By Pat Wilson, Owner/Publisher, The Katy News
The Katy News urges a ’Yes’ vote in the upcoming Katy Independent School District school bond election. We do so for the following reasons:
Katy needs more schools to meet the demands of a growing enrollment.
Katy is a destination community. People want to come here because of its high quality of life and educational opportunities.
In fact, they are already coming here. According to the district, approximately 2,800 new students have enrolled in each year for the past five years in KISD. Presently, the district has an enrollment of over 77,000 students. The district projects that it will have approximately 100,000 students enrolled within the next eight to 10 years.
The bond is worth $609 million. Of this, approximately $449 million, or 74%, is for six new schools—one high school, two junior high schools, and three elementary schools.
Some critics have questioned the need for a new high school. It is the most expensive item on the list, and the question has been asked, why not simply rezone? Besides, a new high school, Paetow, opened this year.
Rezoning is, at best, a temporary fix to a larger problem. The students and their families are coming to Katy. We need more schools to educate them.
Katy needs to fix its existing schools to ensure educational equity for all its students.
When a part breaks or wears down, one replaces it. Failure to do so often causes larger problems later.
The bond covers other items besides the six new schools. These items, with approximate costs, include:
- Component Replacements: $52 million (9%).
- Comprehensive Renovation: $21 million (3%).
- Safety & Security Improvements: $17 million (3%).
- School Expansions: $15 million (3%).
- Technology: $32 million (5%).
- Other (buses, portables, and fuel tanks): $24 million (4%).
The district said 61 schools are slated for work. For a list of renovations by campus, see the campus renovations page on the Katy ISD web site.
No tax increases will come about because of the bond.
A ‘Yes’ vote is the right choice for our community and our future.
Early voting begins Monday, October 23 and runs through Friday, November 3. Polling day is Tuesday, November 7. For a list of polling locations, see the voter information page on the Katy ISD web site.