Katy ISD considers $750M bond proposal
By Leah Binkovitz | July 21, 2014 | Updated: July 21, 2014 9:58pm
After four months of deliberating, and on the heels of a controversial failed 2013 bond, the Katy Independent School District is considering a new bond for November's ballot.
The committee of stakeholders on Tuesday presented its proposal for a nearly $750 million bond to the school board at a meeting packed with more than 100 people.
"We're doing this because we've got kids coming," Chief Financial Officer Chris Smith told the board of the fast-growing district.
Nearly half of the requested funds would go toward new schools, including three elementary schools, two junior high schools, one high school and designs for three more new elementary schools.
The more than 67,000-student district is currently growing by some 3,000 students each year. This bond would add 8,890 new seats for those students.
It would also allow for renovated and expanded facilities for 13 schools and education offices.
Significantly, the bond proposal included plans for a downsized stadium - similar to one that sunk the most recent bond in the polls. The new proposal would cut the stadium from 14,000 seats to 12,000, reducing the cost from $69 million to $58 million, including parking and a field house.
Superintendent Alton Frailey supported the plan, calling it fiscally responsible. The proposal calls for a 1-cent tax rate increase, meaning a family with a home worth $200,000 would face a tax increase of roughly $20.
With all the families moving in, Frailey said, "All of us came to Katy from some other place." But he told the audience, "you're showing that you care about every child in Katy."
The board also approved the purchase of a 14.6-acre parcel of land on Kingsland Blvd. for roughly $1.5 million for one of the new elementary schools proposed in the bond.
The board has until August 18 to vote on the bond proposal.
"The proposal calls for a 1-cent tax rate increase, meaning a family with a home worth $200,000 would face a tax increase of roughly $20."
Actually, what they WILL NOT tell you is that your taxes will go down by at least $200 if this bond doesn't pass, as other bonds get paid off and our then taken out of the tax base.
What they REALLY WANT is to keep the money flowing - but taxpayers do feel different, they are already LOADED with our money.
@BlazingModerate That is incorrect. Tax money is used to operate the buildings i.e teacher salaries, food for the cafeteria, lights and ac etc... The bond money is used to build the facilities. You cannot construct a building with tax money and you cannot operate it with bond money.
@jacook74 and if these suburban districts would stop growing, they could pass a bond without a tax increase. Otherwise, its like trying to cut your grocery bill while your wife is pregnant; your family is growing and is going to require more food.
Are they really going to have PBK design it - Really - After the fine job they did on Allen's stadium.
My grandkids lived in Katy and attended the elementary and middle school near their home. The schools were really lacking and my grandson in middle school had to share text books with other kids yet every effort was put into the football program. He enjoyed playing but hardly ever got off the bench as the ones who were on the field were the coaches favorites and got to play most every game. I'm glad the left Katy!
@ChestyMorgan
I think your story is a complete fabrication.
Your grandson wasn't good enough to play, plain and simple.
Ii have serious reservations as well of your assertion that they had to "share" text books.
"you're showing that you care about every child in Katy."
No. You are showing that you care about the football players in Katy.
@Liberty_Ann_Justice
Nearly half of the requested funds would be going to new schools or did you miss that part?
@txhunter7 It should be way more than half.
@Liberty_Ann_Justice I believe less than 10% of the bond goes toward he football stadium . Nevermind that the pep squad, cheerleaders, band, soccer teams also use that facility.
Most of the growth is not cheap apartments. It's expensive houses. In the FM 1463 area they expect 35,000 new homes in the $250-$900,000 range over the next 7 years. Along Clay road near the 99 Toll Road they are developing new subdivisions in the $200-500,000 range. I suspect Katy ISD will double in the next 10 years. The 1¢ tax increase is not paying for this, its the property taxes on the new homes.
Hope Katy doesn't use the contractor that built the stadium in Allen.
Hey...............
I don't live in HISD, but I "proudly" wish that they had the FUNDS to pull off the same scam that they are pulling off the way to do it NOW out in Katy......
Go !!!
Pimpin'-Pimpin' !!!! Pay dumb - butts..... Neanderthals over academics (yes, I'm a former dumb jock) that sees the Light. Now... Too late for me..... Try to save the future..... Academia over sports...
@cxd1
Exactly, what a total sham. Why support academia when we can create more ditch diggers......oops more are crossing the boarder so all football and no job.
Stop building apartments and cheap houses. Katy is getting more kids per square mile than Houston thanks to cheap apartments and cheap houses.
@Jack_A_Lope Westward growth of the Energy Corridor has to be the primary factor. I remember when I-10 @ Mason Rd was "way out in the country". Now its the middle of town.
I miss the days when Katy was small town..
@Zoegurl80 Most KISD schools will never be in Katy. Katy is still a small town. It's the ISD that keeps growing
@Jack_A_Lope And Going to SWELL UP even more.... Run outside. They will follow, Run Inside and pay a premium.... Nowhere to run/hide. We all live together... On this rotting apple. Try the country
@cxd1 That won't work either.....
"We're doing this because we've got kids coming"
Ok, I was wondering where Harris County was going to send all those kids from Central America...Katy makes sense, lots of open land there to house them, and out of the way of most people.
@BlazingModerate
Most people in Katy are here fleeing the eFFING joke known at HISD!
@txhunter7
It's not me saying "we've got kids coming", it's the people running these schools.
If they meant American families moving into new housing, they would have said that.
Always a STADIUM, always a STADIUM.
I'm glad the people in Katy don't mind their PROPERTY TAXES going up, yet again, for this boondoggle. I guess they can afford it.
@BlazingModerate Name another district in the State with SEVEN high schools (#8 in the bond) and ONE stadium.
Consider also:
Football Stadium = $60 million and is a revenue center fo rthe district
Middle Schools = $35 million
High schools = > $100 million.
@jacook74
I guess if you PAY TAXES you look at it differently. They already get PLENTY of money from us, even without a bond.
@BlazingModerate ... and they would get less if we could locate a refinery out in the prairie and tax the crap out of them. It costs money to have a nice home and good schools. Thats why the area is growing.
@jacook74 We were told the Merrill Center would be a revenue generator. They had a semipro football team use it for 4 months. Ever since, it's been a drain.
@Jack_A_Lope Thats a bit of a tough one. Yes, the building gets rented out. No, not as much as people would like. Lack of beer sales proabbly plays a role in that (and is something all schools face) and restricts the building from being used for weddings and parties of that caliber.
Having a facility like the MC also keeps the district from having to rent someone else's facility (when I graduated, we had to go all the way to the Astro Arena instead of the MC) when they use it.
@BlazingModerate its only .01. I will take it. I liked the fact that they reduced the stadium by $40MM.
@BlazingModerate
You should be more concerned about the disgrace known as HISD!
@Stevo808 1 cent tax is low, but how is this tax calculated ? Is it true that a 200,000 house will have about $20. increase ? 200,000 * .0001 = 20.00 Is it .01 % ? Can someone explain the calculation ?
@BlazingModerate
@Reba385 They say 1 cent. What they mean is one cent per $100 valuation. So 2000 x .01
BHAHAHAHAHAHAHA it cost how many millions of dollars to build the stadium, now it's going to cost millions to downsize it! LOLOL
@skankin_sk8er
Can you read?