and I don't even live in Katy. Every school district should have a brand new stadium just as awesome as this. It is a bit expensive at $70 Million, but there will be no tax increase due to this.

Just tell me you don't want this stadium

http://www.katyisd.org/dept/communications/bond/Pages/Stadium2.aspx

It will make the kids smarter...

When was the last time 20,000 people showed up to watch a chemistry experiment?

The money would be much better spend by making $10M (or less) improvements to each of the on campus high school stadiums.

The one size fits all ISD stadium that is no one's home is so sterile and is the opposite of the home field Friday night lights that made Texas high school football special and unique.

You're right gap but those days are gone unfortunately

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Scheduling a Friday home game for each school's homecoming would be difficult with one stadium

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an excellent reason to spend millions

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The one size fits all ISD stadium that is no one's home is so sterile and is the opposite of the home field Friday night lights that made Texas high school football special and unique.

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+1

1.


vs

2.


..........

i prefer 2

Fightin Texas Aggie Class of '03



[This message has been edited by TexMex Redass 03 (edited 10/31/2013 7:06a).]

Where's the landing pad for the Swaggercopter?

We are in Cy Fair. The Berry Center / Stadium is nice but it isn't anybody's stadium. Every game is a neutral site game there. There is no longer any community pride in any particular school. The games are just attended by people with kids in the band or on the team.

Smaller on campus stadiums would give the feel of our team and more than that our community. The fields already exist because they play freshman and JV games at each school.

I live in Katy.
Do not want.

I agree about the sterility. I grew up in a smaller town, but went to Dulles for HS. Mercer wasn't a bad place to watch a game, but I hated the fact that it was shared with all of the other teams and it wasn't OUR home. Having to watch games from the visitor's side of your own stadium was weird.

I understand the nostalgia for small town, single stadium football, but in the greater Houston area, I cannot think of any school district that has stadiums at each school for varsity football. The ironic part about this whole conversation is that a picture of the really nice Allen ISD stadium was posted and only Allen High plays at the stadium, so that is a true home field for them.

Before the thought was that everyone having their own stadium was not cost effective. However, when you are spending $75-90M on a single stadium or that x 2 for a bigger district that makes $10+M upgrades at each campus financially feasible.

At this point, I think it's necessary for KISD. With the new HS and 2 others already planned, when do you play varsity games? As it is now, you'll see an 11am and 7pm Sat game, Fri night and Thurs night as well. If it doesn't pass now, I'm sure it will come up again in a few years, but at a higher cost.

Also, it's not just about the football stadium. There is a Science and Technology Center that would also go in, as well as a new Ag complex.

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when you are spending $75-90M on a single stadium or that x 2 for a bigger district that makes $10+M upgrades at each campus financially feasible

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I live in Katy and I am not voting for it, but I agree at some point it will come up again if this does not pass and will cost more. I guarantee it passes.

wow, another great reason to build another stadium

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Familiarity of Katy ISD staff and first responders may be a safety issue, which would not exist at a Katy ISD stadium.

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Live in Katy. Do not want

Not sure what 10 million buys you in upgrading the on campus stadiums. There is a reason why most metro school districts have these type of stadiums.

Average # of attendees
Restroom facilities
Concessions
Parking
Security

Not sure 10 million spent at each school gets you everything you need nor may it be feasible to “upgrade”. Just thinking of the space that would need to be dedicated to parking alone makes me think its unrealistic to host 5A games on campus at these schools. I can’t think of a single campus that may have enough available land to expand the parking much less accommodate additional restrooms, visitor locker rooms, etc. Of course if you are for only allowing a couple thousand people at the game and the visiting team not having a locker room, then maybe it’s doable. But I assume there is a reason why they are looking to put in 14,000 seats and the parking, restrooms, and other facilities that go with it.

So while the idea hosting 5A games on campus stadiums might sound appealing, I don't think it’s realistic given the infrastructure needed to sustain the level of attendance that 5A varsity games average. Hence why some many school districts go with a serviceable on campus game field for sub-varsity contests and a single site multi-purpose stadium shared by multiple schools for varsity contests.

All of KISD will be 6A starting next year. The area will just continue to grow with the development that's going on between Beltway 8 and Katy, and beyond for that matter.

I don't think it's feasible to just upgrade the on-site stadiums. I know they have looked at doing it to Rhodes, but it would mean they have to bring everything else up to code. I assume this is the same reasoning why it doesn't make sense to upgrade at the facility level.

Just my .02 from what i've been reading about the bond.

When you said 6A, I thought Texas finally added a new class. Turns out they are just renaming the existing classes and 6 man football will now be called 1A.

Allen's stadium serves ONE high school. They have their own school district so all of their school district tax dollars stay in the community. Brilliant!

It is not that $10 million will not provide a safe and suitable on campus football stadium. It is done all the time. It is that $10 million will not sufficiently stroke the egos of the ADs, coaches, and trustees. For that, you need $70 million.

You might also look to see where the money pushing these bond referendums comes from. It comes from big architecture and construction companies. PBK Architects has a group dedicated to pushing through these bonds. Oh, and guess who designed that really cool Allen Footbal Stadium? Yup.

I notice how most of alton frailey's emails lately don't even mention the football stadium, just the STEM and ag centers....the stadium must not be polling well.

how about save the money for the additional schools you're going to need in 2 years.

Article in the Chron...

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy/news/article/Katy-ISD-stadium-bond-package-heads-to-the-polls-4936741.php

This was interesting...

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"Although, you probably won't see an increase in our tax rate this time around, they are saying we will be getting another bond as early as next year or maybe two years for new schools," Kahrhoff said. "If that happens, I don't see how our tax rate can't go up."

Kahrhoff said when the next bond is passed to build new schools the district will raise the debt service tax rate, which stands at 40 cents per $100 valuation. With a total tax rate of $1.5266, the district's maintenance and operations rate is $1.1266.

According to the Texas Education Agency, Katy ISD is one of about 75 districts of the total 1,024 that has a tax rate higher than $1.50 per $100 of valuation.

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I thought you didn't care what fat car crazed suburbanites thought?

Unfortunately the schools are needed and even if the bond doesn't pass the rate will need to be raised at some point due to the bonds. Fortunately there is a ton of new homes as well as commercial going in that should help in the overall tax base.

I don't care to respond to all of the insults thrown my way, but having lived in both the burbs and ITL, I care about a lot of Houston. In fact, I lived in MouthBQ's hood when it was brand new and Klein only had one high school.

Come to think of it, I believe Klein ISD is a great example of on campus stadiums.


EDIT: I take that back. While all of Klein's high schools have footbal/track stadiums, I believe that the main stadium at KHS is the only one used for the district's games. It ain't $70 mil, though. They renovated the old one that's been there forever.

[This message has been edited by 8T2 (edited 10/31/2013 12:39p).]

If they want a super stadium so bad, let them pay $20+ ticket prices to the games to finance it.

Klein only has 4 high schools playing games at the main stadium. Katy has 7 and soon to be 9 in the next 3-5 years. Does the new stadium need to be football palace. no, but the district needs a new stadium of some kind.

8T2, I get that you took 70 million and divided it by 7 to get 10 million. But unless you can break down what that 10 million will actually build and define what is a "suitable" 5A varsity football stadium, then it’s a throw away number with no basis in reality. Also feel free to show some examples of a 10 million dollar 5A varsity stadium.

Also, try looking at the Katy ISD High School campuses and see where the upgrades for the stadium (more seating and restrooms) and parking will go, keeping in mind that everything already there has stay there or be replaced on site with a comparable facility, e.g. you can't get rid of the softball field to make room for an "upgraded" football field or more parking.

I just commented on someone else's $10 million figure. However, just a quick google search revealed these South Carolina stadiums, which will give a rough idea.

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20111021/PC20/310219942

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That Cavalier Dorman stadium for $4 million looks nice.



This one is also decent at $8-9 million...




If you read some of the articles about Allen's stadium and some of the other Taj Mahals, you'll find a lot of money tied up in video and other electronics. If Katy residents believe that the high school experience requires HD video replay boards, then $70 million ought to do it. If they think the kids can live with the Klein version, the price drops dramatically.

I have no dog in this hunt. I am a HISD resident.

Full disclosure. In 1979, while working summers for a construction company, I installed the roofs on the Rhodes Stadium buildings.

[This message has been edited by 8T2 (edited 10/31/2013 12:58p).]

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Also, it's not just about the football stadium. There is a Science and Technology Center that would also go in, as well as a new Ag complex.

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The STEM center might be a good idea, but this kind of thing suffers greatly from the law of diminishing returns. What I don't get is why a rapidly urbanizing school district needs a new ag complex. Do they anticipate MORE students wanting an ag background for their education?

The claim that this won't need a tax increase is just dumb. That money has to come from somewhere.

Did all yall grow up in small town no where texas? Big Stadiums are the best, I went to high school in Cy Fair ISD, and we have 2 huge stadiums!