School districts are responsible for covering the cost of instructional materials not included on the state’s online, free repository, which Chief Academic Officer Adam Stephens said has created challenges for courses that require physical textbooks and materials difficult to replace with digital alternatives. (Valeria Escobar/Community Impact)
A proposed amendment to Fort Bend ISD’s agreement with Houston City College, formerly Houston Community College, outlines plans to fully adopt the state’s free online learning resources by the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Although dual credit curriculum decisions rest with HCC faculty—not FBISD—the district’s Chief Academic Officer, Adam Stephens, said the shift toward using the state’s Texas Open Educational Resources, or OER, aims to reduce student costs. The change comes as Texas transitions to a funding model that caps dual credit tuition and offers free courses to students eligible for free or reduced lunch…