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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 47 • No. 49 • $1.00
LCISD puts $1.72 billion in bond props on ballot By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Voters this November will decide whether or not to approve five ballot propositions totaling $1.72 billion that would allow one of Fort Bend County’s school districts to build additional schools and facilities in a bid to keep pace with
a growing student population. The Lamar Consolidated ISD board of trustees last week signed off on placing the propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot, with only one trustee – Jon Welch – voting in opposition. “We want to make
SEE BOND PAGE 9
Making inroads
Questions abound about FBISD tax rate election By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Fort Bend ISD administrators must fully explain what circumstances led to a $47 million budget deficit and why asking residents to pay more taxes is the best solution if they want voters to approve a higher tax rate in November, argues one state legislator representing the county. Questions are swirling in the days since the district’s board of trustees authorized placing a voter approval tax rate election on the November ballot about the reasoning behind the decision. The issue even led to state Rep. Jacey Jetton weighing into the matter, criticizing the district’s decision in a press release last week. “In periods of high inf lation, you tighten your belts and cut back on expenses, which is something every American family is doing right now,” he wrote. “It is unacceptable for a school district that is not growing in student population to ask families to pay more in property taxes and grow the FBISD budget, when families are cutting their personal budgets to contend with rising food and fuel costs.” In a conversation with the Star later last week, however, Jetton was more circumspect. “I have concerns, but I
SEE FBISD PAGE 9
Jetton
Pictured is a rendering of the planned Kelsey-Seybold campus in Sugar Land. (Contributed rendering)
Kelsey-Seybold to develop new campus in Sugar Land By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, a Houston-based group practice, has plans to construct a 135,000-square-foot facility next to an existing clinic as part of an effort to construct a central campus in Fort Bend County. The construction project, which is tentatively set to finish in late 2023, is part of Kelsey-Seybold’s rapid expansion plans to serve a growing
county need for healthcare, according to clinic administrators. “You can do projections and see how many retired seniors and privately-insured people there are expected to be by 2026, and it’s right around 600,000,” said Nicholas Ro, chief legal and planning officer for Kelsey-Seybold. “In any area, that makes for a strong, attractive market.” By 2024, expansion plans call for Kelsey-Seybold to own seven locations across
Janis
the southwest region of Houston, a region that encompasses most of Fort Bend County, according to Ro. The clinic currently owns two such locations, Ro said. Company officials last week announced plans to
expand the existing Fort Bend Medical and Diagnostic Center and add a second building at that location in Sugar Land to create a new Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Fort Bend Campus. Representatives with the company declined to provide financial figures for the project. But as part of the project, crews will construct a 135,000-square foot building next to a renovated existing building, according to a news release. The two structures will connect through an
interior walkway and the 200,000 square-feet of combined space will host up to 75 providers across several specialties, according to the release. Crews will also construct a new parking garage behind the addition, according to the release. “Fort Bend Campus will put quality specialty care within minutes of those living and working in Fort Bend,” said Kenneth Janis, chief
SEE CAMPUS PAGE 9
Charter school group opens two campuses in county By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
A statewide branch of charter schools is making inroads in Fort Bend County with the opening of two new high schools. Sugar Land and Katyarea Harmony Public Schools have opened this year with plans to serve more than 1,600 students, according to a series of news releases.
Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land opened its doors on Aug. 29 and will serve more than 900 high school students. The Katy campus, which is actually in Richmond, opened Aug. 23 and will serve between 700 and 800 students in eighth through 12th grade, according to a news release. Representatives for Harmony Public Schools
did not respond to a request for comment about what led to their decision to open two new campuses in Fort Bend County. But a growing number of students both in Texas and across the nation are moving into charter schools, according to an Axios article. The Axios report found Texas charter school enrollment grew about 8.6 percent between 2020 and 2021.
Harmony Public Schools is opening campuses in Richmond and Sugar Land. (Contributed photo)
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