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 attend FBISD elementary and middle school.

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 plan will separate our children from our neighbors’ children with whom they study and play with 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 this board decision that will separate them from their friends now. That they will have to rebuild a new circle of friends at the new school after they have had a journey with their buddies now.

We were surprised and disappointed by the Board's decision to separate these new sub divisions of Riverstone communities to different school than the rest of the Riverstone. 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 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 at nearby schools. Considering this policy, Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS schools are the closest to our communities compared to Settlers Way Elementary and FCMS and that would be the appropriate choice for our community children. We feel that the new Feeder pattern do 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 board’s decision to zone Riverstone community children to the new Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS schools except for our children.
• Another policy is grouping of students together as they advance through the system. With this new Feeder Pattern imposed by the board, our children will be forced to go to Settlers Way Elementary which feeds into First Colony Middle school which is outside Riverstone community. 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
• “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 subdivisions are contained in the overall Riverstone community and we be zoned to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS schools, however the board’s decision to separate our children from other neighboring 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 we 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 scheme, other Settlers Way Elementary neighborhoods are geographically located outside and away from Riverstone 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 only 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 kindly request FBISD honor the previous agreement and only send children from the apartment to Settlers Way Elementary and appropriately zone our homes to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS.

We request that FBISD to consider our request to allow our children stay within the Riverstone community and zone our new Riverstone sub divisions (156) to Anne Sullivan Elementary and FSMS. We hope Board Members and Dr. Dupre would give us a chance by meeting with us to hear our inputs and concerns. 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