KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) - The Katy Independent School District Bond Advisory Committee recommends an $840.6 million bond package to address the needs of a growing district. The committee believes that no tax increase will be needed to pay off the bonds.
Demographers say Katy ISD will add an average of 1,400 students annually over the next decade meaning the district will have more than 100,000 students in four years. Growth is happening primarily in the northwest quadrant.
Trustees have until August 2023 to decide whether to approve the committee's recommendations. The bond package would be the largest ever for Katy ISD. If approved it will be on the November 2023 ballot. The next closest was the 2014 bond which totaled $748 million.
The recommendation includes funding for:
- Four new schools to accommodate student growth
- Renovations at multiple aging campuses and facilities
- A districtwide technology plan providing a 1:1 student-to-device ratio
- Safety and security improvements
- Repairs to athletic facilities
Residents of Katy ISD will vote on several propositions. The projects will not be lumped into a single bond item, as when Katy residents had to approve a controversial football stadium if they also wanted new schools to relieve overcrowding. Since that vote, the Texas Legislature has changed the law and required school district's to separate items into categories giving voters more control over which projects they approve.
"If approved by the Board and passed by the Katy community, the package will provide for the needs of the district's current 93,000 plus students, as well as future generations of Katy ISD children and families," said a statement from Katy ISD.