Katy ISD starts year with new schools, Youngblood and Faldyn Elementary
KATY, Texas - Katy ISD is starting this school year with two new elementary campuses, and more schools are planned in the future due to the high volume of students coming to the district.
There are about 94,000 students at Katy ISD, and the projected growth is about 2,000 students every year.
"Everyone comes here for the schools and the programs. The southwest side of the district has been built out and now the northwest side which is where all the growth is coming from," said Lisa Kassman, the Executive Director of Facilities, Planning & Construction at Katy ISD.
The two new schools are Youngblood and Faldyn Elementary School.
"As principal you don't normally work with construction, so it has been a learning experience," said Michael Schwartz, principal at Faldyn Elementary School
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It's a team effort to open each school.
"With the construction market right now, there are material delays, there are shortages of labor. So we have had to increase some of our schedules just to accommodate. Electrical equipment is over a year out, so nothing is on a short schedule anymore. Everything is 14 months to build. So a lot of planning. Yes, a lot of planning ahead of time," said Kassman.
In fact, this November the district is calling on a bond that would approve funding for three elementary schools, and another junior high school to keep up with the continuous demand at the district.