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FBISD admin recommends March vote to close elemenaries By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees is set to vote March 9 on a controversial rezoning plan that would include the closure of seven elementary schools in an effort to address what Superintendent Marc Smith called a “structural” problem of operating a built-out district in an era of declining enrollment. Administrators and the chair of the district’s School Boundary Advisory Board presented their final recommendation at Monday[‘s regular board meeting after what Smith said was about a year-anda-half of study and deliberations on how the district can “rebalance” a district in which many campuses have too many students while others - particularly in the district’s central core - have too few. The schools proposed for closure are Austin Parkway, Dulles, Fleming, Glover, Mission West, Ridgegate, and Sugar Mill. The proposal also calls for the opening of Amy Coleman Middle School, part of the district’s 20e23 bond measure. The proposed closings and consolidations are necessary, district officials and outside consultants say, primarily because after peaking at around 80,000 students a couple of years ago, enrollment is now declining due to a number of factors, and there are areas of the district where schools are either surpassing capacity or are underutilized. As at earlier meetings since the rezoning proposals was officially unveiled in December, dozens of parents and students - man of them wearing brightly colored T-shirts emblazoned with their respective schools’ names - who spoke more than an hour against the proposed closures Many of them spoke of the disruptions that closing neighborhood schools or ones with special programs would have on students. while others questioned the district’s data and justifications for closures. Several parents warned that if the plan is approved, many parents will consider pulling their children out the district to send them to charter or private schools or use homeschooling. Following some other informational presentations, administrators turned to the rezoning plan, which they said is just the first phase of a multiyear effort to rebalance the district, which Smith said was built in an era of high-growth to accommodate 100,000 students but topped out a few years ago at just over 80,000. Deputy Superintendent Beth Martinez laid out the challenges the district is facing in terms of maintaining enrollment. “We know we’re reaching full build-out, we have more underutilized campuses now and in the future as the projections have come in, and we have declining enrollment for a multitude of reasons,” Martinez said. Those reasons include more school options for parents, a declining birthrate, “We know that we have more students
SEE FBISD PAGE 2
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 51 • No. 8 • $1.00
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Both sides ‘ready for trial’ in George’s money laundering case By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Fort Bend County prosecutors and defense attorneys for County Judge KP George told the judge in his felony money laundering case Monday that they were ready to go to trial on March 10. This latest turn in the case occurs even as early voting continues in the primary for the March 3 primary, in which former Democrat George is running for reelection, this time as a Republican. During a pretrial conference before 458th District Court Judge Maggie Perez-Jaramillo, Assistant District Attorneys
Charann Thompson and Katherine Peterson and special prosecutor Brian Wice huddled with defense attorneys Jared Woodfill and David Medina in front of the bench as they discussed remaining issues that need to be addressed shortly before the jury trial begins with jury selection. That is expected to take a couple of days before actual testimony begins, attorneys said. Much of Monday’s discussion, which was largely out of earshot of courtroom observers, dealt with the qualifications of various expert witnesses both sides will
SEE GEORGE PAGE 2
Fort Bend County Judge KP George, right, confers with Jared Woodfill, his lead defense attorney, before a pretrial conference in his felony money laundering case. Trial is set to begin March 10. Photo by Ken Fountain
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION AT THE GEORGE
M
embers of RAD Crew Productions bust some moves before a diverse audience in the Bohachevsky Gallery during the Black History Month Celebration at George Memorial Library on Saturday. See more photos from the event on Page 5.
Sugar Land native and Navy nurse earns prestigious award By Douglas Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton/Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Bremerton It’s not easy to catch up with a Navy Nurse Corps officer helping run half a dozen clinics, oversee over a hundred staff and coordinate healthcare for nearly 14,000 eligible beneficiaries. Even when such efforts have resulted in being recognized as Junior Officer of the Quarter for Fourth Quarter of calendar year 2025 at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton. Lt. Jill Alyse Becker, a Sugar Land native, was recently acknowledged as recipient of the award.
“Lt. Becker’s unwavering dedication, exceptional performance, and commitment to excellence have set a high standard. This recognition is well-deserved,” Capt. Karla Lepore, NMRTC Bremerton commanding officer, said. “Congratulations, Lt. Becker. Your achievements speak volumes about your dedication to the mission of NMRTC Bremerton!” Becker professed it was an honor for her leadership to nominate her for such praise. “It is humbling to be individually recognized when this accolade is a result of the teamwork of our Sailors and lead-
SEE AWARD PAGE 4
Lt. Jill Alyse Becker, Navy Nurse Corps officer, a Sugar Land native, was recently recognized as Junior Officer of the Quarter for Fourth Quarter of calendar year 2025 at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton. Official Navy photo by Douglas H Stutz, NHB/ NMRTC Bremerton
PROUDLY ENDORSED PROUDLY ENDORSED BY BY
,CPA
MATTRESS MACK MATTRESS MACK
KennethForFortBend.com