By George Slaughter The Katy Independent School District’s new Elementary School #44 is under construction and expected to open next August. Trustees on Monday established a committee to consider what to name the new school. Trustees Leah Wilson and Duke Keller, among others, will serve on the committee. Those interested in submitting a name for consideration must review the naming guidelines, and then submit a completed Elementary #44 Nomination Form, found on the Katy ISD […]
Katy ISD Board of Trustees
Katy ISD to Host Public Forum to Seek Feedback on Relief Fund Use
By George Slaughter The Katy Independent School District has scheduled a public forum to solicit feedback on the needs and uses of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. The district has invited the public to give its input during the public hearing portion of the upcoming board of trustees meeting. That meeting is set for 5 p.m. Monday in the board room of the Education Support Complex, 6301 S. Stadium Lane. The […]
Katy ISD Appoints New Principal at Cimarron Elementary School
By George Slaughter Lindsey Chase has been appointed principal at Cimarron Elementary School. Her appointment became official at Monday’s Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting. Chase began her career in 2007 in the Huntsville Independent School District, where she was an intermediate school math teacher. In 2012, Chase came to Katy. She taught at Mayde Creek Junior High. She later became a classroom technology designer, where she oversaw and developed classroom technology at […]
Champagne Elected to Serve on State Association Board
By George Slaughter Katy school board trustee Dawn Champagne has been elected to a one-year term on the Texas Association of School Boards Board of Directors, Region 4, Position E. The board, known as TASB, serves local Texas school boards. The association represents more than 7,999 publicly elected school board members who provide local governance and oversight for more than 5.4 million Texas students. It was established in 1949. “I look forward to serving Katy […]
Trustees Vote to End Katy Virtual Academy
By George Slaughter Katy school trustees Monday voted to end the Katy Virtual Academy, with its approximately 3,500 enrolled students returning to in-person learning Oct. 18. The district reinstated virtual learning for kindergarten through sixth grade students in August. It did so in response to concerns that no vaccine was available for students ages 11 and under, and the ongoing debate about mask mandates. When the district reinstated virtual learning, it did so with the […]
Katy School Trustees Defer Decision on Extending Katy Virtual Academy
By George Slaughter Citing a lack of data and the time needed to process it, Katy school trustees deferred a decision on whether to extend the Katy Virtual Academy for the remainder of the fall semester. Trustees will take up the measure at a special workshop set for next Monday. The district reestablished the Katy Virtual Academy in August for kindergarten through sixth grade students. It was an option for families and students with concerns […]
Trustees Adopt Return to School Plan
By George Slaughter The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees Monday adopted a return to school plan that officials described as a “customized” approach that enables a campus-by-campus approach to dealing with coronavirus cases. However, the plan does not mandate the use of facemasks. Greg Schulte, school board president, said this is in keeping with an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott’s order restricts local entities from issuing mask mandates. But Harris County […]
Katy ISD Trustees Approve 2021-22 Budget
By George Slaughter The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees Monday approved a $1.1 billion budget that will include a property tax decrease for the fourth consecutive year. In a presentation to trustees, Chief Financial Officer Chris Smith said the property tax rate would be $1.35 per $100 property valuation, a 4-cent decrease from last year’s $1.39 rate. The district has been able to reduce property tax rates as commercial and residential growth increase […]
Trustees Reestablish Katy Virtual Academy Option for Kindergarten-Sixth Grade Students
By George Slaughter The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees reestablished the Katy Virtual Academy for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. This option enables those students to receive virtual instruction for the first nine weeks of the fall semester. Trustees took this action Tuesday at a special board meeting. Families wishing to register their students for the Katy Virtual Academy have a short registration window. Registration begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday and ends […]
Katy ISD Enrollment Underway for 2021-22
By George Slaughter Katy Independent School District students return to school August 18, and the district asks parents to enroll students through its online registration system. The district describes a “new” student as a K-12 learner who has never attended a school within the Katy ISD, or a previous Katy ISD student who withdrew and is re-enrolling. All Katy ISD students must to enroll, or update their information, for the new school year using the […]