Katy ISD superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt provides an update on the status of school district buildings in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

After having suffered severe damage from flooding resulting from Tropical Storm Harvey, Creech Elementary will have a new temporary home on September 11.  Katy ISD and the University of Houston have worked out an agreement for the elementary school to utilize their Cinco Ranch satellite campus until restorations have been completed at Creech.

The elementary school’s students and staff will be housed in existing classrooms at the university’s campus, while portable buildings and playground equipment will be added to extend the teaching and learning spaces available to students and staff.  The District will have the option to make minor facility modifications as needed.  The University of Houston campus, which is located at 4242 S. Mason Road, Katy, TX is currently unoccupied.

Katy ISD closed the district on August 25 in anticipation of Tropical Storm Harvey.  Following the storm, the District announced that Creech Elementary would be closed for the foreseeable future due to damage brought on by that catastrophic weather event.  With the campus having taken on several feet of flood water, the conditions near and around the school have prevented Katy ISD operations crews from conducting a full assessment of the building.  Katy ISD anticipates that an extended amount of time will be required to fully evaluate campus building structures, conduct air and mold tests, and make restoration repairs.

“We’re greatly appreciative of the University of Houston’s ongoing support of Katy ISD and the community,” said Superintendent Hindt.  “We have been working on a tremendously short timeline over the past week, and the university has been extremely flexible in helping us to meet the needs of our students and families.”

For a number of years, Katy ISD and the University of Houston have partnered to provide programs and services for Katy ISD students, staff and the community including planning for the region’s educational and workforce needs.

In addition to Creech Elementary, the first floor of the Education Services Support building and the Merrill Center suffered extensive water damage from flooding, and will undergo a time consuming renovation. First floor offices and the Board of Education meeting room will require weeks and perhaps months of repair.

All teaching staff in the district returned to work on Wednesday, Sept. 6, and a large majority of district staff will be involved in community service work on Friday, Sept. 8, assisting those with flood damage in the district.

Schools will reopen across Katy ISD on Monday, September 11.