By George Slaughter
The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees Monday honored two long-time Katy educators by naming the district’s newest junior high school in their honor.
Bill and Cindy Haskett Junior High School, which will be located at 25737 Clay Rd., is the latest school to be built as the district continues to experience strong growth.
Bill Haskett is a 1961 Katy High School graduate whose education career began in the Spring Branch Independent School District. He served as a teacher, counselor, and assistant principal in that district before returning in 1978 to Katy High School as assistant principal. He served as the principal from 1981-1996. He served as director of community education and special projects from 1996-2004.
Cindy Haskett began her teaching career in the Richardson Independent School District, and later moved to Houston to teach eighth-grade math and Algebra I in the Spring Branch Independent School District. She moved to Katy and married Bill Haskett in 1979. Cindy Haskett taught math at Katy Junior High School from 1980-2005, when she retired. She had a 33-year education career.
The school is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2021.
Naming the Former L.D. Robinson Pavilion
The district’s naming advisory committee recommended Monday that the board name the former L.D. Robinson Pavilion in to honor Martha Aki, who is presently director of the district’s early childhood intervention project TYKE program. She is set to retire in December.
Aki has been in education for 40 years, the last 26 as an early childhood intervention specialist.
The public is invited to a free livestream forum to provide input on the proposed name. That forum is set for 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, November 4. Those wishing to make comments must sign up by email to publicrecords@katyisd.org by 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 4.
Input Sought for Naming Agricultural Sciences Project Center
The district is accepting nominations for the Agricultural Sciences Project Center at the Gerald D. Young Agricultural Facility. The project center is designed to be a collaborative space that holds meetings, lands, interactive experiences.
Those interested in submitting a nomination must follow the guidelines at the district website. Deadline for submissions is 4 p.m. Tuesday, November 3. For more information, email the district at schoolnaming@katyisd.org.
Other Actions Taken
In other action, the board:
- Discussed 2020 high school graduation ceremony options.
- Heard the board member required continuing education report.
- Heard the budget and enrollment update.
- Heard a presentation of the district’s rating on the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST).
- Heard a presentation of the district’s TEA required Targeted Improvement Plan.
- Approved the TEA-required Targeted Improvement Plan.
- Approved the English Learner (EL) Enrollment and Bilingual Education Exception/ESL Waiver Application for 2020-2021.
- Approved the Campus Performance Objectives.
- Approved the August 2020 check register.
- Approved the October 2020 budget amendments.
- Approved the attendance boundary modification (ABM) for junior high #17 for the 2021-2022 school year.
- Approved a water line easement and a storm sewer easement to Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 432.
- Authorized forming a committee to propose a name for the Agricultural Sciences Project Center.
- Approved the September 2020 board meeting minutes.
- Reviewed the district’s quarterly investment report.
- Received donated items to the district.
- Reviewed the district’s cooperative purchasing contract management fees report