KATY, Texas – Monday was a big day for the Katy Independent School District, which broke ground on two new schools to help with the influx of new students.
What's unique about the schools is that a junior high school and a high school will share a combined campus.
Katy ISD officials said the campus will help the district handle the growth in its southwestern sector.
It will also help alleviate the burden on existing campuses that currently house students in surrounding attendance boundaries.
"We are excited that we're going to be able to provide a good learning opportunity for our students in some new buildings and also relieve some overcrowding at our current campuses," Lee Crews, Katy ISD chief operations officer, said.
Crews said the district is growing at a rate of around 2,500 new students each year, and it is only 50 students short of reaching a total of 80,000 students.
MAP OF NEW SCHOOL LOCATION:
The campus will be located in the Cross Creek Ranch subdivision off FM 1093 in the Fulshear area.
The schools have not yet been named. This will be the ninth high school and the 16th junior high school in the district.
The junior high school is expected to open in 2019. The high school is expected to open in August 2020.