By George Slaughter
The Katy Independent School District will be seeking a bond package to put before voters in the May 2021 election, and the committee that will decide what goes into that proposal will soon be considering the options.
Proceeding with a bond package proposal comes as the district’s student population continues to grow. The district has more than 84,000 students at 71 campuses, and projects to have an enrollment of more than 100,000 students by 2027.
The district has worked with Populations and Survey Analysts (PASA) to perform a demographic survey of the area. District officials said the northwest area of the district is seeing the most growth. New communities are being developed there. Officials recommended new schools for the Cane Island area and in the far north area of the district.
Katy is one of 65 school districts in Texas with more than 30,000 students enrolled.
“Katy ISD is now the fifth largest producer of homes out of the 61 school districts in the Houston area,” Dr. Pat Guseman, a demographer with Populations and Survey Analysts (PASA), said. “The majority of the lots in the northwest quadrant of Katy ISD are building out rapidly. By the time Katy ISD is fully built-out, it should have approximately 115,500 students.”
As with the most recent bond, approved in 2017, the committee will review enrollment projections, the need for new schools and facilities, and needed renovations and replacements for campuses and buildings. The committee will also be reviewing safety, security, and technology needs.
The pandemic will force the committee to work differently than before. Only three socially distanced meetings will take place. During these meetings, district staff will provide committee members with background on the district’s long-range needs, demographics, and finances.
Using this information, the committee will finalize a bond package to present to the school board at a February 8 special board meeting.
Voters in 2017 approved a $609 million bond package that provided for six new schools, a major renovation at one campus, and selected replacements, expansions, safety and technology improvements.
The 2017 package bond had no tax increase, and district officials anticipate a 2021 bond package not having a tax increase.