By: Tom Behrens
The Katy ISD Bond Advisory Committee has finalized their bond proposal for the district – $840.6 million, the largest in the district’s history. Despite the price tag, however, the bond committee maintains that the package will not result in increased taxes.
The committee’s recommendation will now go before the Katy ISD board of trustees for final approval. If the board accepts the proposal, the package will be up for consideration on the November 2023 ballot.
The recommended package includes four new schools to accommodate student growth, renovations at multiple aging Katy ISD schools and facilities, a technology plan that would incorporate a 1:1 student-to-device ratio, and safety and security improvements that exceed the state’s minimum standard.
The requested bond would be the highest in Katy ISD’s history. The previous record was the 2014 bond which totaled $748 million.
Katy ISD voters in 2021 approved a $676 million bond that was intended to last a minimum of three years, but continued growth has pushed the need for another bond before that time, said Greg Schulte, board president.
District demographers project Katy ISD will serve more than 100,000 students in four years and will continue to add an average of 1,400 new students annually until at least 2032. Most of this growth will take place in the northwest quadrant.
State law now requires school districts to separate bond projects into propositions with express verbiage regarding taxes. “It’s important that the community understand the ballot language and what each proposition stands for,” said Alejandro Avendano, committee chairperson and Katy ISD parent.
The committee will present the group’s recommendation to the Katy ISD board of trustees at the May 2023 board meeting. Trustees will have until August 2023 to call for a bond referendum for the November election.