KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) - The Katy ISD Board of Trustees voted to place four bond packages worth $840.6 million on the November ballot, but the support is not unanimous.
"I have some serious concerns," Trustee Morgan Calhoun said. "It's not because I don't want to roof schools. It's not because I don't want to fund schools, Calhoun said.
She said her concern is the total debt the district is carrying, and that the children of today's students will still be paying off today's bonds which are financed over 30 years.
"Our current debt sits at $2.3 billion, and our new bond increases our debt to $3.1 billion," she said. "We complain about this at the national level, yet we do it at the local level," Calhoun said.
Calhoun was the only board member who expressed concerns about the district's total bond debt.
"Our Katy ISD Board reviewed the projects and costs included in the Community Bond Advisory Committee's recommended bond package. The package includes new facilities to accommodate enrollment growth and addresses safety, technology, and facility improvements across existing schools," said Victor Perez, Katy ISD Board President. "A November 2023 bond election, if successful, will fund projects that directly impact our students, staff, and learning opportunities across our 75 campuses."
The school district projects that the 2023 bond will not result in a tax increase.
Katy ISD residents will vote on four propositions.
Proposition A - $722,992,054
- 4 New Schools,
- Purchase of school sites
- 26 renovations and expansions of aging campuses
- 84 Safety and Security upgrades
- Buses
- 62 Building component replacements
Proposition B - $83,567,360
- Districtwide classroom and campus technology including a device for every student in grades 3 through 12.
Proposition C - $4,195,456
- Districtwide Natatorium (Competition Swimming Pools)
- Component Replacements
Proposition D - $29,875,472
- Districtwide Campus Athletic Facilities & Rhodes Stadium Repairs
Voting Information:
- Early Voting: Monday, October 23, 2023 – Friday, November 3, 2023
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
For additional information about the bond, visit the Katy ISD 2023 Bond webpage.