ENROLLMENT FOR 2014, CAPACITIES, PORTABLES, TOTAL CAPACITY, OVER/UNDER NUMBERS:

 

High School:                                        (2/27/14) # Students   Design Capacity   Portables   Total Capacity   Over/Under Capacity

 

Cinco Ranch HS (CRHS) (IV)                     3,181                         3,000                         4                   3,240                         -59

Katy HS (KHS) (I)                                           2,871                         3,000                         0                   3,000                       -129

Mayde Creek HS (MCHS) (III)                     2,678                          3,000                         0                   3,000                       -322

Morton Ranch HS (MRHS) (V)                   3,264                          3,000                       15                  3,900                        -464

Seven Lakes HS (SLHS) (VI)                      3,571                          3,000                       12                  3,820                        -249

Taylor HS (THS) (II)                                       2,944                          3,000                         3                  3,180                        -236

Tompkins HS (OTHS)(VII)                              863                          3,000                          0                  3,000                     -2,137

 Totals:                                             19,372                  21,000                   34           23,140                -3,596

     

I chose to use the February 27, 2014 enrollment numbers because that is just about when the District started telling us that they needed new schools and a bond because "the District schools are overcrowded."  I got the enrollment numbers from an Open Records Request (ORR) of the School District. The enrollment numbers included the capacity numbers.  I also did another Open Records Request, just for the capacity numbers.  The second set of numbers are not all the same as the ones on the enrollment chart.  I have used the larger number from the second ORR.

Drawing conclusions, the 34 portables (34 X 60 students) add an additional 2,040 student slots of additional capacity to the 21,000 total capacity.  A total capacity of 23,140 should provide a pretty good cushion for a few years. There are 19,372 students which makes 3,596 places for students in high school that are not currently filled! (The 34 portables hold two classes of 30 students if necessary. They could hold 35. Those portables are already in place, and the school district (tax payers) have paid for them.)

Rezoning of all areas might provide relief until there are enough students to fill up another high school.  No one ever promised parents a high school in their neighborhood. There needs to be a shift to the east of all high school zones. The school board won't do that for fear of political repercussions.

When the school district does not count the portables in the total capacity numbers for a school, they are misleading the public about the actual capacity of a school.  The prospect of purchasing many more   portables is part of every bond referendum.  Portables are used at almost every school in the District.  Some of them are just stock-piled and not used, but they ARE available. If the public is paying for them, and the District keeps asking for them to be included in the bond proposal, which they have done again this year, and they keep buying them, then they should be counted as adding to the capacity of the schools.

People who don't want their children to attend class in a portable should move to the east side of the district!  Remember, students can learn just the same in a portable.  It's just being snooty to act like they can't.

The other matter that needs attention is that portables do not seem to really be portable.  Once they are installed, rarely do they seem to get moved to somewhere else where they might be needed. Obviously Morton Ranch High School doesn't need all 15 portables sitting around.

Of interest, I think, is the fact that KISD has at least 18,582 additional spaces for students when they are using portables.  They either need to move the portables around to where they are needed and stop using them as storage rooms, etc., or fess up to the fact that they are mismanaging the District's resources and just want more money to spend with their proposed bond which includes millions of dollars for more portables!