Fort Bend Independent School District, also known as Fort Bend ISD or FBISD, is a school district that operates 86 schools in Fort Bend County. Based in Sugar Land, Texas, it is the 5th most diverse school district in Texas and is the 43rd largest district in the United States.
The district spans covering almost all of the city of Sugar Land, the city of Meadows Place, the Fort Bend county portion of Missouri City, Arcola, small sections of Houston, small sections of Pearland (including some of Shadow Creek Ranch, which is attempting to secede from FBISD),"City of Pearland School Districts." (Archive) City of Pearland. Retrieved on March 21, 2014. the unincorporated communities of Clodine, Four Corners, Juliff, and Fresno, and the Fort Bend County portion of Mission Bend.
Fort Bend Independent School District was created by the consolidation of the Sugar Land ISD and Missouri City ISD in 1959. The school district is the seventh-largest public school system in the state of Texas and third largest within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. The school district is currently the largest employer in Fort Bend County with more than 11,000 district employees, and encompasses some of the wealthiest locales in the State of Texas.
Fort Bend ISD is distinguished by its honors. In 2010, the school district was rated "recognized" by the Texas Education Agency.
The district is the only school district in the nation to be named a 2011 National School District of Character by the National Schools of Character Program in Washington DC—and only one of two districts in Texas to be honored with this designation. The Washington Post ranked Clements, Austin, Kempner, Travis, Dulles, Hightower, and Elkins High Schools as seven of the Top 2011 High Schools in the Nation.
History
Fort Bend ISD was formed when Sugar Land ISD and Missouri City ISD merged after an election on April 18, 1959. The first superintendent was Louis P. Rodgers, who had been the Missouri City ISD superintendent upon the merger. The Sugar Land ISD superintendent Edward Mercer, became the assistant superintendent.
Missouri City ISD was formed from Missouri City Common School, House Common School, and Mustang Common School (Fresno area). Sugar Land ISD was formed in 1918 and was expanded by adding Sartartia Common School and Clodine Common School in 1948.Research done by the Texas State Library, recorded in the Fort Bend County Official Public Records under document number 2000062274 on July 27, 2000.
Originally FBISD was racially segregated, with white high school students attending the consolidated Dulles High School, with its permanent campus in Sugar Land, and black high school students attending M.R. Wood School in Sugar Land. In 1963, FBISD had 600 students. On June 23, 1964, the board of trustees for FBISD began the desegregation process via adopting a plan calling for freedom of choice for attending high schools. The plan was rejected by the commissioner of education for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and the following year on May 10, 1965, it was amended to mandate full desegregation and create zones based on equal ethnic distribution. The desegregation process went into effect in September 1965; in the post-desegregation period Dulles was the district's sole high school until Willowridge High School opened in 1979. Desegregation was officially dismantled in FBISD in 1968.
Rodgers died in May 1967 so Mercer became superintendent. Lawrence Elkins succeeded Mercer after the latter retired in August 1974.
In 1969 the school district had 1,000 students, and its enrollment was increasing. Between 1979 and 1997, a new high school opened at intervals no more than five years apart. The district became the fastest growing school district in the State of Texas. In August 1997 the district had over 14,000 students at its high schools, then numbering six.
A portion of Stafford was formerly a part of Fort Bend ISD, but it broke away and formed the Stafford Municipal School District. In 1977, largely in response to district policy barring bussing for students living within two miles of their schools, the FBISD portions of the city of Stafford voted to leave FBISD for the Stafford MSD. Several rounds of legal litigation ensued, largely stemming from concerns that the secession would impede on FBISD's desegregation process and worries that it would inspire others to leave the district (most notably in Sugar Land, where a sizable number of parents did seek to leave and carve their own school district). Ultimately, the move was found to be constitutional in 1981. Residents in Stafford's ETJ are served by Fort Bend ISD, not Stafford MSD.
In February 1984 Rodney E. LeBoeuf became superintendent. LeBouef left in March 1991 and Raj K. Chopra became superintendent in August of that year. Chopra left on July 20, 1994. The next superintendent, Don W. Hooper, assumed power on February 15, 1995.
Circa 1997 FBISD was the fastest-growing school district in Texas, with new comprehensive high schools opening in increments of fewer than five years.
Hooper's retirement was scheduled for June 2002.
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, the district administration chose not to make masks mandatory even though the Fort Bend county judge, KP George, issued a mask mandate. Governor of Texas Greg Abbott had prohibited local governments from issuing mask mandates. In August the district board voted 4–3 to reverse its stance and require masks.
On March 9th, 2026, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees voted in favor (4-3) on closing seven elementary schools. The district cited a $56 Million deficit on top of declining enrollment rates as the key factors that pushed them to make the decision despite intense public outcry.
Administration The Fort Bend ISD Police Department is headquartered in Stafford. Its current headquarters was the former FBISD Administration Building located off FM1092 which was later converted into a vehicle maintenance facility after the administration HQ was moved to Sugar Land.
FBISD's current administration building is located in Sugar Land, near the Town Square and First Colony Mall. There is also the FBISD Annex, which contains an auditorium/banquet hall for FBISD, as well as a shop for teachers of FBISD.
When the district was first created Sugar Land Junior High School had the administrative offices. However, there was no tax assessor-collector in Sugar Land, so the taxation office was in Missouri City as that municipality did have one. In the summer of 1961 the district opened the first dedicated headquarters. In October 1985 the current district headquarters opened.
District operations In 2019 the FBISD administration stated that it was considering changing the class ranking system so that students are ranked according to the school's attendance zones in which they reside instead of the schools which they actually attend.
Athletics and extracurriculars FBISD is known for having some of the best athletic teams in Houston. All 11 high schools contain 2 gyms, Tennis Courts, a football/soccer/track field, a softball field, and with 1 exception, a baseball field, each fitted with LED scoreboards.
FBISD also manages 2 athletic complexes, complete with turf and Video/LED scoreboards from NEVCO: Kenneth Hall Stadium (Football/Soccer/Track) and Buddy Hopson Field House (Gym) located next to Hightower Edward Mercer Stadium (Football/Soccer) and Wheeler Field House (gym) located next to the Admin Building Frankie Field (Baseball) is also located next to Mercer, but it is Clements's Home Field
Louis P. Rodgers Memorial Auditorium in Dulles High School was built in 1969."Campus History." Fort Bend Independent School District. Retrieved on November 2, 2017.
Recognitions Seventy percent of the district's campuses received an Exemplary or Recognized rating from the Texas Education Agency in 2002. That same year, the district was named a Recognized District by the Texas Education Agency for the second consecutive year, making it one of the largest public school districts in Texas to receive that rating. Currently the district is ranked "academically acceptable" and has been for the last several years.
Austin High School and Clements High School, both in Sugar Land, have been recognized by Texas Monthly magazine in its list of the top 10 high schools in the state of Texas. In addition, Clements, Austin, and Elkins high schools ranked 313th, 626th, and 702nd, respectively, among the top 1000 schools in the United States by Newsweek.
Fort Bend ISD has been named one of the top 100 School Districts in the Nation for a Fine Arts Education, according to a nationwide survey of public and private school programs.
Governance The current Superintendent is Dr. Marc Smith, who was chosen by the Board of Trustees on December 15, 2023. He was succeeded by Dr. Christie Whitbeck after her retirement was voted on by the Board of Trustees December 4, 2023. FBISD is served by a Board of Trustees who are periodically elected. Each trustee represents one of the seven regions in the school district.
Schools +High schools (grades 9-12) Name Established Mascot Colors Location Additional information Stephen F. Austin High School 1995 Bulldogs Red, Black, & White Sugar Land ETJ George Bush High School 2001 Broncos Orange, Navy, & White Richmond ETJ Almeta Crawford High School 2023 Chargers Teal, Gray, & White Rosharon William P. Clements High School 1983 Rangers Columbia, Navy, & White Sugar Land John Foster Dulles High School 1960 Vikings Red, White, & Blue Sugar Land Lawrence E. Elkins High School 1992 Knights Royal Blue & Gold Missouri City L.V Hightower High School 1998 Hurricanes Black, Hunter Green, & Silver Missouri City Isaac H. Kempner High School 1988 Cougars Maroon, Silver, & White Sugar Land Thurgood Marshall High School 2002 Buffalos Black & Gold Missouri City William B. Travis High School 2006 Tigers Scarlet, Gray, & White Richmond ETJ Ridge Point High School 2010 Panthers Purple, Silver, & White Missouri City ETJ Willowridge High School 1979 Eagles Blue & Silver Houston
+Middle schools (grades 6-8) Name Established Mascot Colors Location Additional information Billy Baines Middle School 2006 Longhorns Navy, Orange, & White Sienna James Bowie Middle School 2011 Bears Red & Brown Richmond Amy Coleman Middle School 2026 Cowboys Green & Gold Fresno David Crockett Middle School 2007 Mavericks Navy & White Richmond First Colony Middle School 1985 Bobcats Navy & Tan Sugar Land 1999–2000 National Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF) Fort Settlement Middle School 2001 Falcons Maroon, Gray, & Black Sugar Land 2007-2008 National Blue Ribbon School Hodges Bend Middle School 1987 Warriors Maroon & White Houston Lake Olympia Middle School 1992 Mustangs Columbia & White Missouri City Macario Garcia Middle School 1995 Gators Columbia & Navy Sugar Land ETJ John F. Dulles Middle School 1965 Vikings Red & Blue Sugar Land Christa McAuliffe Middle School 1986 Hawks Purple & Black Houston Missouri City Middle School 1975 Cougars Blue & Gold Missouri City Quail Valley Middle School 1978 Raiders Green & Gold Missouri City Open from 1978-1994, 1996-present; Home of the FBISD Gifted and Talented Academy 2007-present Sartartia Middle School 2001 Jaguars Black & Gold Sugar Land Sugar Land Middle School 1975 Titans Red & White Sugar Land Former mascot was the Trojans Ronald Thornton Middle School 2017 Thundercats Gold, Purple & White Sienna
Elementary schools Allen Aldridge Jr. Elementary School (Missouri City) (opened 2025) Armstrong Elementary School (Missouri City) (opened 2008) Barrington Place Elementary School (Sugar Land) (opened 1990) Sonal Bhuchar Elementary School (Riverstone, Unincorporated area) - Opened 2023 - Named after an FBISD board member. It was originally scheduled to open in 2022.