EDUCATION/KISD

KISD trustees hear proposed attendance boundary modifications, approve raises

By R. Hans Miller, News Editor
Posted 6/29/21

The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees heard a briefing from Chief Operations Officer Ted Vierling and Population and Survey Analysts – otherwise known as PASA – regarding …

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EDUCATION/KISD

KISD trustees hear proposed attendance boundary modifications, approve raises

Posted

The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees heard a briefing from Chief Operations Officer Ted Vierling and Population and Survey Analysts – otherwise known as PASA – regarding proposed attendance boundary modifications for Bryant Elementary and Paetow High School at Monday’s meeting. They also approved a 2% pay increase for permanent staff and a 1% bonus for contract employees.

“Within the next two to three years, the northwest quadrant of Katy ISD will begin to see an increased growth that includes community developments,” Vierling said.

The attendance boundary modification is intended to relieve possible overcrowding at Bryant Elementary and provide a shorter commute for students, especially those who reside in Cane Island.

The new elementary will be located at 7400 Innovation Drive which is still under construction, district spokesperson Maria DiPetta said. Innovation Drive will start on Cane Island Parkway just south of the Cane Island Visitors Center and extend west then turn north. The new elementary will be located on the northern side of the road which will border the campus on the south and western sides.

PASA and district officials have been emphasizing for some time that the district needs to plan for the anticipated growth coming to the northwestern portion of the district which has prompted the need for new campuses in the area. Paetow High School opened in 2017 in that portion of the district. Voters approved a bond referendum in May that will allow the district to add its 10th high school at an as-yet-unspecified location, though it is expected to be in the northwestern quadrant of the district as well.

The Paetow attendance boundary modification is only expected to affect a small portion of that campus’s population. This will shift some Paetow students to Morton Ranch High School. Details regarding the boundary adjustment for Bryant were sent to parents of students impacted by the change to request their feedback prior to formalizing the change.

Elementary School No. 44 is expected to open in the fall of 2022, according to information provided by KISD. A final decision on the attendance boundary modifications will be presented at the October 2021 trustees meeting for approval.

Trustees also approved a raise for teachers and staff whom they acknowledged for their contributions to the district and its students during the pandemic, winter freeze in February and all of the associated challenges with those issues. The 2% pay increase will begin in July 2021 or depending on the staff members' start dates, with a 1% one-time lump sum payment provided in December. Pay increases are calculated based upon the employee’s midpoint rates of pay found on the KISD Human Resources website. Regular part-time employees will also receive the increase.

The pay increases are expected to assist with retaining high-quality teachers as well as ensuring classrooms do not become overcrowded as the northwestern portion of the district continues to grow at a rapid pace.

“These minor (attendance boundary) adjustments will ensure efficiency as it relates to campus usage and will balance high school enrollment prior to the opening of High School No. 10 in 2024,” added Vierling.

Katy ISD, Education, Elementary No. 44, ABM, Attendance Boundary Modification, Paetow, Bryant Elementary