By Megan Wehring 

DRIPPING SPRINGS – Elaine Cogburn is returning to Dripping Springs ISD – this time as the Deputy Superintendent for Finance and Operations. 

The hiring was approved during the July 27 special meeting of the DSISD Board of Trustees.

Cogburn brings nearly 30 years of experience working in school district finance, developing and overseeing fast-growth school district budgets of varying sizes. She served as the DSISD Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations from August 2013 until December 2018.

Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz, left, stands with Elaine Cogburn and Board President Mary Jane Hetrick.

As the Deputy Superintendent, Cogburn will be the senior administrative officer of the district in the absence of the Superintendent. The Deputy Superintendent is designated as the chief operational officer and is granted primary authority to substantially and effectively support the Superintendent’s role to ensure high levels of performance and collaboration across all district functions, schools and departments.

Most recently, Cogburn spent three years as the chief financial officer for Leander ISD, where she headed financial aspects of a district of 43,000 students – this included budget and compliance, accounting, payroll, accounts payable, federal grants and investments and Public Education Information Management System.

Prior to Leander, Cogburn served as the Executive Director for Financial Services for Plano ISD, where she oversaw a $755 million budget. She assisted in the implementation of House Bill 3 raises and funding changes and formulated a more equitable method for allocating funds to the district’s 72 campuses.

While with DSISD previously, Cogburn assisted in the development and passage of two bond elections and a Tax Ratification Election with no overall tax rate increase. She also redesigned the employee benefits package creating Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts.

“Having Elaine return to DSISD to serve as Deputy Superintendent is going to bring exceptional value to our team and our taxpayers. She is a trusted and respected leader in the area of school finance in the state of Texas and we are thrilled she has made the decision to come back to Dripping Springs. Fast-growth districts face many complex challenges, and I am confident her expertise will be invaluable as we work to serve the students, families, and staff of DSISD. I appreciate the board’s full support to add this valuable position to our leadership team,” said Superintendent Holly Morris-Kuentz.