Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Marc Smith said he reduced the district's Bond 2023 budget shortfall by $99 million during his first year leading the district.

Smith outlined the achievement in a first-year update posted Thursday, Sept. 3, on the district's website. The Bond 2023 program is a voter-approved $1.26 billion package funding facility upgrades across Fort Bend ISD, which serves students in Missouri City, Stafford and surrounding communities.

The district has not disclosed the original shortfall amount or how the $99 million reduction was achieved. The district also approved a 2026-27 budget with a $32.8 million operating shortfall. Whether the bond shortfall and the operating shortfall are related is unclear from available district records.

Smith, who returned to Fort Bend ISD in 2024 after serving as superintendent in Duncanville ISD and Marshall ISD for nearly 12 years, said he also prioritized building relationships with the board, leadership development and evaluating student academic performance data. He described his approach as centered on professionalism, accountability and communication.

Fort Bend ISD earned a "B" rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the 2025-26 school year, scoring an 82 out of 100, according to Community Impact. That score rose from 80 in 2024-25 and 79 in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. The district eliminated all three of its "F"-rated campuses, and 15 campuses improved by at least one letter grade.

The improvement reflects "the intentional implementation of the systems and accountability our district and campus leaders put into place," Smith said in an Aug. 14 district news release about the TEA results.

Looking ahead, the district faces a consequential decision for Missouri City families. Fort Bend ISD is expected to vote Monday, Oct. 5, on secondary school boundary changes aimed at relieving overcrowding at Austin, Elkins and Travis high schools, Community Impact reported. Elkins High School sits in Missouri City.

Two options are under consideration. Option 1 would affect about 1,050 students by sending some to Clements High School. Option 2 would affect 1,561 students by rezoning Quail Valley Middle School to Dulles High School and shifting part of the Elkins zone to Clements.

Deputy Superintendent Beth Martinez said students already in high school or entering eighth grade could stay at their current campus if changes are approved, but the district would not provide transportation.

The district collected 2,805 survey responses on the proposals between Aug. 18 and Aug. 30. The School Boundary Advisory Committee is expected to deliver its final recommendation before the board vote.