Fort Bend ISD to collaborate with Fort Bend County regarding historic cemetery

FORT BEND ISD (February 18, 2019) – During its regular Board meeting on February 18, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees authorized the superintendent to negotiate an Interlocal Agreement with the Fort Bend County relating to the abandoned cemetery discovered at the James Reese CTE Center site.

Full statement from Jason Burdine, FBISD Board President:

“During tonight’s Board meeting, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to authorize the superintendent to negotiate an interlocal agreement with Fort Bend County, which mirrors the action taken last week by the Fort Bend County Commissioner’s Court. We agree that the state-sanctioned convict leasing program was an oppressive system, and we remain hopeful that an agreement will lead to the preservation and memorialization of the individuals discovered at the site of the James Reese Career and Technical Center. Unlike a public school district, it is legally permissible for a county to operate a cemetery. We remain committed to educating future generations about this piece of history.”

For more information about the discovery of the historic cemetery, visit the Fort Bend ISD website.