Archives

Facilities/Construction

	$600,000 Hot Dog Stand?
	Why are the district’s per-square-foot estimates for schools higher than the Houston-area cost cited by RS Means?
	Is the flooring used in Seven Lakes High School imported Italian tile?
	Is Seven Lakes High School is the biggest and most expensive high school in Texas?
	Does Katy ISD build the most expensive schools in Texas?
	Why does it seem that several of Katy ISD’s junior high school plans (Katy, McDonald, Beck, Cinco Ranch, McMeans) include a wasteful and unnecessary two-and-a-half story hallway?
	Why does Katy ISD not require competitive bids for construction projects?
	Shouldn't Katy ISD get bids from architects, which would insure the lowest cost and best value for design services?

Financial

	Is it true that the Katy ISD School Board offered a tax abatement to the Katy Mills Mall that results in no tax revenue for 20-years?
	What is the current official amount of Katy ISD’s debt? I've heard it is $1.5 billion?

Miscellaneous

	Are there plans to rezone neighborhoods north of I-10 and west of Grand Parkway that are currently zoned to Morton Ranch High School back to Katy High School?
	Is the district considering selling Wolfe Elementary?

$600,000 Hot Dog Stand?

Fact: The facility components proposed under the $1,261,000 item for the Taylor & Katy HS athletic renovations include more than a “hot dog stand.”  The existing concession /press box/single restroom building will likely be demolished, existing bleachers will relocated and new facilities will be constructed.

The estimate of $600,000 (although not presented to the bond committee originally as a stand-alone cost) for the concession building is based on historical data from the Mayde Creek High School athletic renovations bid in 2004.  This approximately 2,500 square foot component not only houses the concession stand but also restroom facilities (approximately eight women's stalls and four men's stalls/6 urinals), as well as storage, mechanical equipment, janitor space and press box. 

This building is not residential construction – it follows commercial construction building codes and jurisdictional codes, in particular the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Health code requirements need to be addressed in regards to food preparation as well as disposal (i.e., grease trap provision). Construction costs include earthwork, concrete piers and foundation, masonry, structural steel, wood framing, millwork, roofing, doors, frames, hardware, glass, finishes (plaster, drywall, insulation, flooring & paint), toilet fixtures, partitions & accessories, elevator (to access press box), plumbing, mechanical and electrical.

The plan also provides for demolition, 500 new bleachers, refurbishment and/or replacement of the existing bleachers, earthwork, drainage and concrete for the bleacher areas with associated foundations, ramps, sidewalks.  Allowances have been made for utility relocations and potential fencing.

The completion of these two projects will complete the program requirements for baseball at all of our high school campuses.

Why are the district’s per-square-foot estimates for schools higher than the Houston-area cost cited by RS Means?

Fact: RS Means of North America – a leading supplier of construction cost information – shows a cost per-square-foot for an elementary school in the Houston area as $98.29.

This quotation is taken from an article posted on the RS Means website dated August 28, 2006 entitled “Construction Cost RSMeans Costing Information – Elementary School, Junior High School and Vocational School – August 2006.” 

Katy ISD contacted RS Means to verify the basis for calculating this cost.  The company confirmed that its all-costs-per-square-foot number does not include sitework, but is building cost only.  They told the district that:

• Costs published by RS Means are provided as a reference guide only.

• If actual historical data is available, that information that should be used rather than the RSMeans data.

• Reporting sources like theirs should be third or fourth after real data for determining cost.

The construction cost index generated by RSMeans is calculated on a national level each quarter. Once the national figure is compiled, local adjustments are applied. The construction cost index utilized by the District, on the other hand, is based on local figures compiled directly by the Houston Association of General Contractors. As a result, this index provides the best possible, objective local guidelines for project estimates, with no basis for the characterization of “grossly overestimating.”  The KISD bond website shows the historical data for construction cost indexing from the AGC.  

Here is how the RS Means index would be utilized by an estimator working on a cost for a 122,530-square foot (SF) elementary school (currently schools size built in Katy ISD).

Using the RS Means 2006 Edition of Building Construction Cost Data, an estimator would follow these steps.

Reference page 741, Division 17-Square Foot & Cubic Foot Costs, for instructions.

1. Go to page 748, line item 74-0010, Schools elementary.  Locating the ¾ unit cost, (elementary school cost, which includes site work and kitchen and other fixed equipment; but not furniture and fixtures) and find the figure of $128/SF (in January 2006 dollars).

2. Go to page 589 for Location Factors.  The Houston location factor is .877.

3. Go to page 750 for the Square Foot Project Size Modifier.  The size elementary school referenced up to 55,000 SF; since the size being estimated is 122,530 SF, a multiplier of .93 is applied.

 Now an estimator has the numbers necessary to complete the calculation for a preliminary or “conceptual estimate” as follows:

Elementary Schools #28 and #29 bid in February 2006 at $106.31 and $102.52 respectively. The difference reflects the variable cost of site work and conditions.

Is the flooring used in Seven Lakes High School imported Italian tile?

Fact: The ceramic floor tile in the corridors of Seven Lakes High School is a Dal-Tile product manufactured in Mexico. Dal-Tile is a US firm headquartered in Dallas. Further information can be found at their web site www.daltile.com. Dal-tile supplies home center retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes.

Is Seven Lakes High School is the biggest and most expensive high school in Texas?

Fact:  Neither is true.  At the time SLHS was built, it was reported to be the largest high school construction project in Texas.  There are high schools in most of the state’s urban areas that are as large or larger than Katy (Arlington, Plano, Hurst-Euless-Bedford in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, for example) in terms of square feet, but the total space is the result of additions over the period of several years rather than being built all at one time as was Seven Lakes. Many school districts plan high school construction in phases to allow the opening of space as it is needed, as Katy ISD designed Morton Ranch High School to have its 9^th grade center added after initial construction. After adding the 9th grade center at MRHS and the new natatorium at Mayde Creek High School, all six Katy high school campuses will be approximately the same size and will have similar facilities.

Seven Lakes is the only one of Katy‘s high schools that was constructed as a single project, which created a considerable savings in the short- and long-term.  Construction of the 9th grade center was expedited into the plans just before bidding.  The current reported total project cost of SLHS is $76 million: $64 million for construction and $12 million for furniture, equipment supplies, fees and architect/engineering costs. This is not a final cost, which could be less when the project is closed within the next year.  This expenditure is considerably below the board-authorized estimated total project cost of $80 million approved in the summer of 2003.

Does Katy ISD build the most expensive schools in Texas?

Fact: It is absolutely untrue that Katy schools are “the most expensive” in the state.  A careful analysis of Katy ISD’s building costs to other districts, in the Houston area and throughout the state, show that both the cost per square foot and the cost per student compare very favorably with other districts.  A comparison of recent construction in several area districts presented to the bond planning committee in August illustrates this fact.

Comparisons of school costs among school districts must take into account a number of important factors:

• How large is the school in square feet?  What does it include?  Is it open- or closed- concept?

• How many students was the school built to accommodate?

• What does the quoted amount include?  Construction only?  Infrastructure and land improvements (such as roadways, drainage, parking lots, etc.)? Furniture, equipment, supplies and technology?  Practice fields, other athletic facilities and/or playground equipment? Katy ISD cites “loaded” costs, which means that the price tag of a school is the full amount, including all of these costs.

• When were bids for the project taken?  The same school built today will cost at least 30% more than just three years ago.

Every school district designs schools with one goal: to provide safe, pleasant environments for effective teaching and learning. Buildings reflect the requirements of a district’s instructional program and the wishes of the community.  As a result, there are more similarities than differences in schools throughout Texas, but ignoring the factors that determine cost can result in invalid and misleading comparisons.

Is it true that the Katy ISD School Board offered a tax abatement to the Katy Mills Mall that results in no tax revenue for 20-years?

Fact: The Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) created in 2000 through a partnership between the City of Katy and Katy ISD in 2000 is not a tax abatement and does generate tax revenue.

The TIRZ agreement allows tax revenue from property within its boundaries, primarily the Katy Mills Mall, to accrue in a separate fund administered by the Katy Development Authority. Tax revenue from the TIRZ is sheltered from state “Robin Hood” funding formulas, resulting in no reduction in state funding. The agreement cleared the way for construction of a district-owned multipurpose facility that would serve the entire Katy community and surrounding areas.  Funds that accumulate over the 25-year span of the agreement will be used to retire bonds on the Merrell Center and can be used for other projects within the boundaries of the TIRZ, including Katy High School, the Educational Support Complex, and the Outdoor Learning Center.

What is the current official amount of Katy ISD’s debt? I've heard it is $1.5 billion?

Fact: Katy ISD’s debt (principal and interest) is currently $1.34 billion as of Aug. 31, 2005 (source: 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report). 

Fact: The hallway in question is located between the gymnasiums and cafeteria at those campuses.  Because both the gym and the cafeteria have higher ceilings, the hallway in between is reflective of the roofline that ties together those two spaces and not an “add-on.”

Is the district is considering selling Wolfe Elementary?

Fact: Neither the district nor the board of trustees have considered, or is considering, closing Wolfe Elementary and selling the property. The district frequently receives offers, however, none of these offers have been put on a board agenda for consideration. This is a rumor that has been circulating in the Wolfe attendance zone for many years.

Why does Katy ISD not require competitive bids for construction projects?

Fact: Katy ISD typically utilizes competitive sealed proposals to select general contractors. Other contracting methods, construction manager at-risk and job order contracts, are also used by the district based upon the requirements of the project.

Competitive sealed procedures do not allow “pre-qualifying” potential offers, but may include contractor qualifications as a portion of the selection criteria for selecting the firm that offers the best value to the district.  Katy ISD generally requests that the contractors complete and submit an AIA G305, Contractor’s Qualification Statement, along with their proposal.  This includes a copy of the contractor’s financial statement, in addition to a list of proposed key project personnel and major subcontractors, and a Felony Conviction Notification and Affidavit of Non-Collusion forms. SBWV Architect Document 00021 from the Elementary #27 (Griffin) specifications illustrates this process.

A sample board action item ( submitted to the Board of Trustees in December 2004 for the award of the construction contract on Elementary #27) includes a letter from the architect that illustrates his recommendation and agreement with the recommendation, and the district’s tabulation and rating worksheet. Note that the lowest offer also represents the best value to the district based upon the selection criteria, which is characteristic of the vast majority of the district’s competitive sealed bid projects.

Shouldn't Katy ISD get bids from architects, which would insure the lowest cost and best value for design services?

Fact: State law prohibits school districts from soliciting competitive bids 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 extended on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications to perform the services and for a fair and reasonable price. When the district contracts for architectural, engineering, or land-surveying services, it first selects the most highly qualified provider on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications; and then negotiates a contract with that provider at a fair and reasonable price. If a satisfactory contract cannot be negotiated with the most highly qualified provider, it formally ends negotiations with that provider and selects the next most highly qualified provider at a fair and reasonable price.  (Links to government codes)

Are there plans to rezone neighborhoods north of I-10 and west of Grand Parkway that are currently zoned to Morton Ranch High School back to Katy High School?

No. There are no plans to rezone any of the attendance zones for Morton Ranch or Katy High Schools.