During the Katy Independent School District (Katy ISD) November Board meeting on Monday, the Naming Advisory Committee for High School #10 recommended to the Board of Trustees that the new school be named after the Freeman family, who have a 125-year history in Katy that spans six generations.

According to a Katy ISD press release, the Freeman family members have held positions such as mayor, city council member, and served on the volunteer fire department and the school board. They have also supported many service groups such as the Katy Literary Club, Katy Heritage Society, and Keep Katy Beautiful Board, among others. Their impact on Katy can be viewed in a dedicated section in the Johnny Nelson Katy Heritage Museum.

In addition to their civic service contributions, the Freeman family have been deeply rooted in agriculture and education. W.E. and Mae Belle Freeman, the first generation of Freemans who settled in Katy in the late 19th century, understood the importance of a strong education and sacrificed so their children could attend school. Their children, Mae, Jesse and Dick finished the eighth grade at South Mayde Creek – the highest level offered at the time. Two of their other children, Bill and Buck, later graduated from Katy High School. Five generations of Freemans have graduated from Katy ISD schools and members of the sixth generation are currently enrolled in the district’s schools.

During the public comments portion of the board meeting, two members of the Nelson family spoke in favor of naming the school after their family, and described their rich history and contributions to the Katy community. During discussion of the naming recommendation, board member Rebecca Fox, who along with Dawn Champagne was a board liaison member of the naming committee, described how difficult the naming decision was and how carefully the committee proceeded. Fox recommended that the new junior high school, which is adjacent to the new high school number 10, be named for the Nelson family.

A public forum to provide input regarding the proposed name was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, November 8 at the Katy ISD Education Support Complex, after the Katy Times went to press for this issue. The board will vote on the naming recommendation at its next meeting on November 13th.

High School #10 will be located at 7800 Katy Hockley Road, Katy, Texas 77493. This high school will provide enrollment relief to the neighboring campuses of Katy High School and Paetow High School in the northwest quadrant of the district which is experiencing rapid growth.