Hello Dr.Dupre and FBISD Board Members,

We are new homeowners of Riverstone North of LJ Parkway (156) which comprises of 5+ subdivisions (Auburn Heights, Ivory Ridge, Amber Creek, Scenic Bend to name a few). Most of us moved into this community since 2015 and have children who attend FBISD elementary and middle schools.

Currently our children go to Settlers Way Elementary, which we were hoping will be changed to Anne Sullivan Elementary once the new school opens in Fall of 2016. Some of the Riverstone children currently attending Settlers Way Elementary received a notice few weeks ago that they will be moving to the new Elementary school in Fall of 2016, while our children did not receive any notice about the change to the new school. We were also not invited to the recent PTA discussions for the new campus. Later, we came to know from FBISD that our sub divisions will continue to be zoned to Settlers Way Elementary. This Zoning pattern seems to be implemented in 2015, while our new sub divisions were being constructed and residents yet to occupy their homes, and we did not get an opportunity to share our inputs/concerns with the board. This zoning pattern will separate our children from our neighbors’ children with whom they study and play now.

Our children believed that they would move to the new school along with their friends. They are asking us when they will move to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS with their friends in the other Riverstone sub divisions. It is hard for us to believe and provide our children with a convincing reason on the current zoning pattern that will separate them from their friends now.

We were surprised and disappointed with the current zoning pattern that separate these new sub divisions of Riverstone communities to different school than the rest of the new Riverstone sub divisions which has elementary and middle school going children. As residents of the new Riverstone sub divisions, we feel that this new elementary and middle school zoning is not a convincing decision for many reasons and does not support many policies set by the FBISD board. We strongly recommend, zoning our new subdivisions to Anne Sullivan Elementary or Commonwealth elementary (whichever has lesser utilization) and FSMS would be the appropriate option for our children and their safety for the reasons stated below:

• FBISD Policy strives to reduce distance traveled by students and keep children safe at nearby schools. Considering this policy, Anne Sullivan Elementary / Commonwealth Elementary and FSMS schools are the closest to our communities and safest compared to Settlers Way Elementary and FCMS. Our children will have to travel through four parkways and four intersections to reach Settlers way Elementry and FCMS, while they can take the pathways and under pass walk ways within the Riverstone communities for Anne Sullivan Elementary / Commonwealth Elementary and FSMS schools. We feel that the new Feeder pattern does not give priority to our children’s safety but rather focuses on school utilization to our children’s detriment.
• Another FBISD core values is to keep community children together at the same school. Contrary to this value is the current zoning pattern to zone Riverstone community children to the new Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS schools except for our children.
• Another FBISD policy is grouping of students together as they advance through the system. With the current Feeder Pattern, our new subdivisions which mostly has elementary and middle school children will be forced to go to Settlers Way Elementary feeding into First Colony Middle school which is outside Riverstone community. It also combines our children with apartment communities which generally have short term residents and older communities which do not have elementary and middle school going children. This leaves our children with no choice but to advance through the system outside their community and friends, which contradicts the Fort Bend ISD core values. Nor does this facilitate the kind of long term friendships and bonds built in school that later lead to stronger communities.
• While Commonwealth elementary had enrollment exceeding capacity for the past few years, the enrollment is projected to be only 89% for 2016-17. Fort Settlement Middle School which is fed into from Commonwealth has had enrollment below it’s capacity for the last few years, and the trend is projected to continue. On the other hand, the middle school being fed by Settlers Way elementary – FCMS has had enrollment exceeding capacity in recent years and the trend is projected to continue. This clearly indicates more children should be zoned to schools that feed into Fort Settlement than to First Colony Middle school.
• “STOP RIVERSTONE FEEDING TO FIRST COLONY” petition by over 1000 Riverstone residents was signed in 2015 to zone all new Riverstone subdivisions to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS schools. We believe, our new subdivisions are contained in the overall Riverstone community and we be zoned to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS schools, however the current zoning pattern separate our children from neighboring new Riverstone community school going children challenges our belief.
• Currently, some of the Riverstone communities for example, Creek Stone village, which is much farther away (more than 3 miles) from Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS compared to our new sub-divisions (less than 2 miles) are zoned to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS, while our sub divisions are zoned to Settlers Way Elementary and FCMS which are located outside Riverstone community.
• Yet another FBISD policy ‘Neighborhood Aspect’ that was not really given importance by the DeJONG-RICHTER study. Under the current zoning pattern, other Settlers Way Elementary neighborhoods are geographically located outside and away from the Riverstone community and our children are taken out of our subdivision boundaries to a new territory. Our children (part of new Riverstone Subdivisions) going to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS will help maintain the continuity of our community children
• We understand from FBISD “District-wide Feeder Pattern and Boundary Plan” dated 26 Jan 2015, it has been highlighted the Retreat at Riverstone apartment will be zoned to Settlers Way elementary and additional boundary adjustments will be recommended in the coming years for ES 47 “Anne Sullivan Elementary”. Since that time, changes in these new sub-division (156) have occurred without providing us an opportunity to share our inputs. Now that the new school ES 47 “Anne Sullivan Elementary” is starting this Academic year 2016, as residents of its neighboring community, we request FBISD Board to appropriately zone our homes to Anne Sullivan Elementary or Commonwealth Elementry (which ever has the lesser utilization) and FSMS.

We Kindly request FBISD Board Members and Dr. Dupre to consider our petition to allow our children to stay within the new Riverstone community and zone our new Riverstone sub divisions (156) to Anne Sullivan Elementary or Commonwealth Elementary (which ever has the lesser utilization) and FSMS. We appreciate the board policies which values children safety and neighborhood aspects which we residents strongly feel are the backbone to better communities and great children.

Thank you

New Riverstone Subdivision (156) Residents