An Update from Dr. Smith, June 18, 2026

Dear Fort Bend ISD Family,

This month’s In Focus covers:

• Board approves 2026-27 budget and compensation plan
• Our littlest learners are ready for kindergarten; and
• STAAR End-of-course highlights.

Board Approves 2026-27 Budget and Compensation Plan

FBISD’s Board of Trustees approved an $898 million budget for the 2026–27 school year that prioritizes employee compensation while maintaining long-term financial stability. The compensation plan includes targeted investments to attract, retain, and reward high-quality educators and support staff who positively impact students every day.

Key compensation initiatives include experience-based teacher pay increases, state-funded retention incentives for eligible teachers and staff, supplemental pay for employees not covered by retention programs, and higher wages for bus drivers and monitors.

Additional takeaways:

• Eighty-three percent of the district’s budget is allocated to instruction.
• The budget includes the cost for new programs that will launch in the fall including Virtual High School, Middle School Choice programs, Two-way Dual Language/Mandarin Immersion programs and the expansion of PreK-3.

View a presentation from Business and Finance on the 2026-27 Budget.

FBISD’s Littlest Learners are Ready for Kindergarten

Eighty-seven percent of FBISD’s PreK-4 students exhibited “on track behavior” in Early Literacy, and 94 percent in Math, according to end-of-year data collected by our Teaching and Learning Department. Our district uses PreK CIRCLE, an early childhood assessment system, to monitor how our PreK students are developing and learning throughout the school year.

Both percentages surpassed the goals that were set for these students this year and outperformed previous years.

This is a testament to the strong foundation our district provides for our littlest learners.

For more information about the district’s outstanding PreK programs, visit www.fortbendisd.com/PreK.
  

STAAR End-of-Course Highlights

Preliminary results of the district’s 2026 STAAR End-of-Course indicate that FBISD students outperformed the state’s passing rate in ALL FIVE EOC areas.

Student performance is measured in three levels: Masters Grade Level, Meets Grade Level, and Approaches Grade Level.

• The number of students who Mastered Grade Level in Biology showed the strongest single-year gain districtwide, increasing from 31% in 2025 to 47% in 2026 — a 16-percentage point gain.
• Algebra I improved across all three performance levels — Approaches Grade Level increased from 76% to 84% (+8), Meets Grade Level increased from 51% to 60% (+9), and Masters Grade Level increased from 35% to 40% (+5).
• Meets Grade Level improved in four subjects — Algebra I (+9), Biology (+7), English I (+4), and S. History (+3) all posted gains from 2025 to 2026.
• Biology and U.S. History had the district's highest performance levels — both subjects reached 95% Approaches Grade Level and 79% Meets Grade Level. Masters Grade Level performance reached 47% in Biology and 48% in U.S. History.
• English II maintained strong performance — English II held at 79% Approaches Grade Level and 68% Meets Grade Level, consistent with 2025 results

We will communicate additional results as they are released throughout the summer.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marc Smith
Fort Bend ISD Superintendent