Katy ISD auction raises some eyebrows

KATY, TX (KTRK) -- Katy ISD is selling hundreds of used school supplies through an online auction.

The auction comes on the heels of a voter-approved $748 million dollar bond. Visitors to the site can bid on everything from a milk cooler and lunch trays to a Tympani drum and xylophone.

Some parents in Katy are concerned the district isn't using its money wisely.

"Could they have saved the taxpayers' money, thousands of dollars, maybe even millions of dollars by all of this surplus, putting it into the new schools," Cyndi Lawrence says, "Or do we have to keep up with the Jones' and have all new items for the new schools?"

Most of the money in the bond that just passed will go toward building new schools and renovating others. Lawrence tells Eyewitness News she does not understand why items like tables and chairs couldn't be moved into the new schools.

"When we're spending out of control, just wanting all this new stuff and we're building a debt," Lawrence says, "What are we teaching our kids?"

Other parents say the auction is a good idea, that it's a better alternative to discarding the used equipment.

"Well I think it's great because we can earn more money to do some other things with," Aurora Beil says, "We just passed that big bond that is going to get us a stadium."

Katy ISD declined an on-camera interview, but did say through email that the district has held an auction once or twice per year during the last few years. A spokeswoman said most of the money raised from the auction will go back into the general fund, but kitchen equipment sold will go into the food service fund.

The public auction closes November 25th. You can find the auction at https://www.onlinepros.com/servlet/Search.do?auctionId=484.