INSIDE DSISD
The latest news from Dripping Springs ISD
Week of August 30, 2021
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremonies Planned
Dripping Springs ISD will hold ribbon-cutting events at the two new elementary school buildings in early September. The events will include a brief program and the ribbon-cutting held outdoors at the front entrances, as well as an opportunity for guests to tour the building in small groups.
The Walnut Springs Elementary event, celebrating the school's new location at 113 Tiger Lane, will be held Thursday, Sept. 2, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. The Dripping Springs Middle School band will play as guests arrive before the start of the program (5:45-6:00 p.m.). A group of fifth-graders will sing the school song.
Cypress Springs Elementary (11091 Darden Hill Rd.), will hold its ribbon-cutting event on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. The CSE event will include the Sycamore Springs Middle School band as guests arrive between 5:45-6:00 p.m., and the new school song will be introduced during the program.
Both school buildings were included in the 2018 bond program, with construction starting in early summer of 2020. Corgan is the architect on both projects. Construction managers for the projects were American Constructors at WSE and Bartlett Cocke at CSE.
TIGER FALL SPORTS UNDERWAY
The DSHS volleyball team continues district play by hosting Boerne Champion High School in the home debut on Friday, Sept. 3, at the high school. The freshman and junior varsity teams begin action at 5:15 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6:30 p.m.
DSHS cross country opened the 2021 season last weekend at home with the Dripping Springs Invitational at the high school. Team tennis is two weeks into the fall season and will host Buda Johnson High School on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 4 p.m.
The Dripping Springs Middle School and Sycamore Springs Middle School football teams begin the season on Sept. 7 and 8. DSMS faces Hudson Bend Middle School while SSMS takes on West Ridge Middle School. SSMS volleyball opens the season on Sept. 2 against Hudson Bend and DSMS faces Hudson Bend in its opener on Sept. 9. Cross country kicks off the season on Sept. 15 with both schools traveling to Johnson City.
Looking ahead, DSMS and SSMS will face each other in football and volleyball on October 25 (volleyball, 7th-grade football) and October 26 (8th-grade football).
Senior citizens (age 65 and older) residing within Dripping Springs ISD are eligible to receive “Gold Tiger” cards that allow free admission to district and school events. The cards, which have been available for several years, typically can be used for General Admission seating at varsity athletics contests, as well as musical and theatrical performances. Gold Tiger cards cannot be used at UIL playoff games or events where meals are included in the admission price. Senior citizens may obtain a card in person at the DSISD Administration Building front desk with a driver’s license or some other form of identification with proof of address.
Student athletic season passes can be purchased online through the DSISD Webstore for $25 and are only for secondary students. After purchase, students will take their new 2021-22 student ID card to their campus receptionist to receive a sticker that goes on the back of their ID. Students must have their new 2021-22 ID card before receiving the athletic pass sticker.
The Dripping Entertainment Media Operations (DEMO) Network streams select Tiger home events for free including athletic contests, band and theatre performances, awards ceremonies and high school graduation. Visit dsisdtx.us/demonetwork for upcoming and archived events.
KDRP broadcasts Tiger varsity home and away football games on 103.1 FM. Fans can also tune in at KDRP.org or on the Sun Radio app.
MIDDLE SCHOOL MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT
BOARD CORNER: August Meeting Summary
The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees held its regular monthly meeting on August 30 at the Dripping Springs High School auditorium.
Board president Barbara Stroud announced her intent to step down as president of the DSISD Board of Trustees, which led to a reorganization of the board. Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick was nominated as president and was unanimously approved. To fill the vice president role vacated by Dr. Hetrick, Joanna Day was nominated and approved.
Monthly departmental reports were presented by Learning and Innovation, Facilities and Construction, Human Resources, Business and Financial Services as well as the annual report from the Dripping Springs Education Foundation.
Legal counsel discussed the state and local orders. Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz outlined the district's current school health protocols; no action was taken regarding protocol changes.
The board approved employee COVID-19 leave for the 2021-22 school year, the staff development waiver submission, Hays County and Travis County appraisal roles, and an agreement for the purchase of attendance credit. In addition, DSISD core beliefs, core commitments, vision and mission, as well as board operating procedures and campus improvement plans were adopted.
The board took action on two aspects of the administration relocation project, the final project in the 2018 bond package. An increase from the initial projected budget of between $2.84 million-$3.73 million was approved, using excess funds from the 2018 bond and resulting in a revised project budget not to exceed $7.85 million. In addition, the schematic design for the project was approved. A fact sheet on the relocation project can be found here.
BOARD PRESIDENT MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY
To the Dripping Springs ISD Community -
Thank you for placing your trust in me to serve you over the past six years, and thank you to my fellow members of the board for electing me to lead us into the future. I am humbled to work for this community and all of our children and honored to serve as President of the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees. I also want to extend my gratitude to Barbara Stroud for her leadership and dedication to the role of President, and her commitment to continue serving this district as a Trustee.
I am proud to be part of a community that is passionate, involved and engaged in our district and our education system. Not only do students achieve more in school when their parents are involved in their education, but collaboration with engaged parents makes our classrooms, our schools and our district stronger. We are all united by the common goal of wanting what is best for our students.
As the parent of a Dripping Springs High School freshman and two DSHS graduates who have experienced five of the eight campuses in our District, my goal is to partner with district administration to create the best possible educational experience for our students and to keep DSISD moving forward. I have long been an advocate for innovation, and I believe that in order to be successful, we need to continue to be at the front of the curve in education. We need to ensure we are prepared for the future through the development of a new strategic plan and the continuation of our long-range planning process.
I am a solution-oriented leader with a track record of leaning into difficult discussions and seeking knowledge and understanding from multiple sources. I have been immersed in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years, working as a consultant, a volunteer, a board member, and branch manager of a national nonprofit organization. I have a Ph.D. in Public Policy & Public Administration and teach leadership classes to graduate students. I have been honored to represent Dripping Springs ISD and Region 13 for two years on the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Board of Directors. In this voluntary, unpaid position, I work to represent Central Texas school districts in state considerations.
I am a fierce advocate for open communication and fair representation for all. As a parent, I want to know what is happening on our school campuses and I want to understand the “why” behind the actions that our board and our administration takes. As Board President, I am committed to ensuring that our community remains an integral part of our decision-making process. I will continue to encourage a robust two-way dialogue with our community and will ensure we remain forthright about our recommendations and our decisions.
As a Dripping Springs resident for nearly a decade, I love this community and I want to play an active role in bringing us together. Focusing on our differences will only continue to drive us further apart. Though we may not always agree on how to best handle our challenges, we are far stronger together than we are divided. I hope to play an active role in helping our community and our district to find common ground, collaborate, and move ahead together.
I look forward to serving you and working with you to drive success for our district and for our students.
Mary Jane Hetrick
Board President
TIGER TIP LINE
The Tiger Tip Line allows students or parents to report concerns about bullying, other social issues, or security matters. The name of the school must be included, and it is requested that details of an incident being reported include location, time, date, and any available information about who was involved to help administrators investigate. Tips can be made anonymously; however, please note that administrators are able to do a more thorough job investigating tips when they can contact the reporting party for additional information.
The Tiger Tip Line can be accessed at dsisdtx.us/tipline.
DSISD IS HIRING!
PARENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS
News items and event information can be found on the district and campus websites. Parents can click "Register" at the bottom of dsisdtx.us to subscribe to certain pages and receive notifications when pages are updated.
The DSISD app is an easy way to access DSISD website information from your mobile device. DSISD is active on several social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) where you can find district updates, news, events and more.
Parents can access students' grades and attendance on Family Access and see class information and teacher webpages through Canvas.
More information on parent communication tools can be found here.