Bear Trail

Bear Nation,

We are excited to invite you to our annual James Bowie Middle School Open House on Thursday, August 27th. Due to the large number of people attending, we will not have a general meeting in the commons. In your student’s first-period class at 5:32, I will broadcast my welcome to you over our TV announcement system. I would love to meet you in person, so I will be in the commons all evening ready to shake your hand.

Open House class visits will start promptly at 5:39. Parents will follow the schedule listed below, starting in 1st period. The evening will consist of an abbreviated class schedule, which will give you an opportunity to meet each of your child’s teachers. There will be time built in for a few parent questions, but we request that you not engage the teacher in a parent/teacher conference at this time. Parent/teacher conferences are an important part of building a strong relationship for the success of your child. Please arrange a time by calling the school or emailing the teacher directly. Thank you in advance for attending, and I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Michael Yelvington

Dear Bowie Bear Parents:

We would like to inform you of the drop-off and pick-up procedures at James Bowie Middle School. There are three sides of the building that serve as part of the arrival and dismissal of students.

FRONT OF THE BUILDING – This will be used for parent drop-off and pick-up. This is the only area where parents may pick-up and drop-off their students. Parents, for the safety of the students please do not pick up students on the side of Plantation Road. This is a safety hazard. Please utilize the front drive for pick-up.

· Drop-off: When dropping off your student we ask that you pull as far forward as possible along the curb before your student exits the vehicle. Students are to be dropped off curbside to prevent an unsafe situation of students walking between cars. We have 10 cones set up. Please pull forward to the furthest empty cone before dropping off. Ideally, 10 cones = 10 drop-offs.

· Pick-up: We also ask that you pull as far forward as possible when picking up your student. If you are waiting for your student and there is room to pull forward, please do so. Students must be picked up curbside as to prevent an unsafe situation of students crossing through cars.

WEST SIDE/TEACHER PARKING LOT – This is for teacher parking and special transportation buses. For safety reasons, parents will not be allowed to drop-off or pick-up their students from this side of the building until after 5:00 pm.

BACK SIDE OF BUILDING/BUS PARKING – The back of the building is only for buses. For safety reasons parents will not be allowed to enter this parking lot until after 5:00 pm each day.

· Drop-off: In the morning buses will drop students off curbside. Students are to exit the bus and walk directly to the cafeteria.

· Bus dismissal: At the end of the school day bus riders will be dismissed to the bus ramp. Buses will be stationed in the angle parking spaces.

· WALKERS AND BIKE RIDERS: Remain on the sidewalk and watch for cars. Once you are on the school grounds , walkers, bike riders, and scooters are to remain on the sidewalk. Entering from Harvest Green there is a sidewalk by the baseball fields. Continue on the sidewalk and toward the school. Bikes must be parked in the bike racks at the corner of the building and not in the walkways. Walkers and bike riders will walk to the front entrance where they can enter the building. At dismissal, stay on the sidewalk and watch for cars on your way home.

ONCE ON CAMPUS: Parents, once students arrive on campus they must remain on campus. Students are not allowed to leave campus, especially to visit the businesses across Plantation and Harlem.

When everyone does their part and follows these simple procedures, arrival and dismissal runs quickly and safely.

Thank you,

Bowie Administration

Click Here for video.

The Fort Bend ISD Free and Reduced-Price Meals Application is now open for the 2026-27 school year and families can complete the application online at www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd.

All FBISD families are encouraged to apply.

Student meals will be available for purchase this school year, but students who qualify may receive breakfast and lunch meals at little or no cost.

As a reminder, meal prices will be as followed in the 2026-27 school year:

• Student Breakfast - $2.00
• Elementary Lunch - $2.75
• Secondary Lunch - $3.00

Completing the Free and Reduced-Price Meal application may result in additional benefits for students and families, including reduced fees and tuition for Extended Learning programs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, and athletics programs.

Visit the FBISD Child Nutrition webpage to learn about additional benefits.

Only one application needs to be completed for each household.

To apply, parents will need to have the following information:

• Names of all household members
• Amount, frequency and source of current income for each household member
• Last four digits of the parent’s or guardian’s social security number
• Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct.

The District uses the following criteria to determine a family’s eligibility:

• Household income that is at or below the income eligibility levels,
• Households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR), or
• Children who are in foster care, homeless, a runaway, migrant farm worker or displaced by a declared disaster, or enrolled in Head Start.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Fort Bend ISD Transportation is excited to offer Stopfinder, our easy-to-use app that keeps you informed about your child’s school bus location and schedule in real time.

With Stopfinder, you can:

• Receive instant updates on bus locations and estimated arrival times
• Get notifications about delays, route changes, or important transportation alerts
• Share access with family members or caregivers for added convenience
• 
  

How to Get Started:

1. Check your email for a Stopfinder invitation sent from Fort Bend ISD Transportation.
2. Download the free Stopfinder app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
3. Follow the instructions in your invitation email to complete your setup.
4. 
   

If you haven’t received your invitation, please contact the Transportation Department for assistance.

Transport.Support@fortbendisd.gov

Additional information regarding FBISD’s Stopfinder app is available on the Transportation website.

We encourage all families to take advantage of this powerful tool to stay informed and connected. Thank you for helping us make transportation safer, smoother, and more reliable for our students every day.

Warm regards,

Fort Bend ISD Transportation Department

Click Here for Student News.

• Click here for the Criminal History Check link.

• All criminal history applications are inactivated annually on June 30. If you wish to be involved in FBISD in the subsequent school year in any of the areas listed below, please update your application on or after July 1 of the upcoming school year. All school volunteers, field trip chaperones, mentors, tutors, interns, Shared Dreams volunteers, Junior Achievement, private lesson instructors, contracted services, etc. need to review the Criminal History Application - Volunteers link before completing a Criminal History Application.

• Student teachers, student observers, and alternative certification program (ACP) students, etc. need to review the Criminal History Application - Student Observers link below before completing a Criminal History Application.
  
  Applicants are notified via email with criminal history results within three to five business days.
  
  All criminal history applications are inactivated annually on June 30. If you wish to be involved in FBISD in the subsequent school year in any of the areas listed above, please update your application on or after July 1 of the upcoming school year.

  
  

Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/jbms
Location: 700 Plantation Drive, Richmond, TX, USA
Phone: 281-327-6200
Twitter (X): @JBMS_Bears