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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming KATY ISD agenda and found 8 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 10) |
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District Proposes $799K Contract with Chinese Firm on U.S. Security Threat List
Item 8.6 recommends a $799,000 contract with Hytera for new bus and dispatch radios. Hytera is a Chinese telecommunications company that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has placed on its ‘Covered List’ of companies that pose an unacceptable risk to national security.
Response
PACK THE ROOM & DEMAND A ‘NO’ VOTE: Email the Katy ISD Board (contact info on district website). ‘Item 8.6 proposes spending $799,000 with Hytera, a company on the FCC’s national security threat list. Do not compromise our children’s safety or national security. Vote NO and find an American or allied vendor.’
💰 Impact: National Security Risk
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Board to Award Fencing Contract $322K Over Lowest Bid
Item 8.4 recommends awarding a $5.47 million contract for security fencing to Foster Fence, Ltd. However, the district’s own ranking sheet shows another company, ICI, submitted a bid for $5.15 million, which is $322,475 cheaper. The district is choosing the more expensive option based on subjective criteria like ‘reputation’ and ‘past relationship’.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Katy ISD Board. ‘Regarding Item 8.4, why is the Board spending an extra $322,475 instead of accepting the lowest responsible bid for security fencing? Taxpayers demand a public explanation and a recorded vote on this $5.47 million contract.’
💰 Impact: $322,475 Over Low Bid
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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District Seeks Exemption from State Law Requiring Armed Officers on Campus
Under Consent Item 9.2, the district is asking the Board to approve a ‘good cause exception’ to the state law requiring an armed security officer on every campus. The agenda cites a lack of funding or inability to hire qualified personnel as the reason for not meeting this state-mandated safety standard. This is a renewal of a previous exception, indicating an ongoing failure to comply.
Response
PULL FROM CONSENT: Email the Katy ISD Board. ‘Pull Item 9.2 from the consent agenda. Before you approve another exception to state law, parents deserve a public report on what specific actions you have taken to recruit officers and what your plan is to fully comply with the armed officer requirement next year.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Campus Security
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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District Admits 117 Teachers Not ESL-Certified, Seeks Waivers for 25th Year
Item 8.12 asks the Board to approve waivers for 117 teachers who are not certified to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to over 21,000 Emergent Bilingual students. The district admits it has been applying for some of these same waivers for up to 25 consecutive years, indicating a systemic failure to hire qualified staff rather than a temporary shortage.
Response
DEMAND A REAL PLAN: Contact the Katy ISD Board. ‘Regarding Item 8.12, seeking the same waivers for 25 years is an admission of failure, not a solution. What is the district’s concrete, long-term plan to hire certified bilingual teachers so every child gets the education required by law?’
💰 Impact: Sub-standard Instruction for 21,561 Students
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Board to Pre-Approve $13.2M in Spending for New School Without Final Price Tag
Item 8.5 asks the Board to approve Amendment One for $13,236,505 to a construction contract for Junior High #19. This large sum is to begin earthwork and buy steel before a final Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the entire project has been set. Committing millions without knowing the total cost reduces the district’s negotiating power and increases the risk of future cost overruns.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Katy ISD Board. ‘Before approving the $13.2 million Amendment One in Item 8.5, what is the projected total cost for Junior High #19, and why is a full Guaranteed Maximum Price not being presented for approval? Taxpayers deserve to see the full price tag before you start spending millions.’
💰 Impact: Risk of Future Cost Overruns
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Budget Amendment Drains $1.3 Million from District Savings
Item 8.2 proposes budget amendments that will result in a $1,315,224 decrease to the General Operating fund balance. This is primarily due to booking expenses for items and services that were ordered in the last fiscal year but not paid for, effectively spending down the district’s savings to cover prior-year costs.
Response
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY: Contact the Katy ISD Board. ‘Regarding Item 8.2, why is the district’s fund balance being reduced by $1.3 million to cover last year’s expenses? This suggests a budgeting shortfall that needs to be explained to taxpayers.’
💰 Impact: $1.3M Fund Balance Decrease
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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New Library Book List Hidden in Consent Agenda
Consent Item 9.1 asks for approval of a new list of library books acquired in September. However, the agenda does not contain the list of books, only a non-functional text link. Placing this for a bundled vote without providing the public easy access to the titles being approved is a transparency failure.
Response
PULL FROM CONSENT & PUBLISH THE LIST: Email the Katy ISD Board. ‘Pull Item 9.1 from the consent agenda. The public has a right to see the list of library books before you vote to approve them. Please publish the full list and allow for a separate, recorded vote.’
💰 Impact: Bypassing Parental Review
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague ‘Training’ Agreement with City of Katy on Agenda
Item 8.11 is for an ‘Interlocal Agreement with the City of Katy for training purposes.’ The agenda provides no description of the training, who is being trained, what the cost is, or who is paying. This lack of basic information makes public oversight impossible.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item 8.11 attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the purpose and cost of this agreement before the Board votes.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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