True to form, the district began its series of 14 scheduled citizen bond committee meetings by sending the 200-person committee to bond school April 3 and April 16 at the district's Education Support Complex. The meetings are an effort to enlist input from the citizen committee, meant to represent the diverse interests in the district, on a potential bond election in November 2014.

"It was a great turnout," Katy ISD spokeswoman Denisse Cantu said. "There were over 200 people in attendance, including some observers."

The "core committee" consists of 100 residents. An additional 100 alternates were selected and have been attending the meetings, filling in for absent members of the core group and periodically participating in discussions. Both groups were selected in March from more than 600 applicants. The citizen committee members were chosen by a group of board members and district administrators.

District organizers tried to select a group that represented a wide swath of the community, including people who live in Katy but have no children, retirees, a variety of parents with students in the district, business owners, and a diverse group of other stakeholders, Cantu said.

Committee members were divvied up April 3 into groups and presented with information about growth in the district, previous bonds, the bond process and tax rates.

Their education continued April 16, as the committee members received presentations from the district's financial staff; Clarence Grier, a bond and tax expert; Pat Guseman, the district's contracted demographer; Katy Economic Development Council CEO Lance LaCour; and Lisa Kassman, the district's construction project manager.

Committee facilitator Michelle Hughes told the group that the first several meetings would include similar informational presentations before shifting into a much more interactive process of helping to shape the size of the bond proposal and the specific needs it is intended to address.

The committee is expected to deliver a recommendation to the school board July 21 about whether the district needs to call a bond election, how much money to ask for, and what projects might be included.

The public may attend the meetings to listen and observe. All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in room 1200 of the Katy ISD Educational Support Complex, at 6301 S. Stadium Lane.