Katy ISD offers several lifeguard training courses throughout the year.  These courses are open to anyone who is 15 years of age and older.  Participants who are 14 years old must turn 15 by the last day of the class.  Participants also must be able to pass a prerequisite swim test which has been set by the American Red Cross.  The details for this swim test are listed below. 

To Enroll in a Lifeguarding Course:  2024 REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED!  Updated information for the 2025 Training Season will be posted in January 2025.  

To register, click on the button to the right that says "Register for Training Courses". Payment must be​ made through Katy ISD's Pay N' Go account using either a debit card, credit card or e-check​.  The cost for a Lifeguard Training Course is $200.  This fee covers the online portion of the class and the skills session participation over a selected weekend.  Participants must attend the full class for which they are registered.  Skills sessions can not be divided into multiple weekends.  

​​A confirmation email will be sent back to the participant when registered.  You will also receive an email from "Sales Force", which is the American Red Cross registration email to begin your on-line module.  The email from Sales Force often goes to a spam or junk folder, so please check all folders for this email 24–48 hours after registering.

*​The minimum number to have in a class is 6. If the registration number does not reach at least 6 participants, the class will be canceled.  The maximum number of participants is 15 per class.

Refund Policy

Refunds must be requested 7-days prior to the start of the skills session.  A refund request can be made through Pay 'N Go.  Please forward the refund request to saranguthrie@katyisd.org. Any refund request made within the 7-day window will be denied, and no refund will be given.

Registration Change

A registration change (such as changing class dates) must be made 7 days prior to the start of the skills session.   Any changes made to a registration will incur a fee of $25 per change and will be paid through pay 'n go.  A registration change request must be emailed to saranguthrie@katyisd.org.  

On-Line Module for the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training

​Once you have registered with Katy ISD through the on-line link you will receive a confirmation email.  Shortly after you should receive an email from "Sales Force" with instructions on registering with Red Cross to complete the on-line module.  Please make sure you use the same email address for both Katy ISD registration as with the Red Cross registration.  

All our Lifeguard Training Courses are now Blended Learning.   This means all videos,lecture and the CPR test must be completed on-line before the first day of the skills sessions.  To access the web-based blended learning portion of the course, use the link sent to you via the email from "Sales Force".  You will need to create a log-in ID and Password.  Also for this link to open you will need to turn off pop-up​​​ blocker in your tool bar.  Once you have completed the on-line portion of this course please print the "Completion Report" or the confirmation email and bring it with you to the skills sessions.

To complete the course and receive a certificate participants must pass a written exam with 80% correct and pass skills test scenarios.  This American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification includes Professional Rescuer CPR, First Aid, AED and Lifeguarding for a 2-year period with a Bloodborne​ Pathogen certification for a 1-year period.

Prerequisite Swim Test

This test is given at the beginning of the skill session.  All skills (prerequisite swim test 1 & 2) listed below must be completed to continue in the lifeguard course.

Swim-Treat-Swim Sequence (Prerequisite Swim Test 1)

• Swim 150 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both.  Goggles are allowed to be worn during this portion of the swim test.  Swimming on the back or side is not permitted during this swim test.
• Maintain your position on the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water using only the legs.
• Swim 50 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both

Swim-Rescue-Swim Sequence - Timed Event (Prerequisite Swim Test 2)

This test must be completed within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

• Starting in the water, swim 20 yards.  Your face maybe in or out of the water.  Google are not allowed to be worn during this portion of the swim test.
• Surface dive to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
• Return to the surfave and swim 20 yards back to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping your face at or near the surface of the water.
• Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.

Please be prepared for the following before the skills sessions:​

1. Bring the Completion Report stating the participant has completed all online lessons.  If a participant does not show this report prior to the prerequisite​ swim test the participant will not be allowed to start the skills sessions.
2. Get ready to swim.  Girls need to wear a sports swim suit.  Boys need to wear swim trunks.  All swim wear should be appropriate school attire.
3. A dry change of clothes is recommended.
4. Two towels each day
5. Goggles are needed during underwater skills practice on all days of training.
6. Participants are welcome to bring food/snacks and drinks and a lunch break will be given sometime between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.  on full days and depending on the progress of the class.
7. Participants should download the Lifeguard Manual (link is on the right of this page). Please review the manual prior to starting class. Hard copies of the manual will be available during the course but are not provided for participants​ to keep.