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Harris to stay on as Missouri City police chief Staff Reports In a surprise announcement on December 20, the City of Missouri City said that Police Chief Brandon Harris, who earlier this year announced his intention to resign, has decided to stay on the job. “As the year comes to a close, Missouri City is proud to announce that Police Chief Brandon Harris will continue to lead the Police Department, ensuring stability and sustained progress for our growing and diverse community,” the city said in a press release. Harris, who has served in the Missouri City police department full-time for three decades, was named to the chief’s slot in January after the retirement of longtime chief Mike Berezin in May 2023. “Earlier this year, Chief Harris shared his intention to retire after decades of distinguished service, while expressing his openness to reconsider if the City did not identify a successor, who could build on his legacy of excellence,” the city said in the release. “Following this, an extensive recruitment process was launched, resulting in a conditional offer being extended to an exceptionally qualified candidate who met the expectations of the community, City Council, leadership team, departmental employees, and the City Manager.” “However, the candidate ultimately chose to remain with their current agency after receiving a promotion and a competitive counteroffer,” the release said. The city therefore asked Harris to reconsider his retirement. “Chief Harris has been an integral part of Missouri City’s transformation into one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant communities in Fort Bend County,” said City Manager Angel L. Jones. “His participatory leadership, dedication to public safety, and ability to inspire his team have been instrumental in the department’s progress. We are thrilled that he has agreed to remain in his role for the next three to four years and continue leading us forward.” “I am honored to continue serving the community I care deeply about and to lead the outstanding men and women of the Missouri City Police Department,” said Harris. “Together, we will continue to build on the department’s strong foundation and ensure the safety and well-being of every resident.”
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FBISD: TEA finds Whitbeck administration did not break the law in tax rate election By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
In a recently concluded investigation, the Texas Education Agency found that former Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck’s administration did not violate state laws involving electioneering and bribery during the 2023 Voter Approved Tax Rate Election because it halted a voting incentives plan aimed at teachers and students and did not promote either support or opposition for the tax rate, according
to the district. The Fort Bend ISD administration disclosed the TEA report in a press release on the afternoon of December 20, the day before the winter break. The release does not say when it received the TEA report, nor does it include the full report. “On February 20, 2024, the TEA received a complaint alleging the district violated state laws prohibiting electioneering, unlawful political advertising, and bribery in connection with the district’s Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE) held
on November 7, 2023,” the release states. “The district’s former administration created a voter incentive plan to encourage voter turnout for the VATRE election. The plan offered staff members the opportunity to wear jeans and promised a breakfast provided by the Child Nutrition Department for schools whose voter turnout exceeded 90%. The former administration also circulated an incentive form to campuses titled ‘I voted’, which was to be sent home with students to give to their par-
ents. The form promised a ‘special prize; to students who returned the form and provided a place for parents to affix an ‘I Voted’ sticker received while voting,” the release states. “In its report, the TEA concluded that the former administration’s plan to provide voting incentives to staff and students did not violate state law because the administration halted its plan after trustees insisted that former Superintendent Dr. Christie
SEE WHITBECK PAGE 2
Fort Bend EDC joins forces with chamber of commerce By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Two years after discussions began over the fate of the Fort Bend Economic Development Cou nc il, which has worked to promote economic development in the county for nearly four decades, the council’s executive committee has decided to join forces with the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. In an announcement in late December, the two organizations announced the formation of the Fort Bend Business Partnership, which will include members of the council’s executive council and the chamber’s Chairman’s Circle, comprised of senior members of the organization. “After a yearlong strategic planning process to set the course for future economic development priorities, the county and cities have determined to move forward outside of the traditional FBEDC public-private partnership model. Considering this outcome, FBEDC executive leadership has determined the best path forward to continue its mission is to consolidate efforts and resources through the FBBP within the FBCC,” the chamber said in a news release. T hat yearlong process came about after an Austin consulting firm, TIP Strategies, hired on a splitcost basis by the EDC and
The Fort Bend Economic Development Council, which was formed in 1986, is combining forces with the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce in the newly formed Fort Bend Business Partnership. Pictured are the EDC’s former offices in the Fluor campus in Sugar Land. File photo by Ken Fountain
Fort Bend County, which had for decades been one of the EDC’s primary funding sources, recommended that the EDC be dissolved after the county under County Judge KP George decided in 2022 to create its own
economic development department. Carlos Guzman was appointed that October to be the county’s first economic development director. After the consulting firm’s recommendation, the EDC’s executive committee consid-
ered alternative ways for the EDC to continue, but ultimately went with the recommendation to disband the organization. Jeff Wiley, the EDC’s executive director, is now its only employee and the organization no longer
has its offices in the Fluor campus in Sugar Land. which will soon undergo demolition to be replaced by mixed-use development called Lake Pointe Plaza.
SEE EDC PAGE 2
Willowridge HS exits federal school improvement status Community Reports Willowridge High School achieved a significant milestone during the 2023-24 school year, officially exiting its school improvement federal identification status, Fort Bend ISD said in a press release. “Previously identified as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) campus under the Every Student Succeeds Act, Willowridge faced academic challenges that placed it in the lowest-performing five percent of Title I schools in Texas,” the release said. Under the leadership of Principal Dr. Jennifer Roberts and her administrative team, the campus implemented initiatives to close academic gaps and increase engagement with students, including implementing educational software that helped make learning fun and competitive, and bringing in support from Region IV and the district
to partner with teachers and instructional coaches to improve day-to-day instruction in all areas. Campus leaders also provided professional development for teachers, and increased engagement with parents using callouts and hosting parent nights to open and build strong lines of communication and accountability about students’ academic progress. “I’m very proud of our entire staff, our students and community for coming together around the goal of exiting school improvement,” Roberts said in the release. “The teachers, students and team worked hard to ensure gains were made to show progress over the last two years.” “Our Willowridge administrators, district leaders, teachers, parents and students put in a lot of effort and long hours, and it paid off with significant results,” Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith said in the release. “This is just the beginning of the academic
Willowridge High School this year officially exiting its school improvement federal identification status. Courtesy Fort Bend ISD
progress we expect to see, and with the campus and district working together plus the incredible support of the Willowridge community, we are certain to succeed.” One teacher said once their team embraced the challenge that faced them there was no turning back.
“We figured out what the state was expecting, and we actually set our goals higher,” Andrew Terrell, a Willowridge social studies teacher, said. “I feel like we believed it could be done and chose not to waste time complaining, but instead focused our efforts on positivity and grit.”