Fort Bend Independent School District: Sayavedra Sums It Up (7/22/2021)

Press release from Fort Bend Independent School District:

7/22/2021

Hello, I’m Acting Superintendent Diana Sayavedra. 

At Monday’s regular board meeting, District administration and trustees had a lengthy discussion on how to best meet the academic, health, safety and social-emotional needs of our students as they return to school, which is only about 3 weeks away! 

Last week we shared the District’s Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan. The plan provides insight on a wide range of topics including the Whole Child Health Initiative, instructional supports, interventions to address gaps due to COVID-19, safety mitigation measures, Child Nutrition and Collaborative Communities partnerships and mentoring opportunities. 

This school year, students and staff will not be required to have a COVID-19 vaccination to return to campus. Although masks are optional, mitigation efforts will continue including our cleaning protocols and practicing three feet of social distancing when possible. Anyone who chooses to wear a mask is welcome. We want all our staff and students to feel comfortable in our buildings. 

In addition, we have intentionally aligned training for our staff to support students who may have social-emotional needs and have set aside 45 minutes of each school day to address students’ specific learning needs through intervention. We know so many of our students, families and staff have experienced loss and trauma, and we are committed to providing supports for all. 

You can view the plan on our website, and we will communicate additional information in the coming weeks. 

At the same time, we shared our plan, we invited our community to participate in a survey that will help guide our use of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds as known as ESSER funds. We will use your feedback to finalize a federal grant application that is required by TEA for the district to receive the federal ESSER funds designated to help school districts address learning loss and COVID-19 recovery. 

We received 3,000 responses, and among the top responses are the desire to provide additional planning time for our core teachers, add new positions designated for students who need interventions, maintain our current staff and support for future summer bridge programs. 

Also, at Monday’s meeting, the Board received an update on the District’s Career and Technical Education program which continues to evolve and expand to better serve our secondary students. We know how important choice is for students, and our CTE program offers middle and high school students an avenue to explore various career paths.

Our extended learning program has also expanded its services to offer students enriched learning opportunities beyond the traditional school day. Although these offerings are tuition-based, scholarship opportunities are available if needed. Families looking for enrichment programs like dance, STEM, culinary arts and many more should visit the FBISD website for a comprehensive list. 

Our work continues on projects allocated in the 2018 Bond package, including the renovation of Mercer Stadium and the Clements High School Field House. It is exciting to see our facilities upgraded, all of which are possible through support from our community. You can always find a list of current and completed projects at fortbendisd.com/bond. 

In addition, the Board took action on approving the procurement of instructional resources and shared with the community the importance of having high-quality resources not only available for teachers but also to have training for staff to ensure the delivery of a balanced and unbiased curriculum with fidelity, as outlined in Board policy. 

This press release was produced by Fort Bend Independent School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.