In a 6-0 vote with board member Susan Gesoff absent, the Katy ISD trustees approved a $43.6 million contract for the construction of the new school to Drymalla Construction Co. Inc. at the Jan. 20 regular meeting.
The total project cost is estimated to be $52.4 million to also include engineering fees, utilities and furniture, per meeting documents.
Junior High School No. 17 is funded by the $609.2 million bond approved by voters in 2017. About $65.5 million of the bond was allocated to the project, according to the district’s website.
Maria Corrales DiPetta, KISD media relations and mulitmedia manger, confirmed in an email the project is below the original estimated cost, and any money remaining from the project will go into 2017 bond savings for other projects.
Construction on the junior high is estimated to start in February, per the KISD website.
According to KISD board documents, the six submitted bids for the project ranged from Drymalla’s $43.6 million to Cadence McShane Construction Co.’s $47.4 million.
The school will be located within the city of Katy near the intersection of Katy Hockley and Clay roads. The board also approved in a 6-0 vote a plat for the school that district administration will submit to the city of Katy.
District administration prepared a plat record for the city of Katy, per board meeting documents. Katy City Council approved this plat at its Jan. 13 meeting. The newly board-approved plat will be returned to the city for a final signature and recording.
The plat does include an additional right of way for the future widening of Clay, per meeting documents.
KISD owns approximately 47 acres near the intersection of Katy Hockley and Clay roads, according to the Harris County Appraisal District, which did not provide a market or appraised value on the property. The district has owned the parcel since 2005, per HCAD.
