The parent survey results found that the preferred boundary change was Option 1, which relieves Bethke Elementary by sending students to Hutsell Elementary or Elementary School No. 42 that opens next school year. This option would also pull students zoned into 23C land zone into No. 42. Shelby McIntosh, K12 Insight vice president of client success, presented these results to the board.
The district administration, represented by Chief Operating Officer Lee Crews, also recommended Option 1, which was the preferred boundary option of the three proposals presented by Population and Survey Analysts, the district's demographer.
The board will vote on the new elementary school boundaries at the next board meeting Nov. 12. Originally, the trustees were going to vote on the boundary modifications for both elementary schools and junior high schools in December, but the board asked to move the the elementary boundary vote to November.
The board had requested that a survey be undertaken to receive input from the families whose children would be impacted by the boundary changes. The survey was open online from June 20 through Oct. 17, McIntosh said.
About 1,400 participants—or 40 percent of the families potentially impacted by the elementary school boundary changes—took the survey. McIntosh said this was a strong participation rate.
Of the survey participants who had a student currently enrolled in a school that would be affected by the boundary changes, 41 percent fully supported Option 1, and 12 percent did not support it; 35 percent fully supported Option 2, and 22 percent did not support it; and 37 percent fully supported Option 3, and 21 percent did not support it.
McIntosh noted that for that particular question, participants did not have to select one proposal over the other two; they could chose fully support, somewhat support, not support or unsure for all three options if they so chose.
When the participants were required to rank the three boundary change options, Option 1 had the highest weighted score, McIntosh said. She did point out, though, that when participations were required to choose, about 300 people did not complete the question. She said this behavior likely indicates that those participants liked or disliked all three options equally.
Other items discussed
In addition to discussing the elementary school boundary changes, the board also discussed:
- Approving budget amendments totaling about $2.1 million in general fund expenditures for hiring 38 new staff members, expenses associated with Hurricane Harvey and construction costs for completing the rebuild of Creech Elementary.
- Naming the Student Support Annex after Jeanne Coleman, a longtime speech language pathologist for Katy ISD. A public forum to discuss the proposed name will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 at the Education Support Complex Board Room, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy.
- Adding two new courses— Animation I and Fashion Design II—to the high school course catalogue.
- Approving a one-time 1 percent bonus to teachers and non-teacher pay groups. Teachers would receive an additional $$618 in their December paychecks.
- Approving $1.2 million in contracts to replace domestic broilers at Morton Ranch High School and Seven Lakes High School.
- Approving design services to adjust driveways at four elementary schools and the Morton Ranch Complex to reduce traffic on public streets.
- Approving the $8.5 million final total cost for the Katy High School athletics facility renovations.
