INSIDE DSISD

Dripping Springs ISD will hold a “State of the District” presentation for parents and community members on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dripping Springs High School auditorium.

Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz, Deputy Superintendent Elaine Cogburn and Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Innovation Dr. Karen Kidd will each share information on topics including the district’s vision and goals, current academic performance and extracurricular achievements of students, available Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming, the financial status and health of DSISD, and future planning for growth.

Attendees can park in the D lot which is between the high school and Tiger Stadium. Because students will not be on campus, it is not necessary to check in at the front office.

Each January, Dripping Springs ISD and school districts across the state honor their local school boards during School Board Recognition Month.

School Board service is a volunteer position with no salary. Trustees serve a critically important role that requires significant annual mandated training upon election. School board members are the largest group of elected officials in Texas, numbering more than 7,000 statewide.

The theme of this year’s recognition month is “Forward Together” as schools and communities succeed when everyone works together for a brighter future - parents, teachers, students, and district/school leadership.

Thank you DSISD Trustees for your dedication, commitment, and time serving as advocates for DSISD - its students, staff, and schools!

Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees are:

Name (Office), Elected to Board, Profession

Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick (president), May 2015, Consultant/Adjunct Professor

Ron Jones (vice president), May 2014, Consultant

Dr. Stefani Reinold (secretary), May 2021, Physician

Olivia Barnard, May 2022, Realtor

Shannon O’Connor, May 2015, Accountant

Tricia Quintero, May 2022, Project Manager

Barbara Stroud, May 2008, Attorney/Mediator

Dripping Springs ISD is excited to announce a new community series in 2023 called DSISD Taxpayer Tuesdays.

DSISD Taxpayer Tuesdays is held the first Tuesday of each month. DSISD invites community members into our schools to join Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz and Deputy Superintendent Elaine Cogburn to learn more about district operations and finances, tour campuses and learn about student programs and successes, and ask questions and share ideas as our fast-growth district paves a path towards the future.

The district invites community members to attend as many sessions as possible as each event will focus on different topics. Series topics include DSISD tax rate and debt, recapture and its impact on the district, the DSISD budgeting process and calendar, and more.

For community members interested in attending, please RSVP here. Information on DSISD Taxpayer Tuesdays can be found at dsisdtx.us/taxpayertuesdays. Each event will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. We ask attendees to arrive to the campus by 9:15 a.m. with their government-issued photo ID to get a visitor’s badge.

Taxpayer Tuesday Dates & Locations

February 7, 2023 / Dripping Springs High School

March 7, 2023 / Sycamore Springs Middle School

April 4, 2023 / Rooster Springs Elementary

May 2, 2023 / Dripping Springs Elementary

Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of Linda Hall as the district’s new Chief Human Resources Officer at the January 23 regular meeting.

Hall is an accomplished school district administrator and educator whose career spans 17 years. She comes to Dripping Springs ISD from Hays Consolidated ISD where she has served in human resources leadership since 2018, most recently as the Deputy Human Resources Officer. Hall’s successful career also includes five valuable years in the classroom teaching middle and high school.

In the role of Chief Human Resource Officer for DSISD, Hall will lead Human Resources and oversee all aspects of the district’s HR function. This includes leadership to ensure high-quality hiring and retention of district personnel, the deployment and management of effective HR programs and procedures, and the planning and implementation of wage and salary administration, leave administration, performance appraisals, employee relations, and benefits. Hall will report directly to Superintendent Morris-Kuentz.

As Deputy Human Resources Officer in Hays CISD, Hall directed the overall planning, deployment, and evaluation of day-to-day HR operations, including establishing objectives, overseeing documentation, developing and implementing recruitment and retention strategies, reviewing job descriptions, pay grades, and administering the employee grievances and HR procedures adopted by the board.

“We are excited to welcome Linda to the Dripping Springs ISD team. Her experience and expertise fit right into our immediate needs and strategy for the future. Coming to us from neighboring Hays CISD, another fast-growth district in the area, puts us at a great advantage,” commented Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz.

Hall holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Nebraska and a Masters of Education from The University of Texas - Tyler. She will begin her new duties with the district in February.

Dripping Springs High School qualified two additional Health Science students for the Texas HOSA State Leadership Conference at the Area 1 competition on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Seguin High School.

State qualifiers Ashton Harmon (Job Seeking Skills) and Jasmine Zogaib (Dental Science) both placed second at the area contest to join six other students who qualified for state in December - Teresa Brod (Medical Reading), Noelle Butkevic (Behavioral Health Science), Priya Chandrani (Healthcare Issues Exam), Bailey Inglish (Medical Reading), Connor Johnson (Health Informatics and Healthcare Issues Exam) and Alyssa Stradling (Medical Math).

The 2023 Texas HOSA State Leadership Conference will be held March 28-30 at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock.

HOSA STATE QUALIFIERS

Teresa Brod, Medical Reading

Noelle Butkevic, Behavioral Health Science

Priya Chandrani, Healthcare Issues Exam

Ashton Harmon, Job Seeking Skills

Bailey Inglish, Medical Reading

Connor Johnson, Health Informatics & Healthcare Issues Exam

Alyssa Stradling, Medical Math

Jasmine Zogaib, Dental Science

More than 20 Dripping Springs ISD middle school students were selected to the Region 18 Choir after auditioning on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Dailey Middle School in Austin.

A total of 14 students representing Sycamore Springs Middle School were named to the choir and seven students from Dripping Springs Middle School were selected. Students were named to the Region 18 Choir if they placed among the top 18 or 26 positions in each section. More than 300 students auditioned for the choir.

The Region 18 Choir will hold a concert on Saturday, Feb. 4 in Bastrop.

Alto

Ainsley Ash, 8th Grade, SSMS

Isabella Eleazar, 8th Grade, SSMS

Mia Lee, 8th Grade, DSMS

Natalia Lynch, 7th Grade, DSMS

Keira McAlester, 8th Grade, DSMS

JJ Reneau, 8th Grade, DSMS

Elizabeth Wiatrek, 8th Grade, SSMS

Soprano 1

Alaina Atkins, 8th Grade, SSMS

Taylor Heenan, 8th Grade, SSMS

Maddie Johanningsmeier, 8th Grade, DSMS

Penelope Orsak, 8th Grade, SSMS

Grace Prehar, 8th Grade, SSMS

Vita Tardel, 8th Grade, SSMS

Kyra Tilley, 8th Grade, DSMS

Soprano 2

Anna Ardolino, 7th Grade, SSMS

Livvy Christensen, 8th Grade, SSMS

Morgan Hall, 8th Grade, SSMS

Krysten Torres, 8th Grade, SSMS

Avery Wyatt, 7th Grade, DSMS

Bass

Cody Ritchey, 8th Grade, SSMS

Parker Wisham, 8th Grade, SSMS

The window to file an application to be a Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees candidate for the May 2023 election is now open and runs through Feb. 17. Two seats will be up for re-election in 2023 – those currently held by Ron Jones and Barbara Stroud. DSISD trustees do not represent "places," but rather are at-large representatives.

An application form can be downloaded here. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17:

• In person to: DSISD Administration Building (510 W. Mercer St.)

• By mail to: DSISD, attn: Sheila Lamb, PO Box 479, Dripping Springs, TX 78620

• By email to: sheila.lamb@dsisdtx.us

• By fax to: 512-858-3099

An informational School Board Candidate Academy will be held Feb. 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the DSISD Central Office Board Room. Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz will share information about the role and responsibilities of Board members, and answer questions. Attending the meeting does not commit an individual to running for a trustee seat; it is informational in nature.

Board of Trustee candidates in Texas must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a United States Citizen

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Not be mentally incapacitated (as defined in policy)

• Have not been convicted of a felony (as defined in policy)

• Be a resident of Texas continuously for 12 months immediately preceding the filing deadline

• Be a resident of the district continuously for 6 months immediately preceding the filing deadline

• Be a registered voter from the territory of the office sought

See Board Policy BBA Legal for details on the above qualifications and other specific requirements.