Superintendents from local districts spoke on the state of their schools in an event hosted by the Katy Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon at Embassy Suites hotel Aug. 11 as students begin the new academic year. The event included presentations from Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski and Lamar CISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens.

The outlook

Gregorski touted the district’s new schools and renovations, safety and security upgrades, and technology improvements from the 2021 bond while highlighting the upcoming 2023 bond propositions totaling $840.6 million coming to ballots in the upcoming November election.

• Proposition A: $722.9 million for land, construction, renovation, upgrades and buses
• Proposition B: $83.6 million for campus and classroom and technology upgrades
• Proposition C: $4.2 million for replacement of facility components for swimming pools
• Proposition D: $29.9 million for improvements and repairs for sports facilities

Nivens speech urged teachers and staff in Lamar CISD to be aware of their mental health and to realize that students are also suffering from recent health and societal events, such as the pandemic.

Quote of note

“Our kids are struggling. And this generation is really, really struggling mentally and emotionally and socially,” Nivens said.

Items worth mentioning

A question and answer session followed the speakers' presentations and focused on the following issues:

• Lack of necessary public school funding from the state Legislature
• Districts such as Katy ISD having to run deficit budgets to afford teacher pay increases
• The frequency of needs for bond proposals to compensate for a lack of state funding
• The potential impact of school vouchers on the community within the district as a whole
• School environment and safety concerns