Katy ISD is opening two campuses for the 2020-21 school year and must redraw attendance boundaries to accommodate the new schools.

At KISD's Sept. 23 meeting, the board of trustees received a presentation about survey results for the proposed boundary changes for Jordan High School and Elementary School No. 43. The board is expected to vote on the new boundaries at its next meeting Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the Education Support Complex, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy.

The survey, which opened in June and will run through the end of September, found that as of Sept. 8, about 60% of the 3,460 respondents either fully or somewhat support the boundary modification recommendation for Jordan High School—located at 27500 Fulshear Bend Drive, Fulshear.

The new high school will provide enrollment relief to Katy, Tompkins and Seven Lakes high schools. The top reasons respondents listed for supporting the changes included a better balance of enrollment and proximity to the student’s new school, according to the survey.

The 31% who reported they do not or somewhat do not support the changes selected survey responses that showed they are concerned about academic and extracurricular options at new schools and concerned about how their students will adjust to new schools.



Six people spoke out against the recommended boundary modifications at the meeting’s open forum, including Amber Hall, a student at West Memorial Junior High.

“I don’t think it would be fair to split up my whole friend group because [some high schools] are overcrowded,” she said. “I think the second-best thing—other than all of us going to Katy—is rezoning our whole junior high school to one high school.”

During the survey presentation, board member Bill Lacy said he recognized boundary changes can be tough for students and parents. When he attended high school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he was rezoned to a new school after his freshman year.

“[I] fought and kicked as a student, [not] wanting to get to the new school,” Lacy said. “But I adjusted very quickly. And as a student, you go in and you embrace that school and those traditions. And to those parents that are concerned about this: Wherever your children go, they’re going to be fine.”

Meanwhile, the survey found 62% of the 256 respondents either fully or somewhat support the boundary modification recommendation for Elementary School No. 43, located at 6631 Greenwood Orchard Drive, Katy.

The new campus will provide enrollment relief to Bethke Elementary School. The top reason respondents listed for their support of the changes was a better balance of enrollment, according to the survey.

The 26% who reported they do not or somewhat do not support the changes for elementary schools selected survey responses that showed they liked their proximity to their current schools and were worried about transportation to the new schools.

“[Boundary modifications are] one of the toughest things we do,” Superintendent Ken Gregorski said. “We heard from some folks folks tonight valid concerns—very understandable. And my heart goes out to those folks because it is hard to do.”

He continued: “We do like to listen to feedback and do what we can when we can do it. Sometimes, there are certain things that are outside of our control, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t listen.”