In a unanimous vote, the board approved design services Aug. 25 to repurpose the Opportunity Awareness Center, or OAC, site as part of a long-term plan to expand the nearby Miller Career & Technology Center, or MCTC, which currently has a waitlist of students wanting to enroll. The new site is slated to be open by August 2027.
Superintendent Ken Gregorski said the move reflects a broader strategy to use district space more efficiently amid flat state funding.
“We can't continue some of our models the same way in Katy that we've always done [due to] funding,” he said. “We are planning on shrinking the model and making a lot of efficiency within what our current program is—because it's just getting too expensive.”
What’s changing?
Gregorski said the passage of House Bill 6 in June will allow for the district to explore hybrid instruction and even fully virtual placements for some students, which would allow more targeted interventions, while reducing the cost of maintaining a large facility. He noted no current staff are expected to lose their jobs, though positions may be shifted to other campuses based on need.
Gregorski said the current one-size-fits-all model is “outdated,” noting some students may not be required to be on campus during their disciplinary placement.
“There’s probably a big difference ... between the type of kid who is a great kid for three or four years and a first-time offender [who] makes a mistake, it’s nonviolent ... versus the kid who’s there, who’s disruptive all the time, fighting all the time,” he said. “Those two types of kids—our current model treats them all the same.”
The proposal
The new OAC facility will feature 16 classrooms, down from the 37 rooms in the current location, per staff reports. The new campus would allow the MCTC to expand into the OAC’s existing space to meet increasing demand for career and technical education.
Gregorski said the new OAC will not include a gymnasium or physical library, with students expected to use online resources instead.
Both campuses are located on the same complex as the Martha Raines Academy for alternative education and the Rhodes Stadium, which is right next to the Legacy Stadium near the intersections of Katy Hockley Cut Off Road and Franz Road.
The financials
The project has a budget at $7.5 million which would come from interest income from bond proceeds, per district documents. The approved architects at VLK Architects, who also designed MCTC and district administration building, will be paid a fee of 6% of the total construction costs, per the contract.
What they’re saying
Several trustees stated the importance of OAC staff feedback, with trustee Mary Ellen Cuzela noting that staff members voiced concern about their ability to help students continue their education and receive counseling during transitional periods amid projected changes.
“Some of them are in their 10-plus years, so they'd love to be included in the plans [and] give their input,” she said. “They're the ones who are on the front line there.”
Looking ahead
Gregorski said input from staff and stakeholders will be solicited in the months ahead. However, final design and construction decisions will require further board approval.
“We’re not at an ending stage on this program,” he said. "We're on the 5-yard line, 95 yards to go.”
