Voters in Katy ISD will have the opportunity to weigh in on a $748 million bond election this November. KISD trustees voted Aug. 18 to place the measure that would fund new schools, a second stadium and campus renovations on the ballot.
The board made its decision based on a recommendation from a 227-member committee that studied the needs of the district for four months, Superintendent Alton Frailey said. District administrators saw the need for a bond election primarily to keep up with future growth in the community. Demographic firm Population Survey Analysts has projected KISD will grow to 80,000 students by 2018 and 94,000 students by 2023.
"I think we're facing a time where if we don't move forward, we will stand still," trustee Joe Adams said. "We can't stand still with the education of our children."
Nearly half of the bond package includes provisions for six new schools, including three elementary schools, two junior high schools and a new high school.
A second district stadium is also included, which would feature 12,000 seats and associated infrastructure. The stadium, which would be located adjacent to Rhodes Stadium, is projected to cost $43.6 million. Associated infrastructure, such as a field house and new parking spots, would cost an additional $14 million.
Major campus renovations at Memorial Parkway Junior High, Mayde Creek High School, Memorial Parkway Elementary, Cimarron Elementary, Golbow Elementary and Pattison Elementary are also included in the bond package.
"If we do this, if we get out all the correct information, this place we call Katy ISD is well-poised to perform its mission of providing a top-rate, unparalleled learning experience for our children," Frailey said. "This we can do, and this we must do."
If approved, the bond package could require up to a half-cent property tax increase, which would amount to an extra $10 annually for a home valued at $200,000.
Early voting for the November election runs from Oct. 20–31, and Election Day is Nov. 4.
For more details on the bond package, see Community Impact Newspaper's Aug. 28 edition.
