Fort Bend ISD (July 15, 2025) — Fort Bend ISD is among an elite group of school districts that received the prestigious 2025 District of Distinction Award by the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA).

The award honors districts that integrate visual arts into their curriculum. Recipients demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering creativity, supporting social-emotional learning and building connections between students, their communities and the world around them.

“Fort Bend ISD has set a high standard for visual arts advocacy by integrating visual arts into their curriculum, which has encouraged creativity, community participation and student growth,” Chair of the Visual Art Administrators of Texas, a division of TAEA, Nealy Holley, said. “It is a testament to their art educators’ skill, dedication and flexibility that the quality of their program provides strong and comprehensive visual art educational experiences to students.”

TAEA launched the District of Distinction program seven years ago to recognize districts that meet rigorous standards based on measurable criteria.

More than 1,200 school districts in Texas were eligible to apply this year. Only 109 met the high standards – placing FBISD in the top 8 percent statewide for excellence in art education.

“I am incredibly proud of our district’s teaching-artists who transform their students’ lives every day through the pursuit of artistic excellence,” FBISD Director of Fine Arts James Drew said. “The visual arts are an essential component of every FBISD child’s well-rounded education. Now more than ever, students need the opportunities afforded by our district’s art program, which offers them a creative outlet to pursue their artistic passion.”

Seventy-eight percent of the 79,000+ students enrolled in FBISD participate in a district fine arts course.

FBISD’s visual arts program receives financial support from the district for art supplies, summer art camps and ongoing professional learning for teachers. In addition, they provide a strong mentoring program for teachers who are new to the district.

Additional national and state fine arts achievements earned during the 2024-25 school year include:

• Premier Community for Theatre Education by the Educational Theatre Association
• Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for the 19th year
• National Outstanding Administrator Award from the Organization of American Kodály Educators
• Texas Educational Theatre Association’s Educator of the Year Award

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