured entrances, Rider said. Every middle and high school has at least one assigned police officer, Bubela said. These officers regularly patrol elementary schools as well, and a contract with a private security firm is in the final stages for approval. “We anticipate that uniformed security [guards] will begin on those elementary schools without vestibules and at Dulles High School prior to the end of the week, again, depending on how fast the contract can be approved,” she said. 2) Agreement with Houston Community College The board approved a memorandum of understanding with Houston Community College to increase enrollment of FBISD graduates at HCC, adopting a streamlined automatic application process and offering advisement sessions for students. Funded by HCC, this initiative will identify students based on test scores and benchmarks, specifically focusing on those most at risk of not enrolling in a postsecondary institution, according to meeting documents. 3) Cancellation of May's board of trustees election The board approved a certification of unopposed candidates and an order of cancellation for the May 5 board of trustees election, reelecting incumbent board members Grayle James and Addie Heyliger to positions two and six, respectively. No other person filed for a place on the ballot or as a write-in candidate to challenge them. Cancelling the election will save the FBISD approximately $87,000—the estimated cost of administering the election, according to meeting documents.