Viewpoints in the Houston Chronicle March 12, 2014
Displeasure with Katy ISD
Regarding "In Katy, the future starts now" (Page A1, Sunday
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/education/article/Katy-superintendent-fights-for-bond-issue-5300834.php ), although we no longer live in KISD, I feel qualified to comment. When we returned to the Houston area, one of the reasons we chose the Katy area was the reputation of Katy Independent School District.
We then lived there for more than 34 years. Our children were educated in KISD schools. We were more than satisfied with KISD and voted for bond proposals on a number of occasions.
However, I voted against the last one. Why? Not because of the tea party or any other national issue. I voted against it because of the link of the construction of a football stadium to funds for agriculture and STEM initiatives and because of the ridiculous extravagance of almost $70 million for a high school football stadium. I was outraged, as were many of my neighbors.
The rapid growth of KISD will require expansion and construction of new schools. I also understand that since there are seven high schools in KISD, a single football stadium may not be sufficient but not for $70 million.
Tom Malloy, Tomball
Reply from Mary McGarr 10:55 am March 12, 2014
Voters were able to see how the Katy ISD stadium bond was an overpriced bond because of articles written by George Scott (www.georgescottreports.com). (He's still writing them.) What voters should also pay attention to is the fact that the District had already spent bond funds on plans for this stadium before the voters ever cast a vote! And PBK, the architect of choice for KISD, builds mega school buildings, not only in Katy, but all over the state that all seem to look just alike, and which cost twice as much as school buildings cost just eleven or twelve years ago. There's no way the cost of construction has doubled in that amount of time.
Google 'PBK Corpus Christi' and see what you find.