Staff Report
DRIPPING SPRINGS — At its June 23 meeting, the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved three new hires.
Director of Assessment & Accountability
Daniel Brown was named the district’s new director of assessment and accountability. He brings more than 15 years of experience in public education, most recently serving as the training and outreach coordinator in the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Performance Reporting Division, where he served as the lead trainer and content developer, created systems for tracking key performance indicators across multiple initiatives and leveraged data to inform policy recommendations aligned with both short- and long-term goals.
Prior to his time at TEA, Brown spent 12 years in Bastrop ISD, where he held various roles, including three-year tenures as principal at both Cedar Creek Middle School and Bastrop Intermediate School. Under his leadership, both campuses saw notable gains in academic performance, parent and community relations and overall campus climate, stated a DSISD news release. Brown began his career as a social studies teacher and coach before becoming an assistant principal for Bastrop Middle School.
As director of assessment and accountability, Brown will oversee DSISD’s student assessment programs, analyze student performance data to identify trends, ensure compliance with state and federal accountability and support continuous school improvement efforts.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in social science and a Master of Education in school leadership from Sul Ross State University.
Director of Special Services
The board named Brook Roberts as the district’s new director of special services. Roberts brings more than 20 years of experience in special education and school psychology, with a strong track record of developing legally compliant, student-focused programs in both K–12 and higher education, a release stated.
Most recently, Roberts served as the coordinator of special services for Lake Travis ISD (LTISD), where he provided leadership and oversight for multidisciplinary and related service teams, including specialized instructional staff and paraprofessionals. He also implemented quality assurance systems to ensure compliant and student-centered special education services and served as the district expert in crisis intervention and Tier 3 behavioral/mental health supports.
Prior to LTISD, Roberts served as supervisor of Psychological Services for Copperas Cove ISD and worked six years for Texas Tech University as the director of School Psychology and director of clinical training in School Psychology.
As director of special services, Roberts will oversee DSISD’s Special Services Department, which includes special education, section 504, dyslexia, homebound education, evaluation and response to intervention services. He will lead efforts to develop individualized education plans, ensure legal compliance at all levels and support staff in providing effective and equitable services. Roberts will also serve as the district’s 504/ADA coordinator.
Roberts holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Lubbock Christian University and has both a Master of Science in social work from University of Texas at Arlington and Master of Arts in psychology and school psychology from West Texas A&M University. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational psychology from Texas Tech University.
Director of Finance
Lastly, Alex Salazar was named DSISD’s new director of finance at the June 23 board meeting. Salazar brings nearly 10 years of experience in public school finance, having served as budget director at Hays CISD since 2016.
With a strong track record in financial planning, budgeting and operational efficiency, Salazar helped lead the financial strategy and fiscal operations for a $200 million budget supporting over 24,000 students and 3,000 employees, stated a DSISD news release. He developed and implemented financial policies to optimize expenditures and maintain compliance, while monitoring financial performance and analyzing revenue and expenditure trends. Additionally, Salazar provided financial leadership and professional development to department directors and senior leadership, enhancing financial literacy and operational decision-making.
As the director of finance, Salazar will manage and coordinate the preparation, presentation and adoption of DSISD’s annual budget, as well as oversee the financial management of the district’s federal and state grant programs and the accounting operations.
Salazar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Texas State University.
Brown, Roberts and Salazar will begin their new roles in July.
