Following feedback from the community and from current Katy ISD namesakes, the Katy ISD board of trustees voted on February 24 to table action on proposed changes to the district’s policy for the naming of school campuses and facilities. The suggested changes, which were first discussed in the board’s February 17 work study meeting, created outcry in the community on social media and drew concerns from prior school namesakes and their families.

Eleven of the fourteen public speakers at Monday night’s meeting spoke on the proposed policy changes which had been presented at the February 17 meeting, with one person in favor and ten opposed. Speakers opposed to the changes included representatives from namesake families including Jenks, Jordan, and McMeans. Twenty namesakes or their representatives were in the audience and public speaker Tana Weiss said that ten of them would have been eliminated from consideration under the proposed changes. Tracy Malloy, of the Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. sorority, said that her group stood in opposition to the policy, saying that it removed the voices of the community. Several members of the sorority were present in the audience. Anne Russey, founder of Texas Freedom to Read and a frequent speaker at board meetings, presented the board with a petition signed by 350 people, asking the board to table any changes to the naming policy until after May school board election.

Board president Victor Perez said in an overview prior to board discussion of the “CW local policy” that he wanted to clear up some “misunderstandings” of the naming policy and proposed revisions to it. Principally, he said that the focus of the changes, which were first discussed in a December 2024 board meeting, is to include more community members on the naming committees and to allow more time for committees to review of the “voluminous” nomination packets. The changes would not be retroactive and would not affect any schools already named. The requirements for former KISD employees to namesakes to be retired for five years, as well as the initial suggested changes to the “family naming” requirements have been removed, Perez said. Secondly, namesake nominees are to be notified when their applications are received and whether or not that they are being considered or not and if not, why not. Another change, Perez said, is that the naming committee members are to be provided the materials seven days prior to the meeting of the committee. Additionally, in order to include more parental voices in the future school’s naming zone, a quorum of local parents has been established. Going forward, namesake nominees cannot become a school board candidate, Perez said.

Perez then moved that the policy be tabled to a later date to allow more time to gather feedback, and Trustee Rebecca Fox seconded. Board member Morgan Calhoun asked that a specific date be set for reconsideration of the policy and Perez said that he would prefer not to set a specific date at this time.

Fox asked that the restriction on namesakes not being allowed to run for school board be removed, saying that she had consulted with attorneys and was told that it was unlawful. Perez says that in two meetings with KISD general counsel Justin Graham, that portion of the policy was legal, and Graham reiterated that during Monday’s meeting. Fox also questioned the increased number of parents on the

committees and suggested alternatives to parents including representatives of the Education Foundation, Improvement Committee and others. Trustee Dawn Champagne asked that Katy ISD’s chief communications officer Andrea Grooms be included in the development of the process.

The motion to table the item passed 7-0.

In other action, the board:

· Heard a presentation from Assistant Superintendent for Special education Gwen Coffey on “Special Education - Focusing on Developing Essential Academic, Social, and Life Skills.”

· Conducted a public hearing on the 2023-2024 Annual Report to include the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR).

· In closed session, conducted the quarterly performance review for Superintendent Ken Gregorski.

Future meetings of the board are:

· Board work study meeting on March 24

· Regular board meeting on March 31