NEWS BRIEFS
Fort Bend ISD talks bond, budget reductions
To bridge a $47 million de cit, Fort Bend ISD is cutting back in several key areas. MONEY SAVING STEPS
BY RENEE FARMER
considering a bond election in May to provide funds for various improvements to facilities and services across the district. The majority of the estimated $1.214 billion bond is earmarked for improvements to existing facilities. Deputy Superintendent Steve Bassett presented an initial summary of the capital plan for bond funds. Over $615 million is allocated to address facility de - ciencies and life cycle needs. Another $463 million is set aside for major projects, including a $223 million rebuild of Clements High School, where the founda- tion has shifted. The district surveyed voters in early February on whether they are tolerant of the bond’s size, a 0.5- cent versus a 1-cent tax rate increase and other small projects. On Feb. 13, after press time, the board will decide whether to call the bond election for May 6.
Fort Bend ISD o cials announced there is more room to scale back on expenditures for the scal year 2022-23 budget as well as the timeline for a $1.2 billion bond at the Jan. 23 school board meeting. Following voters’ rejection of a tax rate increase in the November election, the district is taking steps to overcome an anticipated $47 million budget shortfall by FY 2024-25. District o cials said they have found ways to reduce the budget by an additional $785,000, bringing the total savings to $3.05 million. O cials still anticipate meeting the target of $23 million in reductions by March. FBISD will need to cut another $24 million for FY 2024-25 to maintain its budget reserve. In addition to cutting costs, the district is also
Discontinuing administration of the PSAT at the ninth grade level ($50,000 savings) Conducting Ren360 only on targeted student groups ($350,000 savings) Moving English Language Learners testing to four sites ($70,000 savings) Insourcing custodial services from the James Reese Career and Technical Center ($90,000 savings) Discontinuing ropes course ($140,000 savings) Software reductions ($80,000 savings)
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Developer breaks ground on single-family rental home community in Missouri City
District positions up in May election
BY RENEE FARMER
BY RENEE FARMER
Candidate applications are now open for the Fort Bend ISD election to be held this spring. The general election will be held May 6. The deadline for candi- dates to le for a place on the ballot is 5 p.m. Feb. 17. Three positions are up for election: Position 1, held by Angie Hanan; Position 4, held by Shirley Rose-Gilliam; and Posi- tion 5, held by Denetta Williams. Interested residents can le an application in person or by mail to 16431 Lexington Blvd., Ste. 103, Sugar Land, or email an application to yadira.vasquez@ fortbendisd.com. • Lines run from major cable to the consumer’s household • Uses light to transmit data FIBER OPTIC • Uses a dedicated line to provide internet access to a house, which is then transmitted over Wi-Fi or directly via an ethernet cable • Uses copper lines to transmit data BROADBAND UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES Fiber-optic internet is di erent from broadband in several ways.
said Brad Dinerstein, managing partner of development and design at The Dinerstein Companies, in the release. Missouri City approved a zone change for the development in July 2021. Completion on the project is estimated for mid-fall 2024, with initial occupancy in spring 2023. This development joins the growing single-family rental market in Houston. According to the Houston Association of Realtors, single-family home rentals in the region have increased 24.3% since December 2021. “With increased renter demand, we believe the build-to-rent sector will evolve and remain strong as
The Dinerstein Companies has broken ground on a 186-home build-to-rent community in Missouri City, joining Houston’s growing single-family rental market. The 35.29-acre development is located at 10050 Hwy. 6 and includes 186 single-family build-to-rent homes with front yards, fenced backyards and attached two-car garages, according to a news release. “The build-to-rent fundamen- tals have been phenomenal, and single-family build-to-rent has continued to prove itself as a solid niche with real runway and longevity within the rental housing market,”
The development includes 186 build-to-rent homes.
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homeownership continues to be a challenge for more and more people,” Dinerstein said in the release.
SiFi Networks o ers to build out ber-optic internet in Sugar Land
BY JACK DOWLING
security for Sugar Land. SiFi Networks has promised to build 900 miles of high-speed, ber-optic internet over 30 years to all homes and businesses in the city. In addition, res- idents could have access to ber-optic lines within a year if Sugar Land gives SiFi Networks the green light to move forward with construction. SiFi Networks CEO Scott Bradshaw said at the Jan. 24 meeting his
company will use “micro-trenching,” the practice of digging deep but narrow trenches along rights-of-way, to accelerate build-out time and keep installation nonintrusive. “This will rain havoc on our trees in Sugar Land,” City Council Member William Ferguson said. If greenlit at the Feb. 7 meeting, after press time, Bradshaw said con- struction could begin in 12 months.
With a promise to provide free high-speed internet infrastructure, New Jersey-based SiFi Networks o ered ber-optic internet to Sugar Land at its Jan. 24 meeting. “We were approached about a year ago by SiFi Networks, with an o er that sounded almost too good to be true,” said Steve Budney, director of information technology, data and
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SUGAR LAND MISSOURI CITY EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023
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