Frisco Independent School District, which was recently pronounced as the twelfth best school district in Texas, has been providing local students with top-ranking education for decades. However, some enrollment spots have opened up recently, giving students from outside districts an opportunity to join the district through the new Access Frisco program.
“We’re committed to ensuring every student has the chance to thrive in a supportive and innovative learning environment,” Frisco ISD Managing Director of Student Services Albert Leal said in a Frisco ISD news release. “This carefully designed program ensures we can grow efficiently, preserving what makes FISD unique while making a greater impact.”
Access Frisco is a program introduced in fall 2024 that will allow students from surrounding areas in kindergarten through seventh grade to apply for one of 900 spots in FISD schools. Due to plateauing enrollment rates into Frisco schools and deficit budgets, there have been extra spaces for enrollment and a strain on per-student funding, allowing this program to come into being.
Even though the size of Frisco ISD has increased over the past decade, the state mandated per-student funding has remained the same for the past five years. This has caused stress on various campuses in supporting all their students, but by allowing outside enrollment FISD hopes to generate an estimated $3 million in revenue.
“Frisco ISD receives additional revenue through the state’s funding formula for each new student that enrolls in our district,” Frisco ISD Chief Finance and Strategy Officer Kimberly Smith said in a Frisco ISD news release. “By strategically placing new students where space is available, we can generate substantial revenue while avoiding extra costs. For every 100 students enrolled through this program, Frisco ISD expects to generate approximately $750,000 in funding – helping us maintain financial stability while inviting others to experience Frisco ISD’s excellence in education
Access Frisco aims to balance class sizes, and while many parents are concerned about overcrowding, Superintendent Mike Waldrip promised that the school board will not overfill a building.
Access Frisco students are required to provide their own transportation to and from FISD campuses, which can cause an added layer of stress for parents. Students are required to re-apply to the program every year in order to ensure students are upholding FISD standards of satisfactory scores, 90% or better attendance, and good behaviour among other requirements. Students who fail to meet the standards can be removed from the program.
Besides bringing revenue into FISD and keeping our classrooms filled, Access Frisco also aims to give outside students an opportunity to be a part of the one of the highest-ranked school districts in Texas The program, which had two application windows in December and January of this year, will officially start with the 2025-2026 school year.
