SUGAR LAND, Texas — We're one step closer to figuring out what will happen to the remains of the 95 slaves found under a construction site in Sugar Land last year.
On Tuesday, the district said they're ready to sell the unmarked cemetery to the county so the portion of that land could be maintained as a memorial park and cemetery.
"Today Commissioners Court authorized the county legal team to purse an interlocal agreement between Fort Bend County and FBISD to memorialize and protect #SugarLand95," County Judge KP George posted on Twitter.
People sitting in the courthouse applauded the unanimous vote.
Construction crews discovered the remains back in April after they began work on building a $59 million career and technical center.
In the months after, Fort Bend ISD and a community citizens task force were battling on the best way to handle the bodies.
The district wanted to move them to the Old Imperial Farm Cemetery, which is about half a mile from where the construction crews unearthed the first set of remains. The task force wanted to keep the remains where they were found.
In October, it appeared the remains would be moved, but in November a judge ruled to halt the re-location.
Jason Burdine, President of the FBISD Board of Trustees, released the following statement about the agreement:
“Fort Bend ISD applauds the action taken today by the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court authorizing the County Attorney to negotiate an Interlocal agreement with the District. We are optimistic that an agreement will lead to the preservation of the historic cemetery, while allowing Fort Bend ISD to provide our students with opportunities for career exploration and development at the James Reese Career and Technical Center. I would like to thank the Commissioners Court for recognizing that the perpetual care of a cemetery is beyond the district’s expertise and is not legally permissible. This action will allow us to remain focused on our mission to educate children. Fort Bend ISD remains committed to educating future generations about this forgotten piece of history, and the oppressive and state-sanctioned convict leasing program.”