GovernanceProposed for Board considerationPublished October 30, 20268 min read

Monthly Student and Parent Advisory Liaisons for the Katy ISD Board

A no-cost, non-voting way for elected student leaders and the Katy Council of PTAs to brief trustees every month, one week before the Board votes.

Quick answer

I propose a standing 10-minute item at each August through May Work Study session: a 5-minute briefing from an elected student leader at one of Katy ISD's 10 comprehensive high schools, rotating by founding date, and a 5-minute briefing from the Katy Council of PTAs. Neither liaison votes, makes motions, counts toward a quorum, or attends closed session. The change adds no cost to taxpayers.

What the proposal does

A standing Work Study agenda item: a dedicated 10-minute window under Advisory Reports during each regular monthly Work Study session, August through May.
A high school rotation by founding date: each month, the elected Student Body President of one comprehensive high school gives a 5-minute operational briefing, so every campus speaks every school year.
A two-deep succession and swap rule: if the Student Body President cannot attend, the elected Student Council Vice President serves. If neither can attend, that campus swaps months with the next school in line, and no other campus's date changes.
A Katy Council of PTAs liaison: a companion 5-minute briefing from the Council President or a member of its Executive Board, sharing parent volunteer and family perspectives from across the district's campuses.

Annual high school rotation

Campuses present in order of founding date.

Monthly high school presentation order
Month	Campus	Founded
August	Katy High School	1898
September	James E. Taylor High School	1979
October	Mayde Creek High School	1984
November	Cinco Ranch High School	1999
December	Morton Ranch High School	2004
January	Seven Lakes High School	2005
February	Obra D. Tompkins High School	2013
March	Patricia E. Paetow High School	2017
April	Jordan High School	2020
May	Freeman High School	2024

Why it is needed

Breaking the administrative echo chamber

Boards often receive operational information filtered through central office presentations. Direct reports from students and parents add frontline, firsthand perspective on classroom conditions, facilities, Career and Technical Education (CTE) access, and campus safety drills.

Preventing hand-picked speakers

The order is fixed by campus founding date and speaking is limited to peer-elected officers. No principal, superintendent, or trustee can choose a friendly spokesperson or favor one part of the district over another.

Giving all 10 campuses a voice every year

A single annual student appointee would mean each campus speaks about once a decade. A monthly rotation guarantees every comprehensive high school a turn at the podium every school year.

Balancing student voice with parental primacy

Pairing student reports with a parent liaison from the Katy Council of PTAs keeps student perspectives in balance with family partnership and respects the role of parents in their children's education.

Legal and statutory alignment

Texas Education Code § 11.051: the Board of Trustees remains the governing body of the district. Liaisons have no vote, make no motions, and do not count toward a quorum.
Texas Education Code § 11.151: the Board has authority to govern the district and may seek advice to inform its decisions.
Texas Education Code § 11.1511(b): the Board's specific powers and duties include working with community stakeholders to serve the needs of students.
Texas Government Code § 551.041 (Texas Open Meetings Act): the item is posted on the agenda with the required 72-hour public notice.
Texas Education Code § 11.0511, created by House Bill 1842 (84th Legislature, 2015, authored by Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott): allows certain districts to create a nonvoting student trustee who joins deliberations but not votes, follows FERPA for records access, stays out of closed personnel sessions, and may earn one course credit. It applies only to districts with a campus under a turnaround plan, so it is a model for Katy ISD, not a requirement.
House Bill 1773 (89th Legislature, 2025): would have let more school boards create nonvoting student trustee positions. Joint authors included Rep. Gary VanDeaver and Rep. Janie Lopez. It passed the Texas House but did not become law.
Senate Bill 34 (79th Legislature, 2005), signed by Gov. Rick Perry: added a nonvoting student regent to the governing board of each Texas public university system.
Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meetings Act): the item is posted on the agenda in advance like any other. Liaisons are excluded from closed sessions on personnel (§ 551.074) and litigation (§ 551.071), and student records stay protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

What I would do as a trustee

As a trustee, I would bring this forward as an amendment to the Board's local policies on advisory committees (BDF) and Board meetings (BE). I want trustees to hear directly from the classroom and the home before they vote, using a schedule no one can game. The Board keeps every bit of its legal authority; it simply gains better information.

What this does not mean

This proposal does not create student or parent trustees, give anyone a vote, or open closed sessions. It does not replace public comment, which remains open to every resident. Reports stay limited to campus climate, instructional access, CTE pathways, facilities, and volunteer activity, and never address individual employees, pending lawsuits, or student discipline cases.

Draft policy language

Proposed addition to Katy ISD local policies BDF (Advisory Committees) and BE (Board Meetings): Monthly Advisory Liaison Presentations at Work Study sessions.

1. Purpose and setting

During each regular Work Study session from August through May, the Board shall hold a standing Advisory Reports item to receive two non-voting briefings: one 5-minute report from a designated comprehensive high school student body representative, and one 5-minute report from the Katy Council of PTAs liaison.

2. Student representative: order and succession

Presentations rotate monthly in order of campus establishment, as shown in the schedule above.
The primary representative is the elected Student Body President of the scheduled campus. If unavailable, the elected Student Council Vice President serves as the alternate. Staff and faculty sponsors may not appoint non-elected substitutes.
If neither officer is available, the Board Secretary shall be notified at least 72 hours before the meeting and shall swap that campus with the next school in the rotation. The next school presents this month and the deferred school presents the following month. No other campus's date changes.

3. Katy Council of PTAs liaison

The Katy Council of PTAs designates its President or a member of its Executive Board to give a 5-minute monthly report on districtwide parent volunteer initiatives, campus engagement trends, family support programs, and teacher appreciation partnerships.

4. Scope and legal guardrails

Liaisons hold no vote, cannot make motions, and do not count toward a quorum.
Liaisons may not attend closed executive sessions under the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Reports are limited to campus climate, instructional access, CTE pathways, facility logistics, and volunteer activity, and may not address individual personnel matters, pending litigation, or student disciplinary proceedings.

Sources and further reading

External sources open in a new tab. Accessed or reviewed October 30, 2026.

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