Directory:Katy Independent School District

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The Katy Independent School District is a public school district based in Katy, Texas, Fort Bend County, (USA) that enrolls over 50,000 students. The district serves 181 square miles in parts of Harris County, Fort Bend County and Waller County. Most of the district lies within the boundaries of the City of Houston, City of Katy or City of Fulshear or their municipalities extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). All residential areas of the district are assigned to an elementary school, a junior high school, and a high school by subdivision.

History

1898 The Katy common school districts (CSD) was formed to serve the townsite and surrounding communities. A high school and elementary school was established at a home at Avenue A and Sixth Street in Katy

1899 A wooden one-room school house was constructed at the site of the current Katy Elementary School's playground, the school served all grade levels.

1900 Galveston Hurricane damaged the building, however repairs were made, and classes continued at the home of W.H Featherston. First class graduated from Katy High School (10th Grade).

1909 Permanent brick building was constructed adjacent and south of the wooden building, for the secondary grade levels.

1918 The Katy Independent School District (ISD) was established by voters, and incorporated the Common School Districts in Dishman, Schlipf, Sills and a school for African-Americans.

1927 Improvements completed to the 1909 building, included indoor plumbing and heat. The wooden school was dismantled and sold, and at the site a new classroom addition was constructed for the elementary grades, a combination auditorium and cafeteria were included.

1931 The size of Katy ISD was increased to 126 square-miles, when KISD annexed two small common school districts at the South Mayde and Stockdick communities. Two school buses purchased, one transported students in from Waller County and the other from Harris County. A female community member drove her vehicle daily and picked-up six students from the Fort Bend County portion of the school district.

1943 First Katy Rodeo held at Avenue D and 10th Street, northwest of the Katy school buildings.

1947 Construction was completed of the new Katy High School site on Highway 90 in Katy (the building also housed Katy ISD's seventh and eight graders). The 1909 building was razed.

1951 The 1927 elementary building was torn-down, and a new elementary school built next to Katy High School (The building now serves as Katy High School's West Campus).

1952 Odessa Kilpatrick School was completed on Danover Street, to serve African-American students in the district, this facility replaced a wooden single-room school house on the same site.

1961 Voters in Katy ISD and in the Addick community, agreed to consolidation of the defunct Addicks ISD with Katy ISD, and the present boundaries of the district were increased by 55 square-miles.[1].

1964 New agriculture and rodeo arena constructed behind Katy High School.

1965 A new Katy Elementary was constructed at the site of the district's first permanent school, the building next to Katy High School was renamed Katy Junior High and served sixth through eighth grades. The administration office was located at Katy High School, the staff included the superintendent, business director and three clerical workers. Bus Barn completed on Franz Road (current West Transportation Center).

1968 A new Addicks Elementary School, replaces the former Addicks ISD building (name changed to Wolfe Elementary in 1983).

1970 Katy ISD completed desegregation of its schools. Odessa Kilpatrick School used to house Katy Elementary's fifth grade and the district's six graders.

1972 New administration building, completed on South Stadium Drive, along with West Memorial Elementary School.

1976 District's sixth graders moved back to junior high schools, when West Memorial Junior High opens.

1978 Zelma Hutsell Elementary, Memorial Parkway Elementary and Bear Creek Elementary Schools open, fifth graders moved from Kilpatrick school to elementary schools. Alternative education program set-up at Kilpatrick school.

1979 James E. Taylor High School opens to 9th and 10th graders.

1980 Bond election passed. Mayde Creek Junior High and Cimerron Elementary schools open.

1981 Nottingham Country Elementary and Winborn Elementary Schools open. A new band hall and improvements at Katy Junior High were completed.

1982 Jack Rhodes Stadium opened, for varsity football games. Alternative education program moved to new classroom facility, next to stadium. Memorial Parkway Junior High and Sundown Elementary School opens.

1983 Mayde Creek Elementary School opens.

1984 Mayde Creek High School opens and new bus barn completed north of the school (current East Transportation Center).

1988 Katy Elementary School renovated and expanded west of the main building.

1989 Galbow Elementary and Pattison Elementary Schools open.

1991 TW McDonald Junior High opens.

1993 Fielder Elementary open.

1994 Bond election passed.

1995 New Katy Jr. High opens, former building converted to Katy High School West Campus. Hayes Elementary School opens. Leonard Merrell appointed superintendent of schools. A new classroom addition completed on Avenue C at Katy Elementary.

1996 Bond election passed. Beck Junior High opens.

1997 McRoberts Elementary School opens.

1998 Alexander Elementary School opens.

1999 Bond election passed. Cinco Ranch High School opens.

2000 McMeans Junior High, Creech Elementary and Williams Elementary open.

2001 Cinco Ranch Junior High opens.

2002 Bond election passed.

2003 Morton Ranch Junior High opens.

2004 Morton Ranch High School, Beckendorff Junior High, Exley Elementary, Franz Elementary, Rhoads Elementary and Rylander Elementary Schools open. A new Katy Rodeo arena replaced old facilities and new agriculture barns finished north of Katy. Both sites named for former ag teachers in Katy, L.D. Robinson and Gerald Young. Katy ISD Law Enforcement and District Maintenance building open adjacent to Morton Ranch High School. Preforming Arts Center and renovations completed at Katy High School.

2005 Seven Lakes High School opens, Hutsell Elementary expansion completed.

On February 13, 2006 several parents filed a lawsuit against KISD regarding religion. They accused KISD of religious discrimination in several incidents. KISD has released an official statement.

May 2006 Bond election failed

August 2006 Griffin Elementary School opens.

November 2006 Bond election passed, providing for construction of three elementary schools and two junior high schools, along with improvements at twenty-four of the districts facilities. Funds are also provided for updated technical equipment, buses, temporary buildings and future school sites.

2007 Alton Frailey becomes the superintendent of Katy I.S.D., upon the retirement of Leonard Merrell. Stephens Elementary and Woodcreek Elementary open.

On July 18, 2007, the Katy ISD school board reversed the punishment of 12-year old Mayde Creek Junior High School student who wrote "I Love Alex" on a school bleacher with a Sharpie, who had received three months of alternative school assignment [2]

Facilities

High Schools

  • Katy High School (Est. 1898, present location 1947)
  • James E. Taylor High School (Est. 1979)
  • Mayde Creek High School (Est. 1984)
  • Cinco Ranch High School (Est. 1999)
  • Morton Ranch High School (Est. 2004)
  • Seven Lakes High School (Est. 2005)

Junior High schools

Elementary schools

Support Facilities

Alternative Education Campus

Future Schools

The Katy Independent School District is a fast growing school district in Texas, and the district has a staff architect. KISD has funding authorization for two new junior high schools, one located north of Mayde Creek High School and the other at Wood Creek Reserve south of Katy, along with three elementary schools (one adjacent to Morton Ranch High School and the other two west of Cinco Ranch.

Katy I.S.D. has done an extensive study and maintains and updates a District Growth and Facilities Planning Study.[3]

The school district owns two large pieces of property for future high schools, one is located at Katy-Gaston Road and Greenbusch Road and is master-planned for a football stadium, and a second high school site is located on 123.09 acres, purchased in 2006, near Cross Creek Ranch (a future 3,000 acre master-planned community east of Fulshear). [4] [5]

A third high school is planned for a undetermined site north of the City of Katy or Morton Ranch High School.[6] [7]

Four additional junior high schools and 13 more elementary are planned until the district is built-out, currently expected around 2016; however, the new school sites are only speculated until land and funding is authorized from bond elections.

Enrollment

1961- 727 Students

1971- 1,671 Students

1976- 4,244 Students

1980- 9,762 Students

1981- 10,865 Students

1985- 15,455 Students

1995- 25,336 Students

2000- 33,474 Students

2004- 44,483 Students

2005- 47,788 Students

2006- 50,585 Students

2007- 53,954 Students (Projected)

Demographics

The face of Katy ISD is changing rapidly, with steady increases in minority, non-English-speaking, and low-income students.

The percentage of white students has dropped from 80.6% in 1993-94 to 60.6% in 1995; demographers project that KISD will be a majority-minority district by the 2010-2011 school year.

Percentages of low-income students has increased from 10.7% to 20.2%, while the Limited English-proficient enrollment has grown from 3.9% to 10.5%, by 2007.

See also

External links