Parents express anger with FBISD's feeder patterns, academies plans

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Parents in Fort Bend ISD packed a meeting Wednesday night on proposed school feeder pattern changes and they didn't leave their criticism at home.

"It doesn't make sense. There's no continuity of ideas," said Paul Shah, the father of a 9th grade boy.

"The district has been flip-flopping all over this issue for the last two years," added Ali Zaidi, a 10th grader whose heading the student response to the plan.

Parents and students were armed with signs and dressed in school T-shirts as they filled the auditorium at Elkins High School to hear how Fort Bend ISD will adjust to its massive growth.

"Let's be respectful, OK?" reminded one district official.

It was a pre-emptive warning. Informational meetings like these have been known to get contentious.

The proposal is to change feeder patterns and boundaries for most Fort Bend ISD schools in order to balance out enrollment and plan for growth, says the district.

All elementary and middle school students would be affected next year, as would current nineth graders in three of the district's so-called academies--specialty schools within schools.

Current 9th graders in the Engineering Academy would move from Elkins HS to Dulles HS. International Business and Marketing students would move from Bush HS to Travis HS and Clements HS Global Studies students would also move to Travid HS. Breaking them away from the upperclassmen next year has drawn the most criticism.

"When he came on board he was told this is where you're going to be for the next four years so he entrenched himself with the people within the school, Shah said referring to his 9th grade son who attends the Engineering Academy. "Now he's being told to move."

Not everyone is against the the plan. Some of the parents have been attending meetings for months.

At some point you've got to call it a day and move forward," said Mahesh Aiyer.

The district says it's just been trying to listen and come up with something that best serves all students.

There is not going to be a plan that will make everyone happy," concedes Amanda Bubela, a district spokeswoman.

The Board of Trustees is expected to take action on the plan at a regularly scheduled meeting Monday night. To see the full plan, click here.