Klein Independent School District sprouted from humble roots when Adam Klein’s grandson, Herbert Doerre sold 10 acres to construct a school. In1938, Rural High #1, located on what today is known as Spring Cypress Rd., became Klein High school. In the last 75 years, the district has expanded from a single campus with 80 students in wood stove heated classrooms to over 40 thousand students spread over four high schools, nine middle schools, 28elementary schools, two specialized campuses and one early childhood and pre-K center.
As the district grew, so did the diversity of the population of students. The earlier years of the district consisted of descendents of the early German settlers. Starting in 1971, each year a high school hosts the annual Klein German Festival in honor of the settlers. Today, there are students of many cultures interacting with each other. The districts offers bilingual classes in elementary schools and foreign language classes in middle and high school.
KISD continues to excel locally and nationally. The district has schools rated by the state as 11 exemplary, 18 recognized and 10 academically acceptable. This year, KISD students set higher standards on the American College Test by scoring 1.8 points higher than the national average and 2.8 points higher than the state average. Also adding to the district’s achievements, the Texas Association of School Administrators named KISD as one of its five Honor School Boards this past August.
Whether it’s marching at president Obama’s inauguration or performing on Broadway, KISD is represented in a variety of fields by current students and alumni. Like many students famous alumni like Jim Parson of “The Big Bang Theory” and country singer Lyle Lovett nourished their talents through extracurricular activities. Each year, theater departments gain recognition at the annual Tommy Tune Awards held in the Hobby center. Klein Collins’ ROTC continues to be the best in the nation for eight straight years. Sports teams continue to work and together and reach the play offs, some even go to become professional athletes.
The Klein community began as a farming community and evolved as a thriving suburb for the fourth largest city in the country. The district continues to expand not only by the number of schools, but also by providing innovating teaching tools and methods for the child of the 21st century.
