RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY (JER) (XXXVII):
 Tony Bullard 2014, Freelance Photographer
File photo of a new Katy ISD Elementary School #37 under construction on Flewellen Oaks Lane, photographed in January 2014. Katy ISD is among the fastest-growing districts in the state, adding nearly 3,000 new students a year The 67,000-student district is asking voters to approve a $748 million bond in November to build six new schools and renovate others. (photo: Tony Bullard)
KATY SCHOOLS
Katy ISD expected to hit 100K students by 2024
By Leah BinkovitzOctober 28, 2014 Updated: October 29, 2014 4:58pm
Photo: Â Tony Bullard 2014, Freelance Photographer
Image 4 of 4 Past growth ratesThe Katy Independent School District is expected to hit nearly 100,000 students by 2024. Here is a look at growth rates over the past decade.
Katy Independent School District Elementary School #37 is under construction in this January photograph. As Katy ISD grows by 3,000 students a year, its debt per student is nearly $19,000, according to the state comptroller's office.
In certain school hallways or on stretches of highway carrying commuter traffic, it can seem the Katy area is at capacity. But, not so, according to a recent demographic study conducted for Katy ISD.
The district, which added some 2,865 students between October 2013 and October 2014, is expected to hit nearly 100,000 students by 2024, according to the report by College Station-based Population and Survey Analaysts. And next year may mark some of the area's fastest development, driven by more growing families, new housing units and developers taking advantage of more lenient drainage permitting.
"This year has been the most exciting in regard to growth," said Pat Guseman, the group's president. The Katy Independent School District's district's growth rate, which dipped during the recession, has been steadily accelerating since 2012, a trend expected to continue through next year when it will hit 4.5 percent, bringing student enrollment to 73,606, according to the projections.
Using data points such as new housing starts, planned construction projects, unemployment rates and student enrollment, the analysts help districts plan for growth, including where to locate new schools. Three different growth models show the district's student population will likely reach 90,503 to 105,027 in the next 10 years.
Much of that growth will be driven by the district's youngest students, according to the report. "You're really leaping forward with elementary students," Guseman told the school board at its October meeting. According to this year's projections, the district's elementary student population could hit 41,982 by 2019, almost half of the total district population projected for that year. When broken out by grade, the strongest growth occurred at the kindergarten level, which swelled by 8.4 percent last year.
"It's so important to watch those early grades," said Guseman, "they determine the future."
Part of the draw for young families with students in elementary school, said Guseman, is the growing stock of new apartment units, which at 3,252 will comprise more than half of the more than 6,000 new housing units on the horizon in the next year. "That is a record number for any one year," explained Guseman.
But the district can also expect a boost from new housing developments in the northwest quadrant.
The district is roughly three-quarters built out, including parks and reservoirs as well as developments under construction, according to the report. And much of that undeveloped land lies in the northwest section of the district, which includes land in the flood plain. The districts include parts of Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties.
Because of a change in permitting processes last month, those areas in the flood plain, like Fulshear's Cross Creek Ranch, are now open to denser development. "That quadrant was going to be limited because so much of it was in the flood plain," Guseman said, but the new permitting process is "going to be more lenient," allowing developers to work one-on-one with the Harris County Flood Control District to negotiate retention and drainage mechanisms.
"When you take a look at the growth trends," said Tom Gunnell, chief operating officer for the district, "I don't think this is a surprise to anybody but you could just so dramatically see how the growth trends start shifting north here in the very near term."
Though much of the talk around the $748 million bond on the Nov. 4 ballot has centered around the over-crowded schools south of Interstate 10 or the $58 million stadium, field house and parking lot, the bond also includes plans for this soon-to-be-booming northwest side.
Three of the six new schools, including an elementary, junior high and high school, will be north of I-10, just west of the Grand Parkway. And two of the three schools included in the bond's design budget are also slated for the northwest area.
"We're aware of the growth," said Gunnell, "we're planning for the growth."
The annual demographics report also help inform the district's budget and staffing needs, as well as long-range facilities planning, said Gunnell. He added, "It's a critical checkpoint in managing growth."
Leah Binkovitz
Reporter
2 Comments
RANDY Rank 2266
"Because of a change in permitting processes last month, those areas in the flood plain, like Fulshear's Cross Creek Ranch, are now open to denser development."
Factually incorrect, the areas in the flood plain are in the NW of the district, near 99/Clay. Cross Creek is not in any flood plain per FEMA mapping, nor is it in Harris County, per the reference to HCFCD. Sloppy reporting, please fix, Chron.
4 months ago (edited)
markdelz Rank 295
The number of new apartments in the district should be alarming to a KISD homeowner.
5303 Flewellen Oaks Ln.
Fulshear, TX 77441 Principal: Kristin Harper
Proposed School Name James Randolph Elementary School
In 1979, the late James Randolph began his education career in Carrollton, Ohio as a sixth grade teacher and football coach. His experience encompassed work in Houston ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD and Alief ISD until he began teaching math and science at Winborn Elementary in 1996. Two years later, he opened Alexander Elementary, again teaching math and science. During his tenure at Alexander Elementary, he transitioned into Physical Education, and was the beloved lead P.E. Instructor for nearly 14 years, until his diagnosis with cancer mandated an early retirement.
Randolph is called a "true role model" and an "inspirational hero" by his colleagues for his encouragement, motivation and constant optimism. As a coach, he emphasized the hard work that all athletes must endure in order to become great and achieve their goals. The work ethic, respect and perseverance he instilled in his students stayed with them beyond elementary school.
Randolph helped create a warm, welcoming climate at Alexander Elementary by forming personal connections with students, staff and parents. Even after his retirement, Randolph continued to volunteer and impact the Katy community until he lost his fight to cancer in 2013.
James Randolph honored Katy ISD through his dedication, love and passion for the District and the community.
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http://www.chron.com/katy/news/article/Katy-ISD-to-open-2-new-elementaries-in-2014-4576556.php
Katy ISD to open 2 new elementaries in 2014
By Helen Eriksen | June 4, 2013
Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey speaks to guests at the groundbreaking ceremony for Elementary 37 at Cross Creek Ranch, FM 1463 at Flewellen Oaks Lane on May 23.Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey speaks to guests at the groundbreaking ceremony for Elementary 37 at Cross Creek Ranch, FM 1463 at Flewellen Oaks Lane on May 23.
To meet the demands of increasing student enrollment, the Katy Independent School District recently broke ground on two elementary schools that will open in 2014 in the fast-growing southwest quadrant of the district.
In April, trustees approved the construction of Elementary 36 in Pine Mill Ranch on the corner of Pine Mill Ranch Drive and Winding Point Lane and Elementary 37 in Fulshear's Cross Creek Ranch on Flewellen Oaks Lane.
The combined cost of the schools, funded from project savings from the $459.7 million bond authorization passed by voters in 2010, is $41 million said district chief architect/planner Peter McElwain. McElwain said modifying plans of schools that opened last year and packaging the schools together in one bid helped the district keep costs down.
Drymalla Construction Co., which also built Wilson Elementary and Seven Lakes Junior High, has been awarded the construction contract for the schools.
"They have an excellent track record with respect to building a school in a very quality way," McElwain said. Another plus is the relationship the builder has with the staff as they move into a facility," he added.
"They are extremely customer-oriented when working with the campuses," McElwain said.
Katy ISD has grown to nearly 65,000 pupils and according to district demographers, 12,000 new housing units are projected by 2017.
District officials say growth in the northern sector of the district will drive the need for new schools there in the future.
McElwain said costs have increased since the district advertised for bids for Wilson Elementary, which was originally budgeted at $23.2 million. The total price tag for Wilson Elementary was $18.5 million while average costs for the new schools will be $20.5 million each, he said.
"So there has been a 9 percent increase over the last two years," McElwain said." It has been two years since that particular project bid."
District chief operations officer Tom Gunnell said the Katy ISD was fortunate in being able to meet additional growth needs from the 2010 bond savings by building new schools below the projected costs and without eliminating any planned bond projects.
During an April board workstudy meeting, Katy trustee Bill Proctor raised the issue of whether the district was working with Fort Bend County on the Pine Mill Ranch school and the city of Fulshear and Fort Bend County on Cross Creek Ranch to address traffic lights, stop signs and crosswalks to support the schools when they open in 2014.
McElwain said he is working closely with the developers of both subdivisions and the county on the projects. He said he was recently invited by Fulshear city officials to make a presentation on the Cross Creek Ranch elementary, the first new school facility in the city. He said he also met with the planning and zoning committee as well as the city council to discuss the project demands.
"We feel that with Drymalla on board for these two schools they will be finished in a timely way where there will be a seamless transition of staff into the facility," McElwain said.
