KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
August 16, 2023
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy ISD students returned to school today with the District welcoming over 94,000 students. Two new elementary schools opened their doors helping the District meet the needs of the fast-growing community.
New Katy ISD School namesakes, Russell and Cindie Faldyn greet students arriving at one of the Districts new schools.
Katy ISD Welcomes Students Back to School
Today Katy ISD welcomed over 94,000 students back to their now 75 total campuses for the 2023-2024 school year. Opening doors for the first time will be Russell & Cindie Faldyn Elementary School and David & Terri Youngblood Elementary School. These two campuses were made possible through the 2021 Bond.
Two New Schools Open in Katy ISD
Youngblood Elementary School will be the District’s 45th elementary school and will be located at 25600 Longenbaugh Road. While Faldyn Elementary School, the 46th elementary school will be at 25615 Clay Road near Haskett Junior High. Both schools are located within the northwest quadrant of Katy ISD, an area where new communities and businesses are being built for the near future.
As growth continues to come to Katy, many families worry about the infrastructure and how local roadways will be impacted by the additional school traffic.
Cheerleaders from Haskett Junior High lined Faldyn Elementary's halls cheering students into the new academic year.
“There’s a lot of catching up to do with infrastructure, but we have a great partnership with the county and our groups, and they are asking us what our needs are,” says Dr. Ken Gregorski, Katy ISD Superintendent.
“Sometimes, as you notice, the growth comes faster than the county can keep up and that’s what you’ll experience on this northwest quadrant, north of I-10 and west of 99,” adds Dr. Gregorski.
These state-of-the-art campuses, which are designed to serve over 1,000 students, include leading-edge technology, collaborative spaces for learning, energy-efficient components, learning stairs and other features to support academic excellence.
Katy ISD Continues to Grow
Katy ISD continues to grow to meet the needs of the growing Katy community. This year the District is opening with 94,000 students and at build out they expect 118,000.
“Why is Katy growing? It’s the schools,” says Dr. Gregorski. “We have two new schools this year but what is not new is the world-class education that our families have come to expect.”
Dr. Gregorski, members of the Board of Trustees, school officials, and media were all on hand to welcome students this morning to Faldyn Elementary. Crowds of smiling families flooded the halls decorated with the theme, “Constructing the Future.”
New School Namesakes Welcome Students
Katy ISD is known for uniquely naming schools to honor those who have given much to the education industry and specifically the Katy area. Faldyn Elementary is named after long-time Katy educators Russell and Cindie Faldyn.
“We still don’t really feel worthy to be a namesake among this elite group of educators and leaders,” says Cindie Faldyn. “It’s a lot of responsibility on my heart.”
The Faldyns have been with Katy ISD since 1999 and have a combined 67 years in education.
Katy kids are all smiles headed back to class.
“I’ve seen so many former students that now have children here at Faldyn Elementary,” says Russell Faldyn. “It’s the ultimate blessing that they are still in Katy and here to say thank you.”
As with all Katy ISD campuses, these two new schools also include the latest safety and security mechanisms and features recommended by the Texas School Safety Center. Katy ISD Police Chief Henry Gaw was also present at Faldyn Elementary this morning to welcome students as his deputies assisted with traffic.
There still is a national shortage of teachers and while Katy ISD is still hiring. They currently have 230 teacher vacancies and 60 bus driver positions to fill.
To learn more about Katy ISD, including information on the upcoming Bond to be included in the November election, visit their website.
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