Katy ISD bond committee votes for projects

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For nearly two hours, between 120-130 people voted on which capital projects to include in Katy ISD's 2017 bond election package Tuesday. In the end, the bond committee created a $609.2 million package with 35 projects that district officials said would not require a tax rate increase, but the district still faces potential opposition from voters.

According to a KISD voter survey conducted in May, 54 percent of the 350 respondents said they would not vote for a bond between $600 million and $680 million, according to documents provided by the district. District spokesperson Maria DiPetta said the $680 million mark was the number at which KISD would have needed a tax rate increase to support the bond.

The last bond was for $748 million in 2014 and included the new Legacy Stadium. The projects approved for the 2017 package were selected by a mixture of district staff, parents, community members without children in KISD and other stakeholders. Tuesday was the committee's eighth meeting.

Facilitator Michelle Hughes of TM Strategy & Design Group used an app she designed with help from KISD and Lewisville ISD staff to count the votes for each project.

The bond projects were proposed by district staff and ranged from new facilities, technology and transportation to upgrades of existing facilities and school safety or security measures. Two-thirds of committee members were needed to pass a project and 20 were rejected. Projects approved included:

New facilities

Two elementary schools and additional funding for the new Elementary School No. 41, two junior high schools and one high school, portable classrooms and land for a potential 2020 bond.

Existing facilities

Renovations to Fielder Elementary School, infrastructure for four schools and the Morton Ranch complex, upgrades to the Cinco Ranch High School kitchen, more classrooms for the Raines High School Behavior Transition Program; flooring, roof and chiller replacements at various schools; scoreboard replacements at various school gymnasiums

Safety and security

Elevator refurbishments at various schools, fencing at various schools, closed circuit television upgrades at various schools

Technology

Upgrades to campus technology equipment and infrastructure throughout the district

Transportation

School bus replacements and the retirement of aging fuel equipment at the district's east and west transportation centers to remain compliant with environmental regulations

The 2017 bond package will be presented to the KISD board of trustees by June 27 for approval. The board has until August to make a decision, and trustees have the option to send the package back to the committee for further deliberations, district spokesperson DiPetta said.

This story comes from our partners at Community Impact Newspaper.

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