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Mapping changes As Fort Bend ISD looks to cut spending, it has streamlined several of its bus routes for kids attending one of its seven high school academies, early college, and career and technical education programs, providing annual savings for the district. It is one of several measures the district has taken to shave costs.
early college, and career and technical education programs. The programs o er concentrated course pathways through career and academic classes, according to FBISD’s website. Starting Jan. 5, with the streamlined approach, the district cut more than 80 bus stops, 300 miles per day and 30 minutes of driving per driver per day. “We’re not taking away any service from kids, and we’re still providing service, but we’re doing it a little less expensively,” FBISD Executive Director of Transportation Mike Jones said. May bond While FBISD still needs to identify an additional $20.63 million in cuts for the 2023-24 school year, the district is also considering a May bond election to address facility needs, Bassett said. The district has yet to nalize a bond amount that would go before voters in May, but Bassett said it might be the same $1.2 billion the district announced in August it would postpone to focus on November’s tax rate election. That bond included $1.064 billion in major facility projects to address rebuilds, new schools and reno- vations. It also included $559 mil- lion in addressing life cycle needs, $5.6 million for safety and security, $6.7 million for transportation, $100 million in technology purchases and $3.2 million worth of land, according to district documents. Bassett said despite one of the fac- tors that contributed to the failure of the tax rate election—high in ation, which hit 7.1% Dec. 15, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—he is con dent a bond could pass in May. “Because we postponed the bond— it was originally going to be 2021—we can de nitely demonstrate the needs,” Bassett said.
BELLAIRE BLVD.
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AUSTIN PKWY.
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High school Academies Pickup locations
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ACADEMIES
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1 Travis High School 2 James Reese Career & Tech 3 Dulles High School 4 Thurgood Marshall High School 5 Willowridge High School 6 Elkins High School 7 Hightower High School
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bus stops remain for the high school academies, early college and CTE programs 24
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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Dec. 5. Closing the district’s adminis- tration annex building on Sweetwater Boulevard will save $180,000 annu- ally; changing the 2023 graduation venue to FBISD’s Mercer Stadium saves $200,000; and staggering the district’s start of summer school saves another $160,000, according to district data. Still, by the time the FBISD board of trustees approves the district’s 2023-24 budget in June, it will need to cut an additional $20.63 million. District o - cials said during a Dec. 5 meeting other cuts have been identi ed, but they were unable to discuss them publicly. Heading those e orts is Stephanie
Williams, FBISD’s executive director of teaching and learning, who leads the district’s Design Team. The 12-member team has been tasked with creating a plan for any programs, processes or positions that may need to be cut. “What we’re hoping with this change management and communication plan is that we help stakeholders make sense of the why behind the change,” Williams said at the Dec. 5 meeting. The Design Team worked with the district’s transportation department and has identi ed $400,000 in annual savings by streamlining the district’s bus route system for its academies,
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but pushed it to 2023 to prioritize the tax rate election. Despite voters denying the tax rate election, FBISD o cials said they are con dent a May bond would pass. “A bond is very di erent [than a tax rate election],” FBISD Deputy Superintendent Steve Bassett said. “People are used to that. Everybody just understands it so much more.” Finding solutions So far, FBISD had identi ed $2.27 million in annual savings as of
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