education
he quality of education in Fort Bend County has long been a driving force to
attract families with children to the area. A study reported by the Houston
Chronicle conducted by the nonprofit organization Children at Risk stated that
Fort Bend ISD is “arguably the best ranked of area districts.” Children at Risk used 14 factors and a weighted formula to rate 145 high
schools in the greater Houston area.
The factors included such details as the four-year graduation rate, the
percentage of students on free and reduced lunch programs, the percentage of
students who met the credit requirements of the state’s recommended high school plan, average class size, along with other details
such as scores on the TAKS test, the SAT and ACT, and percentage of students
enrolled in and completing Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or
other advanced coursework.
Only schools with at least 100 students enrolled and that have had at least four
consecutive freshman classes were included in the study. Night schools,
alternative education programs and schools with separate ninth-grade centers
were not included either.
Based on the information collected and the data compiled in this study, Fort
Bend ISD has seven high schools rated in the top 30 Houston area high schools,
matching the much larger Houston ISD, which also had 7 in the top 30. In the
Children at Risk study, Fort Bend’s Clements High tied for third place, and Austin High ranked 10th.
Uniquely, the Chronicle reports that most of Fort Bend ISD’s high schools are big and comprehensive—with football teams and no real career academies. Superintendent Timothy Jenney
says plans are in the works, however, to expand the district’s academy model, making it easier for students in a traditional school to focus
on a specialty, such as health professions or broadcast media.
“Regardless of whether you’re small or large,” Jenney said, “its all about relationships—between staff, students and the parents. This district really encourages
involvement.”
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Fort Bend Independent School District
Fort Bend ISD is one of the fastest growing school districts in the state and
the seventh largest school district in Texas, out of 1,037. The district
currently serves over 69,000 students and continues to add approximately 2,000
new students each year.
Among its many honors, Fort Bend ISD has 72 semifinalists named in the 2008
National Merit Scholarship Program, and four semifinalists in the 2008 National
Achievement Scholarship Program. The graduating class of 2007 received more
than $25 million in both academic and athletic college scholarships. Fort Bend
ISD has 52 outstanding music students selected as 2008 All State Band, Choir
and Orchestra participants. Twelve of FBISD’s schools are included in Texas Monthly magazine’s list of 859 “best public schools.” They are among only 9 percent of the 7,908 Texas public schools ranked
according to the number of subjects in which they excel. The Texas Business and
Education Coalition named three Fort Bend ISD schools as 2006 TBEC Honor Roll
schools. Clements High School, Fort Settlement Middle School and Sartartia
Middle School are among only 3 percent of Texas schools to receive this honor.
To serve a growing population, Fort Bend ISD has 10 high schools, 13 middle
schools and 44 elementary campuses. To address various vocational interests and
special learning needs, the district also has a Technical Education Center, the
M.R. Wood Alternative Education Center, and the Progressive High School.
One of the district’s greatest strengths lies in its multicultural diversity. Students in FBISD
schools represent countries from around the world, and over 80 different
languages and dialects are spoken by students and their families. Parent and
community support plays an integral role in the district’s commitment to academic excellence.
The district’s Community Partnerships program, a coordinated effort of Volunteers in Public
Schools, the Community-Business Partnership, and the Fort Bend Education
Foundation, continues to serve as a catalyst to develop new and creative ways
for our community to support our young people. Fort Bend ISD is also the
largest employer in Fort Bend County, with more than 9,486 full-time employees.
Stafford Municipal School District
Hidden between the metropolis of Houston and the growing East Fort Bend County,
Stafford Municipal School District maintains its small-school environment while
addressing educational needs of the 21st century. What began as a grassroots mission with 547 students has evolved into a
mid-sized, 3A public school district fully accredited by the Texas Education
Agency with an enrollment just under 3,000.
The tree-lined complex is home to five campuses, addressing the instructional
needs of students from early childhood development through 12th grade with dual
credit courses available from nearby Houston Community College. Currently, SMSD
facilities are designed to allow all of the district’s students to attend the same elementary and secondary schools without the
disruption of ever-changing school attendance zones.
Classrooms are equipped with instructional networked computers with the
availability of other technology and distance learning labs on each campus. An
engineering academy for students in grades eight-12 provides application
experiences involving computers, math, and science and offers qualified seniors
internships with local engineering companies. The district prides itself in
allowing students to participate in as many school activities and organizations
as possible, provided that high academic standards are maintained.
Stafford High School athletes have been named not only to all-district and
all-state teams but also to Academic All-State teams and the DECA marketing
organization is the second largest in the state. The Mighty Spartan Band earned
UIL Sweepstakes recognition in 2008 and the choral department has presented
musical productions, including students from first to 12th grades, at the
Stafford Centre, a full scale performance and convention venue. FFA students participate in local competitions garnering a Grand Champion at the
2008 Houston Livestock Show. The DECA and FCCLA chapters have participated at
state levels and progressed to national competitions. Students in grades
six-eight can learn martial arts through the Chuck Norris KickStart program
and, in addition to football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, track
and cross-country, the district also is one of the very few 3A districts to
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offer boys and girls soccer and swimming.
As the only municipal school district in the state, the district partners with
the City of Stafford by utilizing the city’s municipal swimming pool and the Stafford Civic Center, both located within the
district’s complex. These facilities allow extension in curriculum by offering swimming
lessons to second and fourth-graders and by allowing the performing arts a
formal venue for student functions. The city also underwrites the cost for all
high school juniors to prepare for SAT college entrance exams through a
comprehensive SAT Preparatory Course.
Stafford Municipal School District—not just where children are important, but where students matter.
Lamar ConsolidatedIndependent School District
Lamar CISD is a district deeply rooted in a proud tradition that spans over five
decades and encompasses 345 square miles in the western part of fast-growing
Fort Bend County. The district offers superior learning opportunities,
combining excellent teachers, progressive educational theory and practice, and
a state-of-the-art technology plan with the unmistakable advantage of small
schools and a hometown atmosphere.
Nineteen of 26 Lamar CISD campuses (73%) were ranked in the upper tiers of the
state’s academic performance system by the Texas Education Association, with nine
Exemplary and 10 Recognized campuses.
The district offers full-day kindergarten classes and a well-balanced elementary
curriculum, which includes instruction in fine arts and computer skills.
The district provides unique sixth grade/ middle school campuses that focus on
the needs of preadolescents and provides the easiest possible transition to
secondary schools. Junior high and high schools provide a curriculum that
includes strong academics, advanced placement courses, career and technology
programs and a full range of extracurricular activities. SAT scores remain at
state averages while testing a large percentage of students each year. Smaller
enrollments in Lamar’s secondary schools give students an enhanced feeling of security and greater
opportunities for success as well as leadership experiences. LCISD’s gifted and talented program challenges academically oriented students at every
level. A strong Special Education program focuses on supporting learning in the
regular academic program on the child’s home campus with services ranging from regular classes with adaptations to
special classes with learning objectives adapted to the student’s special needs.
Lamar CISD has an extraordinary teaching staff characterized by 18 percent of
its teachers with advanced degrees and over 41 percent of the teaching staff
with more than 10 years of experience.
Marked by a high level of parent and community involvement, Lamar CISD
implements a highly successful dropout prevention program, leadership
development program, education foundation and family literacy initiatives that
are recognized throughout Texas. The LCISD Safe and Drug Free Schools Team was
one of two winners from across the U.S. to receive the National H.O.P.E. Award
for outstanding prevention efforts.
Another attractive point is Lamar’s conservative approach to finance that keeps homeowners’ school taxes at one of the lowest rates in the Houston area. For more
information about Lamar CISD, visit its Web site at www.lcisd.org or call the
Community Relations Department at 832-223-0330.
Katy Independent School District
Katy is known for its family-friendly quality of life, which includes the
much-touted Katy Independent School District. Comprised of 47 campuses,
including 32 elementary schools, 12 junior highs, 7 high schools, a
career-technology center and an alternative center, Katy ISD encompasses 181
square miles in the greater Katy area, reaching into Harris, Fort Bend and
Waller counties.
With an enrollment of more than 53,000 students in an expanding region that
exemplifies progress, Katy ISD is one of the fastest-growing school districts
in Texas with an annual growth rate of about 5 percent to 6 percent projected
through 2016. Due to this tremendous growth, voters approved a $269 million
bond election during the 2006-07 school year to provide funds for new schools,
additions and improvements at existing campuses, technology, land, buses and
portable buildings.
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Fort Bend Publishing Group 2009
