Updated 1 p.m. Nov. 5
Katy residents have approved an extensive $748 million bond for the school district a year after rejecting a smaller proposal, with 55.4 percent, or 30,308, voting for the referendum and 44.6 percent, or 24,384, voting against it, according to unofficial results.
"It's a very nice ending to a long campaign and a long night," said Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey.
The bond received approval from all three counties in the school district's attendance zone—Harris, Fort Bend and Waller—by similar margins. The referendum passed in Harris County 55.5 percent (17,246) to 44.5 percent (13,837), in Fort Bend County 55.2 percent (12,413) to 44.8 percent (10,078) and in Waller County 58 percent (649) to 42 percent (469).
The margin of victory the polls is the largest win for a bond proposal since 2002 when 64 percent of voters OK'd a $315 million referendum.
"It's a lot of relief for us," Frailey said late Tuesday night before all precincts reported their votes. "It'll be one of our largest victories at 10 or 11 percent, depending on the final numbers."
With enrollment projected to reach 100,000 students in 10 years, Katy ISD is the second-fastest growing school district in the state. The building of six schools included in the bond will add about 9,000 seats across the district and provide enrollment relief to more than 10 campuses.
The school district will not celebrate the victory long. As an election gathering wore down Tuesday night, Frailey said officials will be begin "first thing tomorrow morning" on working out the details of starting the projects listed in the bond. He said he hoped to break ground in the spring on some of the construction.
Original story: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4
A majority of residents are in favor of a $748 million bond for Katy ISD, with 58.8 percent, or 9,620, voting for the proposal and 41.2 percent, or 6,737, voting against it, according to early voting results.
The bond called for, among other things, six new campuses—one high school, two junior high schools and three elementary schools— as well as campus renovations and a new 12,000-seat stadium.
Adding a second stadium to the district alongside existing Rhodes Stadium at a cost of $58 million was a contentious item on the proposal. One year ago, Katy residents rejected a far-less expansive $99 million bond that included construction of a 14,000-seat stadium at a cost of $69 million.
A majority of the funds from this year's bond proposal—$357 million or 47.7 percent—would go toward building six news schools Katy ISD officials said are necessary to ease overcrowding of an enrollment expected to increase by 3,000 students each year that already pushing the limits of its classrooms.
