Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski joined area education leaders as a presenter at the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual “State of the Schools” luncheon on August. 8. His remarks highlighted student achievement, strategic growth and the power of community partnerships.

Held at Legacy Stadium’s Field House at 1830 Katyland Drive in Katy, “State of the Schools” gathered local businesses, civic leaders and education officials to discuss public education’s role in workforce development and regional prosperity. Gregorski was joined by Roosevelt Nivens, superintendent of Lamar CISD; and Megan C. Pape, new superintendent of Royal ISD.

In his remarks, Gregorski reflected on the accomplishments of the 2024-2025 school year and highlighted the growth of the district, now with 97,000 students. Katy ISD is the second-fastest growing school district in the state, he said. He also discussed the district’s legislative priorities and school finance, noting that the state legislature had given a small increase to the basic per-student allotment and funded raises for teachers and non-instructional/non-administrative positions in public school districts. He said that legislative action helped with teacher recruitment and retention through the teacher pay increases, free preK for classroom teachers and greater flexibility with student discipline. Gregorski also discussed Katy ISD’s strong academic performance, sharing that the district exceeds the “meets” levels by 18 points in math, 17 points in reading/English, 19 points in science and 20 points in social studies. Gregorski outlined the district’s ongoing strategic plan which will focus on academics beyond test scores, AI integration, physical and mental safety and well-being, and community engagement. The district is taking a look at “organized excellence” from the front desk to the classroom, and new initiatives, including a planned virtual high school with innovative virtual learning programming expansion planned for Fall 2026 and CTE licensing and certification in water management and real estate. The superintendent said that the district’s theme for the year is “United in Purpose” and he said that the district would continue to provide a student-focused world class education, provide for teacher recruitment and retention and to keep up with growth.

Gregorski said the district is introducing lighter Chromebooks (2.5 pounds) over a five-year cycle and will be piloting a program to allow students to bring their own laptops to use at school.

“The progress we’ve achieved and the vision we’re creating for the future are fueled by our teachers’ and staff’s unwavering commitment to our mission: providing exceptional learning experiences that prepare and inspire every student to lead an honorable and fulfilling life,” Gregorski said. “As our district continues to grow, we stay focused on expanding opportunities for students, strengthening partnerships and ensuring every learner is equipped to thrive in a changing world.”

New Royal ISD Superintendent Megan Pape – celebrating her twentieth day in her new position – noted that the district is a national showcase district for the Capturing Kids Hearts© program and said that the

initiative helped with school culture – “what is looks like and feels like in the hallways every day.” Pape said that the district is planning for a bond election in the fall, focusing on the need for a new high school. “It’s not a want – it’s a need,” she said. Royal ISD now has an enrollment of about 3000 students, but with 12,126 single family homes coming online in the next eight years, she said that she anticipates that the district will have an enrollment of over 11,000 students by the time those homes are completed. Pape said that this year is a “historical” year for the district; in addition to facing unprecedented growth, Pape is the first female superintendent ever to serve in Royal ISD. The district will open its new Ag Expo Center in February, which Pape said would not only house shows but which will serve as a center for the community. The expansion was funded by the 2023 bond.

Lamar CISD’s superintendent, Roosevelt Nivens, who was named Region 4’s “Superintendent of the Year,” said that his district is also a fast-growth district, adding 2,000 new students this past school year to bring enrollment to 49,000 students. He projected that the district will be at 60,000 students in five years and that 11 more new campuses will be needed by 2031, on top of the five campuses slated to open in the next two years. LCISD is rolling out its “Innovative School Day” to the entire district this year, after piloting the program last year. “Traditional school structures are not keeping up with the evolving needs of our classrooms,” Nivens said. “We are taking a bold approach – one that reimagines the school day to better support our educators, empower students and deliver stronger outcomes.”

The “Innovative School Day” aims to provide teachers with more planning time while giving students engaging lessons in career and technical education, financial literacy, character development and more. The “Innovative School Day” is structured as a four-day instructional week, with teachers using the fifth day as a planning day and students experiencing “life skills” lessons – even exploring subjects such credit cards and other financial matters. The superintendent said that the outcomes have had “impact,” citing improved teacher retention, improved instructional quality, improved student outcomes and stronger campus culture with improved morale, trust and engagement. Nivens said the project was inspired by a TikTok video which lamented schools’ emphasis on academics rather than life skills.

The district leaders who spoke at the event joined Texas Association of School Boards Division Director Robert Long III for a panel discussion, covering a range of contemporary topics in K-12 public education.

Hosted by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, the State of the Schools invites superintendents each year to provide updates to the business community to help foster and strengthen the connection between education and economic development.