FBS: K-6 program to start at 10 FBISD elementary schools in August

K-6 program to start at 10 FBISD elementary schools in August

By Barbara Fulenwider

When Fort Bend ISD announced it was going to make some elementary schools K-6, they caught flak from parents, students and some teachers but that was a year ago and today it’s ready to be rolled out.

Marc Smith, the district’s assistant superintendent for elementary schools, brought trustees up to date on it at their July 14 board meeting. Ten elementary schools will have a pilot program of kindergarten through sixth grade students under one roof starting Aug. 25. The K-6 model is being used because in January last year trustees added a fifth criteria to the district’s rezoning efforts -- develop a plan for academic enhancements.

The K-6 pilot program will be at Ridgegate, Ridgemont, Blue Ridge, Briargate, Lantern lane, Quail Valley Hunters Glen, Glover, Jones and the new Armstrong. Missouri City, Christa McAuliffe and Quail Valley are the three middle schools that will become 7-8 grade campuses.

Parents protested the K-6 plan because they felt having sixth graders go to school with primary students might negatively impact the younger students, would cause overcrowded schools and their children didn’t like the idea, so the district postponed starting the program for a year. Smith said from January 2007 throughout the spring a series of community meetings were held and “feedback from some were not positive. The concern was we were moving too quickly.”

http://www.fortbendstar.com/072308/n_K%20thru%206%20program%20to%20start%20at%2010%20FBISD%20elementary%20schools%20in%20August.htm

FBISDWatch Comment:

Apparently most of the impacted schools in this "pilot project" are in east FBISD at older schools.