Katy ISD expands Raines Academy programs, lays groundwork for virtual high school under new state law

Katy Independent School District trustees on June 23 heard a detailed update on Raines Academy’s hybrid and career-technical programs and were briefed on district plans to stand up a KISD-run virtual high school under recently passed Senate Bill 569.

The presentation, led by Raines Principal Richard Merriman, described programs that include a commercial driver’s license (CDL) pathway (79 students served across five cohorts), a new water-operations licensing apprenticeship launching fall 2025, a two-year dual-credit real-estate program, and industry-certification opportunities and paid student work experiences across central office and operations departments. “Raines Academy creates innovative learning experiences and provides unparalleled growth opportunities to inspire our students to create a better tomorrow,” Merriman told the board.

District staff and trustees framed the Raines work as part of a larger “complex” that includes Miller Career Center and other CTE facilities. Carrie Sanguinetti, who leads virtual and CTE coordination for the district, told trustees that virtual original-credit coursework “is something we’ve been doing for quite a while in Katy ISD over 10 years” and that the district already runs multiple summer virtual semesters and 37 unique online courses this summer.

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