Katy ISD board approves 2026-27 discipline plan with new e-bike restrictions, names Katy High softball field for coach; trustee Fox announces October resignation

KATY, Texas — The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday approved its 2026-27 Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct with new language restricting motorized scooters, e-bikes and other personal transportation devices on campuses, named the softball field at Katy High School for longtime coach Calum Hack, and approved a full consent agenda covering budget amendments, equipment purchases, a virtual high school launch and other routine business.

In a moment that overshadowed the night’s other business, veteran trustee Rebecca Fox announced during the information-items portion of the meeting that she intends to resign her board seat effective Oct. 12, citing the birth of a third grandchild and a desire to help her daughter through a six-month maternity leave. Fox, who said she is in her seventh term, said she would continue to serve through four scheduled August meetings and would complete duties as a Texas Association of School Boards director through the TASBO convention in October before stepping down. She said she would close her campaign account and donate remaining funds to the Katy ISD Texas Education Foundation.

The board’s two substantive votes of the evening — both unanimous, 7-0 — came after trustees pulled the discipline plan and the Katy High School facility-naming measure off the consent agenda for individual discussion. Trustee Fox requested both items be removed for separate consideration.

On the discipline plan, Chief Officer Justin Graham and Chief of Police David Rider told the board the updated code adds explicit “safe transportation” language prohibiting ATVs, OHVs, electric motorcycles, electric mini-bikes and similar high-powered devices from campus, while distinguishing them from lower-speed e-bikes and scooters that will remain allowed. Staff said the addition responds to board and community concerns raised at a previous meeting. Administrators said the district plans a communications push, including graphics distinguishing permitted from prohibited devices, a districtwide message to parents, and inclusion in the weekly parent digest. Trustee Nathan Shipley noted some peer districts require even street-legal scooters and e-bikes to be walked, rather than ridden, once on campus property, though he said he was not proposing that policy for Katy ISD. The motion to approve the plan, as amended in the July 20 draft, passed 7-0.

Trustees then voted 7-0 to name a portion of a facility at Katy High School — specifically the softball field — in honor of former coach Calum Hack. Fox, who made the motion, described Hack’s decades-long influence on Katy softball, noting that two current head softball coaches in the district were once his players and recounting an anecdote about the respect shown to Hack by students and staff. Trustee Jim Davidson seconded the motion.

Earlier, the board approved its full consent agenda — items 9.1 through 9.22, minus items 9.10 (the discipline plan) and 9.11 (the Katy High naming), which were pulled for separate votes — on a 7-0 voice vote. The consent package included approval of the Workers’ Compensation Excess Reinsurance Program for Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2027; claims administration through the TASB Risk Management Fund; the 2026-27 Professional Development Plan; the May 2026 financial reports; publication of notice of a public meeting on the budget and proposed tax rate; July 2026 budget amendments; purchases of white fleet and police vehicles, field turf, track repairs and audio-visual equipment; renewal of UIL student accident and catastrophic insurance; voluntary benefit products for plan year 2027; Building Management Control System replacement proposals at Paetow High School and Stockdick Junior High School; a construction contract for the new Opportunity Awareness Center; an amendment to the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company contract for maintenance-building renovations; launch of a district virtual high school for 2026-27 under Texas Education Code Chapter 30B; compliance with Senate Bill 12 requirements; a TASB Region 4 director endorsement; delegate and alternate delegate endorsements for the 2026 TASB Delegate Assembly; library book acquisitions; a blanket electrical easement to CenterPoint Energy for Elementary School #49; June board meeting minutes; and an interlocal agreement with Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 172. Specific dollar figures for the purchase and construction items were not detailed in the discussion.

In reports, Chief Operations Officer Ted Vierling presented a revised attendance boundary modification option for the planned Elementary School #49 in North Sonterra, now recommending that the Windward neighborhood remain zoned to Youngblood Elementary while splitting the Anniston neighborhood roughly along Anniston Lakes Drive, sending its western portion to the new elementary and keeping its eastern portion at Youngblood. The change followed community feedback after a June presentation had proposed rezoning all of Windward to the new campus. Trustees Shipley and Dawn Champagne raised questions about splitting a single neighborhood down a residential street and about the projected drop in Youngblood’s enrollment, which Vierling said would fall from about 953 students to roughly 610 under the new map. No board action was taken on the boundary item Monday; Vierling said staff could return with a single formal recommendation before a future vote if directed.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance Jamie Hines and Assistant Superintendent Emily Craig reported that the district’s “Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow” attendance-incentive program has recovered attendance to 95.2% districtwide, up from a pandemic-era low of 94.2%, translating to roughly 800 more students in classroom seats daily and about $5 million in additional state basic-allotment revenue. Staff said 53 of 79 campuses earned an attendance incentive this year and 31 earned a new “maintenance incentive” for sustaining high attendance rates, with payouts distributed into campus budgets, half automatically directed to instruction.

Human Resources Assistant Superintendent Anita Hill and TIA Coordinator Kyle Allen Sanchez told the board Katy ISD teachers have earned more than $10 million cumulatively under the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, with 887 teachers designated last year, including 243 at the top “master” level. Staff said the district is expanding TIA eligibility for 2026-27 to include pre-K reading and math, secondary intervention courses and academic support teachers, and is working to develop growth measures that could eventually qualify social studies and science teachers, an area trustees Fox and James Cross pressed for progress on.

During public comment, several speakers addressed bus-transportation changes affecting roughly 90 families in the Whitmar Trail/Tamarron area near Adams Junior High and Jordan High School, asking the district to reevaluate walking-route safety before eliminating service. Another speaker, Regina Johnson, criticized a district finance official for comments about the homestead exemption made at a prior meeting. No board action was taken on either matter Monday.

Also at this meeting:

• The board recognized Katy ISD’s 2026 FFA state championship teams, UIL 6A academic, tennis, track and field, and softball state champions, with remarks from Harris County Precinct 4 and state Rep. Matt Morgan’s office.
• The board went into closed session under Texas Government Code sections 551.071, 551.074 and 551.129 and reconvened in open session with no reportable action.
• A public hearing on compliance with Senate Bill 12 requirements was held as part of the consent agenda process.
• Upcoming meetings include a special team-building session Aug. 8, a work-study meeting Aug. 17, a regular meeting Aug. 24 and a strategic-planning session Aug. 31.