The Katy ISD Board of Trustees on July 28 voted 4-3 to approve revisions to Board Policy FD Local that keep homeschooled and other non-enrolled private-school students ineligible to participate in Katy ISD's extracurricular activities.

Trustee Mary Ellen Kizella proposed an amendment to make homeschooled students eligible if they met the testing and residency requirements in state law; the amendment was seconded but failed. The original motion to adopt FD Local as presented passed 4-3.

Trustees who supported the policy said the change preserves the district's existing eligibility rules and avoids unintended administrative burdens. "This law was talking about homeschool students," Trustee Kizella said during debate, summarizing the recent legislative action that prompted the policy review.

Opponents said the district is asking taxpayers who live in the district and pay property taxes to be denied access to activities they help fund. "If these families are paying property tax and we force them to pay, they should have a chance to try," Trustee Miss Teeny said.

Legal staff and trustees discussed the text of the Texas Education Code and the recent Senate bill that prompted the policy review. Board counsel said the district's proposed language was provided by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and noted that private-school students traditionally are not eligible for district extracurricular programs; the recent state legislation specifically addressed homeschooled students.

Administrators and advocates also discussed operational details raised by trustees: eligibility testing requirements, attendance in the correct school zone, possible costs per participant, and how many students might seek participation. Trustees asked for data from other districts and cautioned that implementation questions could justify future reconsideration.

The board did not adopt the amendment to allow homeschooled students to participate. The policy approved by the board keeps Katy ISD's existing restrictions in place for this school year; trustees noted they can revisit the policy later if more data or operational clarity becomes available.