BY HALEY VELASCO
FISD phone policy shows ‘overall positive’ turnout Friendswood ISD officials said the district’s new cellphone policy has had a good turnout so far for the 2025-26 school year. FISD’s cellphone policy requires personal devices to be left at home or secured using school-issued YONDR pouches, which are mag- netic lockable phone pouches. This is the first year the district is implementing YONDR pouches for secondary schools. The gist Ryan Kopp, FISD’s assistant superintendent of secondary teaching and learning, said Friend- swood High School and Friendswood Junior High School are seeing improved instruction with over 90% of teachers saying the YONDR pouches have reduced cellphone distractions. “I really feel like [students are] reconnecting again,” FJH Principal Delaney Lyon said.
PISD partners with counseling group Students at Pearland ISD will be able to participate in group and individual coun- seling with Counseling Connections for Change, or CCC. The overview The collaboration was approved by the board of trustees at its Nov. 11 meeting. CCC is a Pearland-based nonprofit orga- nization that provides professional mental health services to children and families.
FISD teachers’ perspectives Nearly 130 teachers provided feedback on the cellphone policy through survey questions. The YONDR pouches have reduced cellphone distractions in class.
strongly agree: 73.2% agree: 17.3% strongly disagree: 7.9% disagree: 1.6%
The new phone policy is being carried out consistently.
Counseling features
strongly agree: 36.2% agree: 43.3% strongly disagree: 15% disagree: 5.5%
Sessions used to enhance students’ well-being, resilience and coping skills 30-60 minute sessions on campus or virtual No cost to district, slated to be no cost to students
SOURCE: PEARLAND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: FRIENDSWOOD ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
AISD’s replacement campus slated to open in 2028 Walt Disney Elementary and Stevenson Primary will receive a new shared replacement campus by 2028, according to Arcadis, the Houston-based design firm leading the project. What you need to know Students relocated to the former Alvin Ele- mentary campus, located at 1910 Rosharon Road, Alvin, where they remain. In April trustees voted to demolish the damaged campus, located at 5000 Mustang Road, Alvin.
The timeline
February-June 2026: bidding and permitting July 2026-February 2028: construction
March-July 2028: move-in
Funded by the district’s 2024 $380.1 million bond, the upcoming two-story campus will include an art room, flex space and special educa- tion areas, among other features.
Walt Disney Elementary’s building was severely damaged by an EF-2 tornado during winter break in December 2024.
Fall 2028: campus opens
SOURCE: ARCADIS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD - MANVEL EDITION
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