An expansion and improvement project for the Katy ISD South Transportation Center—set to be completed in December—will allow the district to better serve students, staff and employees that live south of I-10, district officials said.

Mike Robinson, KISD’s assistant superintendent for support services, said the fastest-growing portion of the KISD coverage area is in the southern parts of Katy south of I-10.

“Obviously, we have a lot of kids living south of I-10. [The south transportation center] is our presence in the south portion of the district,” Robinson said. “This [expanded station] cuts down on the travel time and the expenses.”

The South Transportation Center, at 3151 Falcon Landing Blvd., Katy, is one of three bus-vehicle facilities operated by KISD. The East Transportation center, at 2901 Dunlaney Road, Katy, and the West Transportation Center, at 5364 Franz Road, Katy, are also used for various busing and transportation needs, Robinson said.

Because of the district’s growth in the southern portions of its service area, the board of trustees decided to expand the south transportation center with more than $16 million in improvements, Robinson said.

The expanded South Transportation Center will have room to house 250 buses and 320 district automobiles, and there will be new administrative offices, a day care facility for the children of bus drivers, a general maintenance satellite facility, a KISD police department satellite station as well as a bus and vehicle maintenance bay.

“The current [existing] maintenance stalls will be converted to bus washing bays,” Robinson said. “The nursery-child care facility will accommodate 120 children. We have a lot of young mothers that drive for us, and a lot of stay-at-home dads, too. [Child care] costs [them] $2 per day.”

The expanded station will have 14 indoor bus stalls for maintenance and repairs, and the administration building will house district transportation staff as well as the Katy ISD police satellite station.

“It will have room for training and everything they will need to be self-sufficient,” Robinson said. “The expansion will open probably around the first of the year.”

The district’s “white fleet” of vehicles, which includes KISD police cruisers, maintenance trucks and vans, adminstrator vehicles and food service vehicles will also be housed and worked on at the expanded facility, he said.