Bonds and New Facilities

How does Katy ISD determine where and when schools need to be built?
The district works closely with Population and Survey Analysts, a demographic firm that specializes in fast-growth school districts, to project enrollments by Land Use Zone (LUZ) for ten years in the future. The demographer identifies areas where expected growth creates a new schools, the type (elementary, junior high, high school), and the year the school will most likely need to open. Those projections are included in the Long-Range Facility Plan, which is used by the bond planning committee to assist in formulating a bond package.

What is included in this bond package?
This bond package has $ $119,983,690 for five new schools: two junior highs (#11-12) and three elementary schools (#30- 32) that are scheduled to open between 2008 and 2010. Design for Elementary #33 (construction costs for which are expected to be part of the next bond package) is also included.

Why do we need new schools?
Katy ISD continues to be one of the fastest-growing school districts in Texas, with increases averaging 5-6% annually. This fall, enrollment topped 50,300 and current projections indicate more than 83,000 by 2016.

Who is responsible for designing schools? How does the district decide what to include in a building?
Katy ISD contracts with several architectural firms to provide design services and has an in-house construction staff to oversee projects on a day-to-day basis. Although the architect prepares the design, the district provides the educational specifications -- directions to the architect for the spaces that should be included in the building.

Using Texas Education Agency guidelines for core spaces such as classrooms, library, gyms for physical education and special education, the district creates buildings that both meet state minimum standards and provide spaces that suit the instructional program. The district, not architects, has the final say regarding what is, and is not, included in the design, as well as the materials and finishes that are used in construction.

Each time a building is designed or modified, end-users, including teachers, administrators, support personnel and parents provide input on desired features and spaces.

How were cost projections determined for these projects?
Estimates for these construction projects include an inflation factor of 12 percent for 2006 (because of the projected effect on the Gulf Coast construction market of the 2005 hurricanes), 10 percent in 2007 and eight percent in 2008. The district references projected inflation factors established by an independent source -- the Associated General Contractors -- to provide cost estimates that are as objective and accurate as possible.

What is included in the cost of a building?
Katy ISD reports fully loaded costs for new buildings. That figure includes everything needed to open the school: construction, infrastructure (roads, parking, central plants, etc.), professional fees (architects, engineers, testing, etc.), necessary permits, all furniture, equipment, technology, supplies, start-up library books and playground/physical education equipment. Some districts only use brick-and-mortar construction costs when citing the cost of new schools, while others include some, but not all of the fully loaded costs.

Does the district bid out construction projects?
Katy ISD typically utilizes competitive sealed proposals for the selection of a general contractor, as prescribed in the districts policy and the Texas Education Code. Other contracting methods, such as construction manager at risk and job order contracts, may be used when a project has unique requirements that more closely fit these alternate selection processes. Competitive sealed proposals do not allow pre-qualifying of contractors but rather may include qualifications as part of the criteria for selecting the contractor that offers the best value to the district.

Does the district bid out architectural services?
According to the Texas Education Code, competitive bids cannot be solicited for professional services of any licensed or registered certified public accountant, architect, landscape architect, land surveyor, physician, optometrist, professional engineer, state-certified or state-licensed real estate appraiser, or registered nurse. Contracts for these professional services are made on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications to perform the services and for a fair and reasonable price.

For a new design, architects are paid 6.5 percent of the total cost of the building, which is an industry standard. On repeat projects, the fee is cut by 50 percent. Although the basic design is already established on a repeat project, the fee paid to the architect includes adjustments for differing site conditions, and modifications and improvements based on program
changes and user experience.

What is the possibility of over-building and having vacant facilities in the future?
Katy ISDs demographic projections show that the district will continue to be one of the fastest-growing districts in the Houston area for some time to come. If growth slows down, however, the district will revise its facility plan and put off construction until buildings are actually needed. Demographic studies comparing Katy ISD to built-out districts (like Spring Branch) show that Katy is growing at a steadier and more manageable rate.

Neighborhoods in Katy are projected to regenerate, meaning that homeowners who no longer have children in school are likely to sell their homes to families with school-age children. That results in successive generations of children moving in to populate schools as neighborhood mature.

Will new facilities eliminate the need for temporary buildings?
No. Judicious use of temporary buildings is part of Katy ISDs overall facility plan and will continue to be as long as the district is growing rapidly. Placing temporary buildings on an interim basis allows the district to assess growth carefully before constructing new campuses and to open new buildings with enrollments that are large enough to make them cost-effective to operate. This bond package includes funds for approximately 20 portable buildings, which will provide instructional space on campuses that are impacted by growth. Temporary buildings also allow the district to meet the needs of special programs, since types and enrollments can vary each year as student populations evolve.

Links
Bond Home
Package Details
Voting Information
Bond Q&A

Did you know ...

This bond package will fund capital projects through 2009.

43.5% of this bond package is earmarked for new schools.

Katy ISD expects nearly 9,000 new students in the next three years.

The $315 million bond authorization in
2002 funded the construction of nine new schools and purchased sites for 11.
Already completed and open are:
Exley, Franz, Griffin, Rhoads, Rylander Elementaries; Beckendorff  Jr. High; and Seven Lakes High School. Two more elementary schools are scheduled to open in
2007.

It took Katy ISD 77 years to enroll its
first 25,000 students (1919-1996), 11 years to enroll the next 25,000 (1997-2007) and 6 years to enroll the next 25,000 (2008-2013).

Katy ISD is projected to build out with approximately 100,000 students and 69 campuses (9 high schools, 16 junior highs and 43 elementary schools).

Katy ISD has a high percentage of homes with school-aged children, resulting in a higher ratio of school-age

children per home.

Many growing
districts in the Houston area have a
student density ratio around 0.5 0.7.

Two in five families (39.9%) move to Katy ISD from within the Houston area. Out-of-state newcomers account for about one in four (26.8%).