Katy ISD adopts vision statement
Motto of ‘Be the Legacy’ to be promoted throughout school district, say officials
Katy trustees have adopted a district vision statement, ending years of not being in compliance with a section of the law and making the move about two months after a consultant pointed out the issue.
Approved Monday, the statement, “Be the Legacy,” is projected to be a unifying motto for school board decisions and will be promoted throughout the district.
The statement will be used to honor the district’s traditions and help guide its future, Superintendent Alton Frailey said.
“Without a doubt, we have our share of critics, and people are very quick to point to the flaws of things (at Katy ISD) … We’re not perfect, but in the context of things at a high level, there’s a lot of excellence at this district historically, currently, and we will have more in the future without a doubt,” Frailey said. “When we talk about being the legacy it’s not ( just) a past tense thing. It is all — past, present and future. It is the idea of honoring the past, preserving the present and paying it forward.”
The board unanimously approved the statement, and several board members discussed its significance.
“I hope we can see (the statement) in multiple areas (of the school district),” board president Charles Griffin said.
The board settled on the statement, he said, after reading the definition of legacy, which is an inheritance or gift one leaves for another.
Before adopting the statement, the board had not been in compliance with Section 11.1511 of the Texas Education Code, a law adopted in 2007.
When Texas Association of School Boards consultant Bill Rutherford helped the board evaluate itself on Aug. 26, he scolded them on not having a vision statement for the district, saying the statement “is what guides every decision you make” and helps unite a board and district.
The point was driven home at the same meeting when board members revealed strife and competing agendas within the group that impacted effectiveness.
At Rutherford’s urging, the board prioritized the issue.
The district has not answered why a vision statement had not been made in the eight years since the law’s inception, only saying that the board had previously discussed it and drafted a version months ago. Frailey said the issue has existed since he began his job at the district nine years ago.
It took time for board members to gel on a single statement that would be both catchy and represent the proud district’s objectives. The board conducted a special meeting about two weeks ago to discuss the statement after disagreeing on a previous draft.
“Coming to a vision statement we have learned is very difficult with seven (board members) having diverse talents and gifts and experiences and backgrounds,” trustee Rebecca Fox said. “For a few years we’ve really been building (a vision statement). We have to know that every decision we make at this desk will be applied toward our vision, which is to be the legacy.”
One of the most important factors of creating a vision statement is to have a declaration that each district faculty member, parent and student can remember and promote, according to Rutherford. Katy ISD plans to do that by spreading news of the statement through com-