At its December 9 regular board meeting, the Katy ISD Board of Trustees approved the namesakes for two new elementary schools opening in fall 2025, as recommended by their respective School Naming Selection committees.

Elementary #47, located at 7402 Katy Hockley Cut Off Road, in the Elyson area, will be Alfred and Ann Boudny Elementary, and Elementary #48 at 900 Sunterra Shores, in the Sunterra development will be James and Mitzi Cross Elementary. These schools are part of the district’s 2023 Bond and will support the growing population in the district’s northwest quadrant.

“Our namesakes are an important part of the Katy ISD community and we are looking forward to adding the Boudny and Cross families to that special group,” said Ken Gregorski, KISD Superintendent. “These dedicated educators continue to pour into our district and we look forward to seeing the impact they’ll have in these new school communities.”

All four of the namesakes are retired KISD educators.

The recommendations were made to the board during last month’s board work study meeting, and on December 4, the district held public forums where the public was invited to share thoughts on the recommendations.

In other actions in Monday night's meeting, the board:

· Approved a contract to build out the Merchants Way building on a 6-1 vote, with board secretary Mary Ellen Cuzela dissenting. The building will house the Katy Plus program, serving approximately 165 special education students from age 18 to 21 in a life skills program at one centralized and upgraded location rather than at individual campuses.

· Heard public comments from more than a dozen speakers, including three who spoke in opposition to KISD’s book ban, former trustee George Scott who expressed concern about the Texas Education Agency’s “academic fraudulence in student testing,” two teachers requesting more planning time, and a number of students who spoke on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to electric school buses.

· Convened in closed sessions three different times; first to consider safety improvements and potential property acquisition; to consider a Level Three FNG grievance; and for an unspecified purpose, according to the agenda document.


The next meetings of the school board will be:

· Work study meeting on January 13, 2025

· Regular board meeting on January 21, 2025