The challenges of providing innovative high-quality education while taking care of students and staff – amid budgetary woes at each district -- were addressed by the three superintendents of school districts serving the Katy area during the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual “State of the Schools” lunch, held August 8 at the Community Rooms at Katy ISD’s Legacy Stadium at 1830 Katyland Drive.

The program was moderated by Robert Long, who serves as the Director for Board Development Services at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). Long is a former member of the chamber’s board of directors and continues to serve on its governmental relations committee.

Long said there were stark differences in each of the districts and their needs, and that those differences underscored the need for local control.

Each superintendent began with a seven-minute overview about their district, with Nivens – wearing his trademark “Free Hugs” red T-shirt -- speaking first. “We are confronted with the urgency of now,” he said, noting that “now” stands for “No Obstacles Whatsoever.” He said that LCISD has been designated a “rapid growth” school district. What is urgent now at his district, said Nivens, is leadership at every level, system excellence and innovative practices. Nivens said that in his district he and the board want all the employees to act like owners of the organization – taking full responsibility for the organization’s wellbeing and success -- which he said would result in high student achievement. He described “systemic excellence” as “commitment versus compliance.” Nivens also outlined LCISD’s “Innovative School Day” which 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” will be 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 mutual funds and investments. Nivens said the project was inspired by a TikTok video which lamented schools’ emphasis on academics rather than life skills. He announced that LCISD is opening a CTE Center in 2026, adding classes in cosmetology, drones, artificial intelligence, paint & body, plumbing and pipefitting, electrical and distribution and logistics. LCISD – unlike other area school districts -- is still operating with a budget surplus, but that is unlikely to continue past this year, Nivens said, “but the deficit is coming our way.”

Kershner, who began his career teaching in Sealy, and who is also a veteran of Katy ISD, is celebrating his 40th year in public education this year. Known in Royal ISD for opening his meetings by first talking about “good things,” he spoke about the recent groundbreaking for the district’s second elementary school at 1254 Bartlett in the Sunterra subdivision – very close to where Katy ISD is also building a new elementary school at Bartlett and Clay Road. As a result of the passage of the 2023 bond, the district will also start construction on a new ag expo center and a new transportation facility and to renovate the old ag center as a CTE facility. The district will also use bond money to plan two additional campuses. Royal, designated a “fast growth” district, has grown in enrollment by 2.5 to 3 per cent each year for the past four years, said Kershner. There are over 23,000 homes being built in the district which will eventually bring as many as 13,000 new students to the small district, which now has an enrollment of about 2800. Kershner shared RISD’s achievement as being named a “Capturing Kids Hearts©” district – one of only 40 districts in the country to achieve that distinction of the approximately 10,000 districts that participate in

the program. Royal ISD faces the challenges of a student population that is over 75 per cent minority and over 80 per cent low socio-economic status, he said.

In his remarks, Gregorski – a 30-year veteran in public education -- noted that Katy ISD is an “A+ district which has received accolades from Niche Magazine and FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas), among other honors. The district now has almost 96,000 students housed at 78 campuses, he said. Top priorities for KISD were listed as continuing to provide a world-class education through rigorous curriculum standards and professional development opportunities and to provide for student and staff wellbeing through mental health and wellness initiatives and by fostering positive school cultures. Gregorski listed other priorities as infrastructure and technology integration, which includes the rollout of the “one to one” Chromebook program providing a district-owned laptop to every K-12 student enrolled in KISD beginning this school year. Gregorski also addressed community engagement, which included strengthening partnerships in the Katy community as well as legislative advocacy – making sure people understand the importance of public schools. Fiscal responsibility and safety/security rounded out KISD’s top concerns, he said. Katy ISD faces growing challenges, said Gregorski, listing chronic absenteeism, increased rigor in state testing, and accountability expectations, as well as specific needs such as special education, limited English proficiency and needs of the economically disadvantaged. The KISD superintendent also gave an update on the results achieved through the district’s ongoing strategic plan, highlighting development of the district’s Alternative Certification Plan, which will allow the district to draw from the local workforce in order to grow its own teachers. The district still needs 150 teachers, he said.

Gathering all three superintendents for a panel discussion, Long stated that “context matters,” and stated that the Texas constitution requires that 50 percent of funding go to public education. Long first asked each leader how recent legislative changes in Texas impacted funding and resources for public schools in their district and how each district was coping with those changes. Kershner said that the state was now only providing 30 per cent to public education. Kershner said that his district has a $32 million budget and is considered a “wealthy district” by the state, despite having a student population that is over 80 per cent low socio-economic status, and that as a “wealthy district,” RISD had to send a total of over $5 million back to the state – over 20 per cent of the district’s budget. Kershner said that the district is committed to offering every program they can to improve the lives of kids in their community and was going to “fight and scratch” to do so. He also noted that there has been no increase in the basic allotment since 2019. Nivens believes that school vouchers will pass in the next legislative session. He emphasized the need to hold elected officials accountable. “Everything is pointing toward ‘we don’t want to feed public education,’ “ he said of state officials. Gregorski said that Texas wants to be number one in schools but is 37th in per-pupil funding and “that doesn’t make any sense.” Money doesn’t solve everything but ”you certainly need funds to do innovative things for kids.” Kershner added that Texas, while being 37th in funding, is the eighth-largest economy in the world.

Long asked Nivens about his district’s emphasis on mental health and positive school culture. Nivens said the district is offering some initiatives for students to receive mental health support, with the permission of their parents. The program rolled out last year for teachers was not well-utilized, so the district is “going back to the drawing board on that one.” The district is offering two mental health days per year to all employees, without charging them for a personal day.

Long asked how local businesses could support public education. Gregorski announced that KISD would start a series of “listening circles” with school board members in each district quadrant so that the community could express their “big picture” priorities for the district Then, Gregorski said, by December the district would have a full legislative agenda of what they would advocate for in the community. Kershner asked that the community support the schools verbally and that if anyone has questions, they should call the district and ask. The most important thing, Kershner said, is to go to the polls.