Education
BY VALERIA ESCOBAR
In the 2024-25 school year, the Texas Education Agency reported Fort Bend ISD had a net loss of 10.8%, or 9,291 students, who left the district. Most left to tuition- free public charter schools. Students transferred to 25 different charter networks across the Houston area, with most transfers to Harmony Public Schools, International Leadership of Texas and KIPP Public School. In the 2024-25 school year, demographic consulting firm Population and Survey Analysts estimated 7,050 FBISD students attended charter schools with that number expected to grow to 8,912 by the 2029-30 school year. As district officials grapple with stabilized growth that differs from the fast growth of the past decade, they have set their eyes on specialized academic programming. 72% of FBISD transfers went to charter schools
Harmony Public Schools
Where it’s happening
2,708 FBISD students
• Started in 2003 in Dallas • Approximately 41,800 students across 60 campuses statewide • Offers Kindergarten through 12th grade science, technology, engineering and math curriculum
The seven elementary school zones with more than 125 transfers were in the northwest portion of the district and correspond to the Dulles, Bush and Kempner high school feeder patterns, per the 2024-25 PASA report. Out of the seven elementary schools with more than 125 transfers during the 2023-24 school year, only Mission West Elementary School received a B for the TEA’s A-F accountability scores for the 2022-23 school year, while the rest were classified as Cs and Ds, Community Impact reported. Out of the nine elementary zones with more than 100 transfers in the 2023-24 schools, six were in the Willowridge and Marshall high school feeder patterns, which have historically struggled with academic performance even being placed on improvement plans several times since the 2014-15 school year, Community Impact reported.
KIPP Public Schools 1,513 FBISD students
• Started in 2003 in San Antonio • Approximately 34,100 students across 56 campuses statewide • Offers Pre-K through 12th grade college preparatory curriculum
International Leadership of Texas
1,068 FBISD students
• Started in 2012 in Dallas • Approximately 22,700 students across 38 campuses statewide • Offers Kindergarten through 12th grade college preparatory curriculum, mastering numerous languages including English, Spanish and Mandarin
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The details
Charter schools where FBISD students transferred in 2024-25 Per the TEA, for the 2024-25 school year most FBISD students transferred to the charter school campuses that were part of larger networks with tens of thousands of students across Texas.
FBISD resident transfers in 2024-25
GEORGE BUSH PARK
8
Charter 72% Another ISD 26% N/A 1.2%
KIPP Harmony School
99 TOLL
59
Private 0.4% Virtual 0.4%
International Leadership of Texas School of Science and Technology
6
90
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, PUBLIC EDUCATION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, 2025/COMMUNITY IMPACT
N
Proposed Fort Bend ISD specialized elementary school programs
Moving ahead
A language immersion program that promotes learning in both English and a target language A gifted and talented academy to meet advanced academic and creative needs A laboratory school where experienced teachers are paired with teachers in training An international schoo l that uses a globally recognized curriculum
“No longer are we the only option in town,” he said. “We have to begin to think about what our competitors offer our students that we currently don’t.” In the long-term, officials hope to create specialized campuses across the district and they also hope to expand career and technical education offerings at James Reese Career and Technical Center.
FBISD officials believe the key to competing for students is “to get them in the door younger,” Chief Academic Officer Adam Stephens said at the April 14 board meeting. In addition to expanding Pre-K programs for ages 3-4 to 46 campuses for 2025-26 school year, the district will pilot five new “premier opportunities” at select elementary campuses with low-cost field trips, student-led projects and community partnerships embedded within the current curriculum, Stephens said.
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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