DSISD votes on $223.7 million bond

DRIPPING SPRINGS — Following a failed November bond, the Dripping Springs ISD community will have another chance to vote on a bond geared to keep up with the district’s growth.

During the Nov. 8, 2022, general election, voters did not approve any of the three proposed bond propositions totaling $481 million. A component of the bond was the construction of a second high school, which is something that school officials believe is essential. In the last decade, DSISD has grown from approximately 4,600 students to 8,400 and in the 2023-24 school year, the district is expected to exceed its current capacity of 8,850 students.

“We had an unsuccessful November bond. So, we got feedback from the community and we are really looking at our projects, what we were going to have in the last bond and we are able to kind of work through that to adjust the package for a May bond,” said DSISD Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz. “In November, it had been three propositions for $481 million [and] for May, we have it all in one proposition and it's $223.7 million. The biggest adjustment came in taking the construction out of high school number two and just starting with design so that we can engage the community in that process and really have some conversations about our career technical education programs that would be on that campus, work with our community to identify how that school would open and then be able to come back for a future bond on construction.”

The DSISD bond that is listed on the May 6, 2023, ballot consists of only one proposition that is focused on projects for the district’s growth, capital improvement and renovation projects.

District growth projects, which are set at $136 million, are listed below.

• Build Elementary School #6 (850 student capacity)

• Expand Sycamore Springs Middle School to 1,200 student capacity

• New facility for Special Education 18+ Program

• Design Elementary School No. 7, Middle School No. 3 and High School No. 2

• Land for future facilities

• Classroom portables

Capital improvement and renovation projects, which are set at $87.7 million, are listed below.

• Security updates for all campuses

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) updates

• Capital improvements and renovations at Dripping Springs Elementary, Dripping Springs Middle and Dripping Springs High schools

• Reconfigure the Center for Learning & Innovation and Maker Space at Rooster Springs Elementary and Dripping Springs Elementary schools

• Update sound and lighting systems at several campuses

• Replace pressure-reducing valves at several campuses

• 13 replacement buses for an aging fleet

• Replacements for Child Nutrition Services equipment

• Technology infrastructure (network, servers, firewall, AV)

“The feedback that we got about the previous bond not passing was really more around property taxes and the construction pricing. I think, overall, our community's really aware of the growth that's coming in and that that's really an important part of what's changing in our community. We are at capacity at three campuses right now [Dripping Springs Elementary School, Walnut Springs Elementary School and Sycamore Springs Middle School]. Those campuses will all have portables next year,” Morris-Kuentz said. “When we look at our capacity long-term, we don't have the ability to rezone without being overcapacity district wide. It has an impact on class size [and] it has an impact on teacher morale and retention. We want to make sure that we can address the growth that's coming in our district and make sure that we continue to provide a great quality education.”

If this bond passes with the design for a second high school, Morris-Kuentz said the year 2025 would be the earliest that another bond would come for construction.

“Our goal would be to open that campus in 2027 and so it's about 18 months of design ... Following the design process, we would go back for bonds when we have more information for our community, as I said, about the career and technical education programs, what the school would look like [and] what phasing would be for opening,” she said. “I think we have a lot more detail in that design process for them. We would look at a '25 bond that would have us be able to start that facility for an opening in 2027.”

Following the bond, DSISD will open up strategic planning to engage the community in the district’s long-term vision.

“We are really excited to engage our community in the strategic planning process with us to really bring parents and stakeholders and have a larger conversation about education, our educational mission and vision and making sure that we set that for the future together. So that will be our next thing,” Morris-Kuentz said. “We'll start this summer with planning for that and open that up this fall with our community and hopefully, really engage a lot of our families in that process. We think that'll be really meaningful and give us kind of a direction and vision forward for our district for the next five years.”

To learn more details about the bond projects, find resources and read frequently asked questions, visit www.dsisdtx.us/bond. Voting locations and times can be found at www.hayscountytx.com/download/departments/elections/2023/may_6_2023_uniform/Vote-Centers-May-6-2023-Uniform-Election.pdf.