Dripping Springs ISD approves hazardous transportation routes, implements braille course

DRIPPING SPRINGS  — The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved its hazardous transportation route designations, as well as a course that teaches braille for visually impaired students, during the consent agenda portion of its May 20 meeting.

For state funding purposes, student transportation riders must reside two or more miles from their campus of regular attendance, unless they reside in an area that may subject them to hazardous traffic conditions if they walk to and from school, according to agenda documents.

In order to establish eligibility for the transportation of these students who live in hazardous traffic areas, the Texas Education Agency requires the district’s school board to adopt a local policy that meets the criteria established in the TEC, 42.155(d) and a copy of the policy, and any subsequent changes to the policy, must be submitted to the TEA School Transportation Unit to establish eligibility for service that may be provided as a result of the policy.

The policy must define the hazardous traffic conditions that are applicable to the district and exist within two miles of its campuses, as well as identify the specific hazardous traffic areas within the district that contain the hazardous traffic conditions that the board has defined.

TEC 42.155(d) also provides that a district may apply to the commissioner of education for an additional amount of up to 10% of its regular transportation allotment for students that would be subject to hazardous traffic conditions if they walked to school. The board shall provide to the commissioner the definition of hazardous conditions applicable to the district and shall identify the specific hazardous areas for which the allocation is requested.

A hazardous condition “exists where no walkway is provided and children must walk along or cross a freeway or expressway, an underpass, an overpass or a bridge, an uncontrolled major traffic artery, an industrial or commercial area or another comparable condition,” the agenda documents stated.

The modifications/additions to the hazardous routes recommendation for the 2024-25 school year are as follows:

• Dripping Springs Elementary: Updated map to include new development, Cannon Ranch

• Walnut Springs Elementary: No change

• Rooster Springs Elementary: No change

• Sycamore Springs Elementary: No change

• Cypress Springs Elementary: No change

• Dripping Springs Middle School: No change

• Sycamore Springs Middle School: No change

• Dripping Springs High School: Boundary adjusted due to opening of North Roger Hanks Parkway

Other previously designated hazardous routes will remain in effect.

Additionally, the board approved the TEA Innovative Course for Braille Reading and Writing for visually impaired students. According to the agenda, TEA allows for the provision of innovative courses with local board approval.

There is a DSISD student with a need to learn braille due to her failing vision and Gretchen Douglas, the district’s teacher of the visually impaired, will be available to instruct the student, so that she will have the necessary skills for lifelong learning.

This course provides instruction in pre-braille skills, tactual discrimination, the reading and writing of the braille code and the development of efficient braille reading including fluency and comprehension, according to TEA. The course also emphasizes the conventions and mechanics of braille.

While there was no discussion because the item was on the consent agenda, board member Olivia Barnard spoke about her thoughts on the braille course during the agenda review meeting on May 13.

“That was very touching. As we move forward, I would like to just learn how that goes because right now, we only have one student that is going to be using that. I would love to get an update on that and see if it’s something that we might have more of a need for,” she said. “It’s emotional. It says a lot about the district … to make sure that we have every child’s needs met and I think that we’re making that move for her, it’s really wonderful.”

The district will monitor if the course would be provided and needed for more students. Administration will also update the board of trustees throughout the process.

To listen to the full DSISD meeting, visit www.dsisdtx.us/page/board-meeting-livestream. Full details on the TEA braille course can be found at bit.ly/3VciOid.