Katy ISD Approves Construction of Two Elementary Schools

In response to the rapid population growth in the district’s southwestern quadrant, the Katy ISD School Board unanimously approved the construction of two new elementary schools in the Pine Mill Ranch and Cross Creek Ranch communities at its April 29 regular board meeting.

The schools will have each have the capacity to serve 1,030 students, and employ between 60-70 teachers and support staff, depending on enrollment. Each campus will cost about $20 million to construct, which will be drawn from the $459 million bond package Katy ISD voters passed in 2010, according to Katy ISD Director of Communications Steve Stanford.

“These two projects were not originally identified as part of the 2010 bond package,” Stanford said. “However, they are being funded from savings realized on other projects from the 2010 bond.”

“The district is fortunate that the continued growth can be accommodated through the 2010 Bond savings,” said Katy ISD Chief Operations Officer Tom Gunnell in an April 30 press release from the district. “We have been able to build all of our new schools below projected costs, lending us the opportunity to use savings for additional schools without cutting anything out of our original bond plan.”

The groundbreakings for the Pine Mill Ranch and Cross Creek Ranch elementary schools are May 21 and May 23, respectively. Both schools will be open for students at the start of the 2014 school year. Drymalla Construction has been awarded the contract for both schools’ construction, already having built several other schools for the district such as Beck Jr. High School and Griffin Elementary.

The school board will address the schools’ attendance boundaries later this year, Stanford said.

“The Katy area continues to see tremendous growth,” Stanford said. “Construction of these schools is required to accommodate elementary school student enrollment growth in the rapidly growing southwestern quadrant of the District.”

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