Stafford in Fort Bend County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Stafford Municipal School District

Photographed by Brian Anderson, April 30, 2022

1. Stafford Municipal School District Marker

Inscription. The city of Stafford, or Stafford’s Point, was settled by William Stafford in the early 1820s. The settlers organized a place for their children to go to school, and by the 1830s, a one-room school was available with ten students attending. Later, classes were held in the local blacksmith shop. In 1895, the first official school was built on Louisiana Street in Missouri City with seven grades and one teacher. Students from Stafford, Missouri City and surrounding areas attended the Missouri City School District which was formally organized in 1938. In 1959, the Missouri City School District and Sugar Land School District consolidated to form the Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD). In 1976, a FBISD decision to reduce bus transportation for schoolchildren prompted the Stafford City Council to consider separating from the district to create a Municipal School District, an extremely rare occurrence.

As required, Stafford citizens presented a petition to the mayor and city council calling for an election to form a Municipal School District. The election was held, and the vote was approved on January 15, 1977. The

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State of Texas Commissioner of Education investigated and upheld the vote. FBISD appealed the decision to the Federal District Court where a judge ruled in favor of FBISD. On July 30, 1981, the Fifth Circuit Court of appeals in New Orleans ruled that Stafford Municipal School District (SMSD) was constitutional. Work quickly began to establish an exceptional educational environment for Stafford. On August 26, 1982, SMSD started grades Kindergarten through 5th and the next year added 6th through 11th grades. SMSD had its first graduating class in May 1985.

Erected 2016 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18362.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical date for this entry is August 26, 1982.

Location. 29° 36.089′ N, 95° 32.606′ W. Marker is in Stafford, Texas, in Fort Bend County. It is at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and Spartan Drive, on the right when traveling north on Constitution Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1625 Staffordshire Road, Stafford TX 77477, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker

Photographed by Brian Anderson, April 30, 2022

2. Stafford Municipal School District Marker

is in the Houston Metropolitan Area.

It is also on the American Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado (approx. 1.1 miles away); Holy Family Catholic Church (approx. 1.3 miles away); Court Hardware Company (approx. 1.3 miles away); William J. Stafford Cemetery (approx. 2½ miles away); Stafford Plantation (approx. 2½ miles away); Paschal Paolo Borden (approx. 2.6 miles away); Stafford's Point (approx. 2.8 miles away); The Freedom Tree (approx. 3.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stafford.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2022, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio. This page has been viewed 425 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 10, 2022, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio.