Katy ISD’s Second Stadium and Multipurpose Facility
Katy, Texas (October 15, 2013) – As enrollment in Katy ISD continues to increase, there is a direct impact on the District’s facilities. Katy ISD currently has more than 15,000 student athletes participating in athletic programs, including six high schools participating in varsity football and soccer. In addition, all seven high schools participate in marching contests at Rhodes Stadium.
A second stadium-multipurpose facility will address scheduling issues that will become increasingly difficult as future high schools are opened. Katy ISD will schedule seven varsity football teams into Rhodes Stadium beginning in August of 2014, and the District also anticipates that two or three additional high schools will be built within the next decade. This will create several challenges for the District, including compliance with the U.I.L. 5 Day Rule.
The second stadium-multipurpose facility was designed by a cross-section of community representatives who are involved in the Katy ISD athletic and fine arts programs, as well as staff members. It has been proposed to be built adjacent to Rhodes Stadium due to the District’s current ownership of the land, and the location’s multiple points of access to I-10 and the Grand Parkway.
The District chose not to build the second stadium south of 1-10 for several reasons: purchasing land would cost taxpayers approximately $20 to $40 million; there is no available land on the south side with easy access to I-10 or Grand Parkway; and there is no location south of 1-10 where the stadium would not be in a residential area.
Building the second stadium next to Rhodes Stadium does, however, allow the District to avoid additional costs for land acquisition; utilize existing infrastructure, including drainage; provide good access to and from major thoroughfares; and realize efficiencies with the centralized deployment of event staff.
Katy ISD is the only district in Texas with seven high schools working with one stadium. School districts typically add a second stadium when they have five to seven high schools participating in varsity-level athletics. The following is a comparison of Katy ISD to other districts with multiple stadiums:
Other Student Activity Facilities projects that are part of the bond referendum include an Agricultural Sciences Center and a S.T.E.M. Project Center. Together, these projects cost $99 million and it is anticipated that the sale of these bonds will not raise the tax rate beyond the current $.40 rate for debt service.
The Katy ISD bond election will be held on November 5, 2013 in conjunction with the general election. Early voting will take place from October 21 – November 1, 2013. Voters will be required to show a form of photo identification at the polling location before they will be permitted to cast a vote.
For more information about the second stadium, as well as the other Student Activity Facilities projects, and voting location dates and times, visit the District’s website at katyisd.org.
