Nearly 90,000 Katy ISD students walked through school doors Wednesday, Aug. 12, launching a year that brings the district's first standalone virtual high school and wearable panic-alert badges for every employee.
Superintendent Ken Gregorski marked the occasion at Katy Elementary School, the district's oldest campus and the site where Katy ISD began as a one-room schoolhouse in 1898. City of Katy Mayor Dusty Thiele, Board Vice President Dawn Champagne, Katy Elementary Principal Beth Grimet, Katy ISD Chief of Police David Rider and Precinct 4 Director of Partner Engagement Kendra Yarbough Camarena, representing Commissioner Lesley Briones, joined him at the campus, which received a historical designation in 2017.
Thiele read a book to students.
Gregorski said in the district's first-day announcement that the year builds on the district's historic roots while expanding learning opportunities for every student. The district's theme for 2026-27 is "Excellence in Action."
Legacy Virtual High School opens its doors
The biggest structural addition this year is Legacy Virtual High School, which welcomed its inaugural class Wednesday. The school is open to incoming ninth- through 11th-grade students anywhere in Texas, not just families within Katy ISD boundaries.
KPRC reported 147 students enrolled full time on opening day. They'll follow a full seven-period schedule taught by certified Katy ISD teachers and receive a Katy ISD diploma and transcript upon graduation. Full-time enrollment is free, though supplemental courses carry a fee.
"If you're living in the state of Texas, you're a student who's an incoming 9th through 11th grader, you absolutely could get a Katy ISD education from wherever you are," Kelley Kirila, principal of Innovative Pathways who oversees the new school, told KPRC.
Students enrolled full time in Legacy Virtual will not be eligible for UIL activities such as sports, band or theater. The board approved the school's creation at meetings on July 20 and July 27.
Security upgrades go live
Katy ISD also activated new wearable emergency alert badges for employees across all campuses Wednesday. The badges are part of an expanded security approach that includes additional police officers and armed security personnel, which the district says exceeds state requirements.
As we reported Aug. 9, the district swore in new officers and promoted others to detective and sergeant days before the first bell.
Nearly 14,000 teachers and staff returned alongside students, according to the district's first-day release. Families can find the full academic calendar and campus information at katyisd.org.
