During the 2004–2005 school year Katy ISD began a new and revolutionary program in the history of the district, with the use of random drug testing for all individuals involved in UIL competitive organizations, student leaders of any official school clubs, and anyone wishing to park on campus. This caused much controversy prior to its instatement. Many parents complained to the school district, citing the new policy as the violation of individual rights. The district responded to this by having every student who wished to participate in the said activities sign a waiver granting the school district to test them randomly. This matter had already been settled by the Supreme Court of the United States as constitutional before KISD chose to implement it. In 2015 two sections of Thornwood, two and three, currently served by KISD, proposed being removed from KISD and placed in the Spring Branch Independent School District, but both KISD and SBISD's boards denied the proposal.
Superintendents
Superintendent Lance Hindt was an alumnus of Katy Taylor High School, and in 2012 wrote a Phd thesis for the University of Houston. In 2018 individuals accused Hindt of severe bullying while he was enrolled in KISD's secondary schools. A former classmate of Hindt, later a judge in Alabama, accused him of severe bullying while he was enrolled in high school. National Association of Scholars president Peter Wood accused superintendent Lance Hindt of plagiarizing his dissertation. The University of Houston administration stated that it would investigate the matter. After an 18-month investigation, the University of Houston removed Hindt's dissertation from their official website. That year Hindt resigned, and the district agreed to pay $700,000 as severance; that time Hindt described the allegations as a "smear campaign" against him. To pursue any defamation claims the district hired the law firm Feldman and Feldman.
Note: In addition, Katy ISD lists under high schools:
Miller Career & Technology Center - Offers students from other campuses specialized career and technology programs as well as core classes.
Raines High School - A project-based learning campus that allows students to earn credits at an accelerated pace.
Junior High schools
*2001-02 National Blue Ribbon School
*1999-2000 National Blue Ribbon School
*1999-2000 National Blue Ribbon School
Elementary schools
*1987-88 National Blue Ribbon School
*Creech, flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and was temporarily closed. The houses of about 75-80% of the students were also damaged in the storm. It reopened in August 2018 after $7 million in renovations.
*1998-99 National Blue Ribbon School
*2000-01 National Blue Ribbon School
*2006 National Blue Ribbon School
*National Blue Ribbon School in 1989-90 and 2000-01
Katy ISD has done an extensive study and maintains and updates a District Growth and Facilities Planning Study. A future High School #8 site is located on at the southwest corner of Peek Road and Stockdick School Road to relieve Morton Ranch High School and the growth along the Grand Parkway and far north part of the district. Future High School #9 is planned on, purchased in 2006, within Cross Creek Ranch, in the southwest quadrant of the district.
Departments
The Katy ISD Police Department was created in 1989 because the district had jurisdictional issues and low response times from other police agencies.
