DRIPPING SPRINGS — The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved longtime counselor Retta Ary as the new director of Counseling & Health Services at its Sept. 23 meeting.

Now in her 12th year in DSISD, Ary has served as the coordinator of counseling services since 2023, after spending 10 years as the lead counselor for Dripping Springs High School. In her current role, Ary has spearheaded the implementation of the effective advising framework, which supports the development of an individualized student planning system in the areas of college/career, social and personal, academic and financial literacy, according to the district.

Ary also mentors 24 DSISD counselors, plans and presents district counseling professional development, coordinates the McKinney-Vento program and serves on the Crisis Support Team.

Prior to arriving in Dripping Springs, Ary served six years as a counselor for Dawson High School in Pearland.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Education from the University of Alabama and a Master of Education in School Counseling from the University of West Alabama.

“We are thrilled to promote Retta Ary to Director of Counseling & Health Services. Retta’s ability to form strong relationships with staff and students and her experience shaping the counseling program here at DSISD made her a frontrunner for this position,” said assistant superintendent of learning & innovation Dr. Karen Kidd. “Her dedication to this district and community is unmatched and we are excited to see how she will continue to build our counseling and health services departments.”

As the director of Counseling & Health Services, Ary will oversee the planning and implementation of a district-wide comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program, provide leadership, coordination and support for the district’s health services program, as well as have an emphasis on providing counseling support to schools and fostering physical and mental health and wellness so that students can reach optimum achievement.

Tax rate

In a 7-0 vote, the board also adopted the tax rate of $1.1052 per $100 of certified property value.

The total tax rate of $1.1052 consists of two parts. The maintenance and operations (M&O), which covers district operating costs, including salaries/benefits, utility bills and supplies, and is subject to recapture, is $0.7552. Interest & sinking (I&S) generates revenue that can only be used to pay off voter-approved debt and is set at $0.35.

The Texas Property Tax Code, Section 26.05(a), requires the board of trustees to adopt a tax rate by written ordinance, resolution or order in a public meeting before the latter of Sept. 30 or 60 days after the date the certified tax roll is received by the taxing unit. Prior to adopting a budget or tax rate, the board must schedule a meeting to discuss and adopt the budget and publish notice of that meeting at least 10 days, but no more than 30 days prior to that meeting.

“It is September, so that always brings with it adoption of the tax rate … We are legally required to adopt the tax rate by Sept. 30 or 60 days from revealing certified values,” explained Kidd. “Then, we also have to wait for TEA to give us the go ahead, which happened in August, but not in time for the August meeting.”

The new rate is a decrease from the 2023 rate, which was $1.1075. According to the district, the total tax rate reduction since 2019 is $0.4148.

“Going back to 2017-2018, through compression of the M&O tax rate, we’ve seen a drop of nearly 42 cents in our tax rate,” Kidd said. “I have to go back and look at history, but I think that’s pretty unprecedented.”

A comparison of the tax rate from previous years, before 2023, in DSISD is listed below.

• 2017: $1.5200

• 2018: $1.5200

• 2019: $1.4183

• 2020: $1.3332

• 2021: $1.3103

• 2022: $1.2929

Looking at other school districts in the area, trustee Rob McClelland said that he is pleased to see that DSISD is still proposing a tax rate reduction.

“There are at least five districts in Central Texas, who are pretty close neighbors to us, that are going out in November, asking for … an increase in the tax rate from their voters for whatever reasons they have for that. Most, I’ll say several, but you can argue most, taxing entities at the county or city government level in Travis and Hays counties have gone out — either going to or proposing to — increase the tax rate,” he said. “And here we are, sitting here with a recommendation from you for the sixth consecutive tax rate decrease for our district, coming on the heels of the largest tax decrease last year in 15 years. I think that’s excellent.”

Property tax bills are a product of the tax rate and the property value; therefore, a property owners’ tax bill could increase even though the tax rate has decreased, according to the district.

To learn more about DSISD’s budget and tax rate, visit www.dsisdtx.us/page/budget or bit.ly/4dnk73M. The board meets next at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21.