KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Katy ISD board of trustees has approved the design for a new $10 million building to house its disciplinary alternative education program.
The board voted 4-3, with three members casting dissenting votes over concerns about the smaller facility and a plan that could allow some students to complete coursework at home online instead of reporting to the discipline school. Board members Morgan Calhoun, Mary Ellen Cuzela and Amy Thieme voted against the measure.
Behind the move
A key driver behind the project is the district's desire to expand the Miller Career and Technology Center, which is located across the street from the current OAC building. By moving the discipline program to a new facility, the district would free up the current OAC space for Miller's expansion.
A much smaller building
The new Opportunity Awareness Center, or OAC, will be built along Katy Fort Bend Road near Rhodes Stadium. The pre-engineered metal building will be just under 20,000 square feet — less than half the size of the program's current space. The number of secondary seats would drop from 345 to 180, though Principal Janelle Coleman said the center typically stays under 190 students total in its current format.
The OAC is the district's disciplinary alternative education program, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade who have violated the Texas Education Code or the student code of conduct.
Serving time from home?
Trustee Mary Ellen Cuzela pushed back on a proposal to allow some students to complete part of their coursework virtually from home, saying she worried students could take advantage of virtual options intended to show leniency for less serious offenses, leading to a rise in infractions due to a perceived lack of severity in punishment.
"I would offend so I could have then half a day or a day ... and be online and I don't have to be at campus. There's a lot of students who'd sign up for that," Cuzela said. "How are we gonna control that?"
Board member James Cross offered a counterpoint, saying that while there could be exceptions, he does not see "a giant influx" of students gaming the system, noting many are disappointed they won't get to see their friends or are resistant to going to the OAC at all.
District officials said any virtual option would require parental consent for each individual student.
Balancing the books
Superintendent Ken Gregorski said the redesign is part of a broader effort to find more efficient models as the district works to balance its budget. The district currently spends approximately $4 million annually on OAC staffing, and Gregorski said the district could save about half that amount when the new OAC is staffed at reduced levels, with displaced employees moving to vacant positions at other schools.
District officials said roughly 60% of students placed at the OAC are lower-level offenders, with many having no prior disciplinary history. The district has been studying placement data for three years and is designing a tiered model that treats students differently based on the nature and severity of their offense, with the goal of keeping students connected to their home-campus teachers and coursework during placement.
What's next?
The project will be funded through the district's capital funds. Construction documents are expected to be issued by the end of May, with construction expected to begin in August. The project is targeted for completion by June 2027, with classes beginning in the new building in the 2027-28 school year.
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