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Katy ISD will relocate its Opportunity Awareness Center in the 2027-28 school year.
The big picture
At a Feb. 23 meeting, the Katy ISD board of trustees voted 4-3 to approve the design for a new $10 million Opportunity Awareness Center, or OAC, as the district looks to expand the growing Miller Career and Technology Center in its former space.
Board members Morgan Calhoun, Mary Ellen Cuzela and Amy Thieme cast the dissenting votes, citing reservations about the OAC’s overall plan.
The OAC, which is the district’s disciplinary alternative education program, serves students in kindergarten to 12th grade who have broken the Texas Education Code or the district’s student code of conduct, Principal Janelle Coleman previously said.
The details
The new building, which will be funded by the district’s capital funds, is set to be located along Katy Fort Bend Road, not far from the current one in the Miller Career & Technology Center.
What’s changing?
The new OAC center—slated to be just under 20,000 square feet, which is less than half of the program’s current space—would decrease the number of secondary seats from 345 to 180, officials said. However, Coleman said the center typically stays under 190 students total in its current format.
Why it matters
Superintendent Ken Gregorski said while figuring out ways to balance the district’s budget, officials have looked at several programs. including the OAC to establish more efficient models.
The district currently estimates about $4 million in staffing costs at the OSC, and Gregorski said the district could save “about half of that” when the new OAC staff is reduced and moved to vacant positions at other schools.
What they’re saying
Cuzela said she worried students could take advantage of virtual options intended to show leniency for less serious offenses, leading to a rise due to the lack of severity in punishment compared to serious offenses.
However, board member James Cross said while he believes there could be exceptions, he does not see “a giant influx” as many students are disappointed they won’t get to see their friends or are resistant to going to an OAC.
What’s next?
Construction documents are expected to be issued by the end of May, with construction slated to begin in August, officials said during the Feb. 16 work study meeting.
The project is slated to be completed by June 2027, with classes beginning in the new building in the 2027-28 school year.
