The Katy ISD board of trustees met for a work study meeting on November 17, reviewing changes to local board policies which have been recommended by the Texas Association of School Boards and local KISD administration, in the wake of state legislative action in the last legislative session. The board reviewed library policy changes and approved new courses for the 2026-27 school year.

Sherri Ahorn, director of student affairs for KISD, presented updated policies for the board to consider, which she said were largely the results of recent legislative action and four policies recommended by the administration. One policy relates to the approval process for new library books, which now includes approval of a roster of titles by the school board. Trustee Dawn Champagne said that this step is now required by state law. Champagne also clarified that a single board member cannot pull a book from the libraries; one board member can ask for a book to be reviewed and the board will vote on it. Once approved, the decision stands for two years, Champagne said.

The board also discussed and considered the scheduling of the next school board election, noted on the agenda as scheduled for May 2, 2026. Trustee Mary Ellen Cuzela presented the option of moving the election from May to November in order to increase voter turnout, noting that turnout is in the single digits for May elections but much greater for November elections. Cuzela said that May elections tend to favor the status quo. She also suggested that the elections could be held in either even-numbered or in odd-numbered years in November. If the elections were to be moved to November, current terms set to expire in May 2026 would be extended. Trustees Cuzela, Morgan Calhoun and Amy Thieme are up for re-election in the next cycle.

Katy ISD general counsel Justin Graham said that KISD was able to run its own elections in May but would have to coordinate with all three counties for a November election. That would increase the costs from $70,000.00 for a May election to almost $500,000.00 for a November elections, and it could force voters in a November election to have to go to multiple polling sites in order to vote in both the school board and general elections. He said that it is also more difficult to recruit election workers for a November election than for a May election. Graham said that, at present there is also no early voting location in Waller County in the boundaries of KISD.

Cuzela recommended that the board form a committee to further study the options, prior to the December 8 board meeting and Board President Lance Redmon said that he would consider that.

The district also heard an update from Population and Survey Analysts (PASA) about the changing demographics of KISD students. Among the key findings:

· Aging student population: Large high school cohorts are exiting, while much smaller classes are entering at the earliest grades, signaling a long-term enrollment slowdown.

· Students from new housing: New housing continues to add 1,800 to 2,000 students annually, but growth will taper as the remaining land in the district becomes built out.

· Recently stable birth rates: Birth rates have increased with new housing being built but kindergarten enrollment has remained flat during that time. Births shown to uptick in the next few years.

· Kindergarten enrollment: Kindergarten numbers have been boosted by in-migration but as new housing declines, enrollment could drop below local birth rates.

· Impact of alternative educational opportunities: Charter schools and other educational alternatives have contributed to enrollment declines in KISD and continue to represent an important factor to monitor.

· Immigration: Between 2024 and 2025, the district experienced a decline in Hispanic enrollment, following years of growth from 2016 to 2024.

Trustees discussed the impact of current immigration reform, with Trustee Morgan Calhoun asking if and how students could be tracked through geofencing or through their Chromebooks. Superintendent Ken Gregorski said that the district did not track students, although it uses software to confirm that bus riders get on and off their buses.

Sanee Bell, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, presented the twelve new courses for the 2026-2027 school year recommended by the administration. They include AP business with personal finance, business law for real estate, business management, extended practicum in construction, practicum in construction, principles of architecture, and three courses that support the academic decathlon program. Other recommended courses are AP Physics, Mechanics, AP Physics C mechanics, and AP Physics C electricity and magnetism. To highlight career options, the district will hold a “Find Your Future” event on January 27, hosted by the CTE department, Bell said.

The board also considered future approval for the superintendent to form a naming committee which would propose a name for the new North Transportation Center.

The next meeting of the board of trustees will be held December 8. It will be a regular board meeting.