 The original school was demolished, making way for a new school that could handle more students.At the same time, it was the first HISD school to apply for LEED certification.After Hurricane Katrina occurred, Walnut Bend Elementary School's enrollment increased from around 600 to around 800 with the addition of 184 hurricane refugees; Walnut Bend, out of all of the Houston-area elementary schools, took the most Katrina victims.