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READERS’ CHOICE PLACE YOUR VOTES FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Sugar Land mayor joins 12 others in calling for special session on gun control By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The mayor of Sugar Land has joined the Republican and Democratic mayors of some of Texas’ biggest cities in penning a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, asking him to call a special legislative session to enact gun law reform in response to the mass shooting in Uvalde. Thirteen members of a nonpartisan coalition, called the Big City Mayors, signed a letter asking Abbott to call a special session to discuss requir ing u n i v e r s a l Zimmerman background checks on gun purchases; increasing the age to purchase assault weapons up to 21; passing red f lag laws; increasing the funding for mental health support; and training and giving school safety officers proper resources. “I think this is a big deal,” Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman told the Fort Bend Star last week. “You’re talking about a nonpartisan group of mayors from the biggest cities.” In the weeks since a gunman killed 19 elementary children and two teachers and injured another 17 people in Uvalde, people across the country have held renewed conversations about what gun control measures might be warranted to prevent future shootings. The discussion has included people from both sides of the political aisle. Former U.S. Rep.
SEE REFORM PAGE 7
By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
While the most immediate issues might be behind Fort Bend ISD after the board of trustees last week approved a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a major $49 million budget shortfall will continue to cause problems for the foreseeable future, according to district administrators. To meet statutory requirements, the district devoted about $27 mil-
lion in federal funding and some of its reserve funds to help alleviate the shortfall, according to district officials. But with so much of the shortfall caused by recurring costs – such as staffing and programming – the district must come up with a plan to deal with the problem long-term, said Steve Bassett, deputy superintendent for Fort Bend ISD. “We put the cart before the horse in a lot of ways,” Bassett said. Essentially, the district
See related column on .................. PAGE 3
Bassett
spent about $40 million on new programming and had been instituting teacher salary increases to keep
pace with the market, but a quickly-growing student population helped make that possible, Bassett said. That all changed with the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. The district saw its first material deficit in the 2021 fiscal year and now the shortfall has grown to be about $49 million, Bassett
said. The student enrollment the most recent school year was about 2,100 fewer children than expected, Bassett said. District demographers estimated the enrollment would be about 79,700, but the year started with about 77,500 enrolled students, Bassett said. That number increased to about 78,650 by the end of the school year – higher than the pre-pandemic enrollment – but not enough
SEE BUDGET PAGE 7
It's that time
Fourth of July to bring celebrations throughout county By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
It’s about time for taking a day to celebrate the camaraderie and fellowship of the United States, and most every municipality in Fort Bend County has events planned to celebrate the occasion. The city of Sugar Land will host its annual free Red, White and Boom celebration from 6-10 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. There will be live musical entertainment such as Emcee DJ Cara, Sugar Land Jr. Superstar Faith Parle, JoiLux Dueling Pianos and more, as well as food and beverages from restaurants such as Cousins Main Lobster, Halal 5, Williams Way BBQ and Chupacabra Ice Cream. Also among the festivities will be community booths as well as a rock wall, carnival games, photo stations, sports inf latables and trackless trains, with the fireworks show starting at 9 p.m. There will be limited parking available on site, and a free shuttle service will be available to attendees from the University of Houston Sugar Land (14000 University Blvd.) and Smart Financial Centre (18111 Lexington Blvd.) that will run continuously from 5 a.m.midnight. For more information on the Red, White, and Boom celebration, visit ht t ps://w w w.suga rla ndt x.gov/915/ Red-White-and-Boom or call the Sugar Land Parks & Recreation department at 281-275-2825. A couple of separate fun runs and walks are also taking place that morning around Sugar Land. The Lost Creek Park Freedom 5K will be at Lost Creek Park, 3703 Lost Creek Blvd., while the Oyster Creek Red, White, and Blue Hike will run from 8-10 a.m. at Pheasant Creek Park, 2910 Pheasant Creek Dr. Meanwhile, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys will host the El Paso Chihuahuas at Constellation Field at 6:05 p.m., with Independence Day fireworks after
A girl waves small American flags during the city of Sugar Land’s 2019 Red, White, and Boom event, which has festivities for attendees of all ages. (Photo courtesy City of Sugar Land)
the game. Fulshear The Fulshear Freedom Fest is set for July 4 from 6-9:30 p.m. at Fulshear High School, 9302 Charger Way. New Orleans party band Bag of Donuts will provide live music according to the event page, and there will also be food trucks, vendor booths, and a fireworks show to finish off the night. Visit fulshearkaty.com/ m e m b e r s/e v r/r e g _ e v e n t . php?orgcode=FK AC&evid=65559979 for more information or to register for the event.
SEE JULY 4TH PAGE 7
ictured is the crowd from the 2019 Fest. (Photo from Facebook)
ulshear
reedom
Fort Bend enacts burn ban amid drought conditions By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Fort Bend commissioners have instituted a burn ban, and County Judge KP George is considering banning fireworks amid worsening drought conditions across the region.
The commissioners met in an emergency meeting last week and approved a measure that would ban outdoor burning in unincorporated parts of the county, according to a news release. Two days after that decision, George announced he was considering an additional
George
prohibition on fireworks, according to a separate release. “Fire conditions across Fort Bend County remain extremely dangerous,” George said. “It’s essential that we consider the potential danger that the private use of fireworks could cause to our residents and their property
if these conditions persist.” Little rainfall and higher-than-ty pical temperatures have forced communities across the Houston region to enact measures to combat drought conditions, according to
SEE BURN PAGE 7
JERRY FLOWERS
Real Estate Agent, MBA, CNE, ABE Army Veteran (RET) • 832-702-5241 Jerry@dreamhomesbyjerry.com
4500 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478