The market, which was established as a welcoming space for neighbors and visitors alike, where guests are encouraged to linger, relax and enjoy the various experiences the market has to offer, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch. Additionally, it was slated to host several businesses within the facility after its Nov. 20, 2025, opening.

Months later, on June 26, Oakwood took to social media to announce its closure, effective Friday, July 3.

“Since launching late last year, the business has endured numerous challenges, both internal and environmental. We’ve worked tirelessly to keep moving forward amid staffing constraints, leadership turnover, rising costs, tough market dynamics, economic pressures and other significant headwinds,” read the statement. “You may have noticed some of these struggles in the form of new faces, different service models, shifting menus, etc. All of these changes represented our best attempts to adapt and prevail, but unfortunately they were not sufficient. As it exists today, Oakwood is not sustainable.”

Following the news, the owners stated that they will focus on reimagine Oakwood’s future.

“We’ve enjoyed many happy moments with you these past many months and remain hopeful about what’s to come,” concluded the team.

Included in the general fund are the budgets for the following departments: Administration, Communications, Human Resources, Legal, City Secretary, Maintenance, Project Management, Building, Planning, Finance, Emergency Management, Information Technology (IT) and Parks.

In his presentation to council, Deputy City Administrator Shawn Cox explained the total revenue, expenditures and balance forward for the FY 2026 adopted, amended and projected — what is anticipated for the close of the fiscal year — budgets, as well as the proposed FY 2027 budget. They are as follows:

• FY 2026 adopted: $17,817,128 in revenue, $16,616,528 in expenditures and $1,200,600 balance forward

• FY 2026 amended: $18,859,935 in revenue, $17,385,014 in expenditures and $1,474,921 balance forward

• FY 2026 projected: $19,817,831 in revenue, $18,116,432 in expenditures and $1,701,398 balance forward

• FY 2027 proposed: $16,633,220 in revenue, $16,127,876 in expenditures and $505,344 balance forward

“Our fund balance has gone up. In [FY 2027], we are using some of it as well, but, again, you can see we are paying very close attention to the revenues coming in and making sure we are not spending more than we have in the budget,” Cox said.

In the budget, the consolidated general fund is broken up into city — administration and routine operations of the city — Parks and Founders Day. In the proposed FY 2027 budget, city makes up the largest part of the revenues at $16,090,407 and then, Parks is at $327,003 and Founders is at $215,810.

“We split it out and call it the consolidated general fund just so we can see how those groups within the general fund are doing in budgeting amongst themselves,” the deputy city administrator said.

On the expenditures side, the consolidated general fund has the city at $15,112,656, Parks at $723,362 and Founders at $213,258. According to Cox, it is “pretty consistent” with what was originally adopted in FY 2026 at $16,616,528 and what is proposed for FY 2027 at $16,049,276.

The expenditures are then broken down even further in the proposed budget, according to highlights presented by Cox:

City

•   Office IT equipment and support: $132,200

•   Software: $327,266

•   Transportation improvement projects: $515,825

•   Street improvements: $664,000

•   Office maintenance and repairs: $129,400

•   Fleet maintenance: $174,700

•   Liability insurance: $36,000

•   Property insurance: $121,426

•   Worker’s compensation: $89,766

•   Financial services: $62,850

•   Training: $150,464

•   Transfer to Tax Increment Investment Zone: $1,024,101

•   Transfer to Utilities: $2,000,000

Parks

•   Park consultants (feasibility studies, grant writing and consulting): $45,000

•   All parks improvements (balance of remaining parkland funding): $223,801

Founders Day

•   Portable restrooms: $19,674 — increase from $12,198 in FY 2026, which was covered by the Lions Club, due to moving the carnival to the school site and needing additional restroom facilities

•   Tents, tables and chairs: $30,500 — an increase from last year because previously, the costs were charged against the sponsorships line item and the city has added more shaded locations for the event

Moving into supplemental items that departments requested, Cox first explained the Stephenson Building project, which is the preservation and renovation of the building at 101 Old Fitzhugh Road to serve as a community meeting, programs and performance space, with some civic offices. He stated that the Stephenson Building is being folded into the budget as a division of Parks in order to track its revenues and expenditures against itself.

The proposed total Stephenson Building revenue is $75,500, including transfers in from the landscaping fund — with the possibility of more from the general and hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds — sponsorships and donations, contract instructor and recreation programs and rental income.

Equipment rental at $2,000, building supplies at $27,325, building maintenance at $9,500, contractual services at $24,800, promotions at $8,500, utilities at $23,080 and landscaping at $15,000 make up the operation expenditures, which come out to a total of $110,205, with a balance of $34,705.

Mayor Bill Foulds said that he knows the city needs to take care of the building maintenance, however, “when we are putting in like $3,000 for [heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the budget] this year. We’ve got new air conditioning; they’ve got warranty covered. I would like to make sure that money doesn’t get spent somewhere else and we start accruing funds to replace these air conditioners, so we are not sitting like [Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP)] in five years needing to put $30,000 in for development services,” Foulds emphasized. “This money needs to be kept in a fund to be used for replacement when it’s not used, not an automatic transfer somewhere else.”

Council member Geoffrey Tahuahua said that he would like to see an itemized version of some of the items, such as recreation programs, because the proposed expenditure of $15,000 “seems like a lot” for what is listed, which includes crats, carts, mats, etc.

The Stephenson Building numbers are not captured in the budget document that the council had at the table or what he previously presented earlier in the meeting, Cox clarified.

Council member Taline Manassian asked if the supplemental list for the Stephenson Building is being given to council, even though it’s not in the budget, so that council is ready for this step in the coming year.

The deputy city administrator responded that he wanted to see what staff is proposing for the division or department, but did not want to presumptively put it in the budget without bringing it to council first.

“What we're showing, I think the total impact to the general fund is around $35,000, based on projected revenues and projected expenditures,” Cox said. “So, that would be the impact if we put it into the general fund, but again, I wanted to have the discussion with council before being presumptuous and throwing it in there.”

This could, however, come back to council as a budget amendment in the future, once the building opens and the operations are solidified, Tahuahua said. He also stated that he is concerned that “this is proving to be the money pit that I thought it would potentially be” and council and staff may be acting too quickly on it.

Other supplemental requests outside of the Stephenson Building include a total of $1,411,500 for Parks for DSRP wayfinding signage and storage building, recreation center feasibility study, aquatic feasibility, Phase 1 Rathgeber Natural Resource Park improvements, picnic tables at the baseball and softball field and scoreboards for the adult softball fields.

Parks & Community Services Director Andrew Binz explained that if council wants to do a recreation center feasibility study, it would include an aquatics component; however, solely an aquatics feasibility study is also an option or council can opt to readdress it next year.

“When talking with the consultants, they suggested that if we're interested in pursuing the recreation center idea, let's do a recreation center feasibility study that would include an aquatics component and that may replace our current facility,” Binz said. “They said if you're not up for a recreation center and doing that feasibility study, then they would recommend doing an aquatic center feasibility study just to address our current facility.”

Tahuahua said that even if a feasibility study is done and a need for a recreation center is found, his concern is finding the budget for it: “We are essentially trying to to find and source a million dollars over the next five years to cover the wastewater stuff and, while I think we have found ways to ratchet things down, could we afford a feasibility study? Probably. But then we're going to probably shelve it, the actual project itself, for five years, at which point we're going to need to do another feasibility study to see how [things have] changed. Do we now need a bigger recreation center? It would be potentially premature to move forward with these knowing that we couldn't, within a reasonable amount of time, actually act on any kind of improvement because I think when you do these studies, the thought is that you're moving forward in a three- to five-year timeline and if it's going to sit on the shelf for five years, I don't think it necessarily helps anyone in terms of actually trying to plan long-term.”

Council member Travis Crow agreed, stating that $200,000 for a study is a lot and, while the city could benefit from a feasibility study, he feels more comfortable waiting.

Legal artificial intelligence support at $50,000 for the city attorney, as well as a trailer kit at $184,000, crowd control interlocking barrier at $15,000 and portable message signs at $15,000 for Emergency Management were also supplemental requests. Additionally, the Maintenance Department’s requests for positions, etc. total to $595,090.

Council will meet next Tuesday, July 14, to discuss the DSRP, Dripping Springs Visitors Bureau, HOT, farmers market and Transportation budgets.

To listen to the full budget workshop and find meeting agendas, visit www.drippingsprings-tx.municodemeetings.com.

In the aftermath of the tragic loss of their son, Micah Narté, due a snowboarding accident, Washington natives Ted Rockwell and Tina Rockwell were compelled to find what was next for their family. Connections with friends and their own research of the Texas Hill Country landed them in Dripping Springs in 2023.

They had a desire to create a business that would bring a legacy honoring what they had lost by celebrating all that has been found. It has also opened up a space for healing in the family, with everyone being able to showcase their own skill sets, such as Ted and Tina’s college-aged daughter, who works on the finance piece.

In doing so, they took what they knew best from their time in the Pacific Northwest: coffee. ROCTÉ Coffee Company — a combination of the two family names, Rockwell and Narté — was started in September 2025, but has been operational since February 2026.

While ROCTÉ does not currently have a storefront, it focuses on bringing back the classic “milkman” model to its Dripping Springs neighbors, but with coffee.

“We’d always utilized a local milk man delivery service, so [we are] just taking that premise and idea and putting it into coffee,” said Eli Narté, Micah's brother, who moved to Dripping Springs last year and founded the idea of the coffee delivery service. “They would put a little metal kind of insulated cooler on your porch and on milk delivery days, they would drop it in the cooler, so instead of having a metal cooler, we got some insulated tote bags, and we are going to be basically redoing the milkman service, but calling it the ROCTÉ Coffeeman.”

There are a lot of coffee-related businesses in the Austin area, Ted explained, so they knew that they wanted to do something that was different, including bringing beans to their customers in their freshest state, while still maintaining a comparable cost.

“Postal costs are quite high. We didn't really realize that they cost as much as $5 or $6 to mail a bag, so we talked about it as a group,” Ted said. “I said, ‘Well, what are some ways that we could offer the quality of product that we want at a price that is going to be attractive relative to what most people purchase when they buy beans to roast or to brew at home?’ We knew that grocery store beans had a much longer warehousing period and could also sit on shelves for weeks, so we knew we had a quality advantage, but we wanted to try and bring the price to parity or close to parity.”

ROCTÉ works with two third-party organizations, Rising Tide and Genuine Origin, to help with the roasting and procuring of 100% Arabica specially-grade coffee beans from high-altitude regions in South America and the South Pacific.

“We have a medium light roast from Tanzania and we have a dark roast, as well, from Sumatra, so we tend to want to stay in that medium range because we think it's the right combination of complexity and flavor, but we recognize that not everybody shares our taste,” Ted explained. “We want to be able to offer them something that aligns to the natural preferences that they have.”

Being rooted in the Dripping Springs community is important to the Rockwell and Narté family, especially as the coffee company does not currently have a brick-and-mortar storefront. So, they take 10% of the profits and distribute them equally to three local organizations — PAWS of Central Texas, Dollars for Scholars and Central Texas Food Bank — that are committed to causes close to their hearts.

Additionally, last week, the company donated 50 pounds of its coffee to local businesses, first responders and civic leaders, giving back to “some of the local heroes in what they're doing and helping them stay caffeinated,” Eli said.

Moving to Dripping Springs, Tina explained that they discovered the highly-anticipated Founders Day Festival, where they had a booth near the main stage this year. For her, a large part of her identity is being a mother and incorporating herself in the community; after meeting with the Dripping Springs Art League, they collaborated to do an art contest for their Founders Blend, where they would pick one of 21 submissions to showcase their logo on the packaging for one year.

The winner was Kyndall Womack, the daughter of the head softball coach at Dripping Springs High School. As the submissions were anonymous for the contest, finding out the name and identity behind the winner was special, Tina explained, because the school colors from their hometown are the same as that of Dripping Springs HS, helping her feel like this is their new home.

“Our son Micah, who passed, was a left-handed pitcher and first baseman. The first picture, when I Googled [Womack's] name, she's wearing our old school colors and she's a left-handed pitcher and first baseman,” she said. “It just felt really good, like we are where we should be.”

Looking to the future, the family wants to have a physical location in Dripping Springs for ROCTÉ, where there is space to do roasting in-house, while also feeling like they are “an authentic and beloved part of the community,” Ted said, adding that they want to do appearances at farmers markets and pop-ups..

The coffee delivery service has been officially launched, with the company actively promoting it in the mail and across social media, Eli said. Currently, they are exclusively keeping the routes to the 78620 and 78737 zip codes and the first delivery will be July 6. Fresh bags of coffee will be delivered to neighbors’ doors before 9 a.m. on the first and third Monday of every month.

A Texas native, Michael Follis recently returned to the state after spending two years in Chicago, where he worked as a music educator, professional singer, church musician and senior associate conductor of the Chicago chapter of the Grammy Award-winning National Children's Chorus.

Follis began his career in public education in 2020 after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. He served for two years as assistant director of Choral Activities at East View High School in Georgetown, helping lead a choral program of more than 150 students across four ensembles.

Prior to relocating to Chicago, Follis spent more than three years as director of music at Shepherd of the Hills Christian Church in Austin and served as assistant conductor of Chorus Austin, the city's symphonic choral ensemble.

Follis earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from UT Austin, where he performed with the University of Texas Chamber Singers and served as a section leader in Texas Choirs. He also made history as the first undergraduate appointed director of the Longhorn Singers, the university's official show choir, in the ensemble's 60-year history. Follis later earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from UT Austin.

Elliott brings 21 years of experience in Texas public school theatre programs. Most recently, he served for five years as the Theatre Curator for Fredericksburg ISD, where he managed the district auditorium and served as house manager and lighting and sound designer for district events.

Prior to Fredericksburg, Elliott served as theatre director at middle schools in both Boerne ISD and Round Rock ISD. During his tenure in Round Rock, he led the theatre program to six first-place finishes in One-Act Play, while also growing the program by more than 250 students. He began his career in neighboring Hays CISD.

Outside of the classroom, Elliott owns a bespoke costume company and leads workshops on costuming and pattern making at the annual Texas Educational Theatre Association Conference.

Elliott holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Education from Texas State University.

Dripping Springs ISD trustee Rob McClelland, pictured right, is sworn in to serve another three-year term on the board. Both his and Cousins' terms will expire in May 2029.

The city has partnered with Ice Rink Events for Western Wonderland since the event’s inaugural year in 2023 in order to provide the seasonal 60-foot-by-120-foot ice rink at Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP). A proposed agreement with the same company was brought before city council at its most recent meeting that would allow for operation Nov. 27, 2026, through Jan. 5, 2027.

According to agenda documents, under the agreement, Ice Rink Events would provide the rink system,refrigeration equipment, dasher boards, ice maintenance equipment, rental skates, skate aids, installation and removal labor, project management and ongoing professional support throughout the operating season.

While the total cost for the equipment rental and professional services is $179,955, Ice Rink Events has offered a discounted contract price of $171,385, saving the city $8,570. This includes a 50% non-refundable retainer due upon contract execution, with 25% due Sept. 1 and the remaining 25% due Dec. 20.

Emily Nelson, assistant director of Parks & Community Services, presented to council that city staff has seen rising attendance at Western Wonderland year after year, drawing visitors from across Central Texas, not just those who reside in Dripping Springs.

“There were over 22,000 visitor trips. We saw almost a 30% growth over the previous season in our stats,” she said.

Along with providing a family-focused holiday experience, Western Wonderland brings increased visitation to DSRP and support for the local economic activity, Nelson explained, as travellers will stop at restaurants, gas stations, etc.

There has been significant financial improvement over the past three seasons, according to Nelson’s presentation:

•   2023: Revenue at $153,058.48, expenses at $297,594.47 and cost recovery at 51.4%

•   2024: Revenue at $157,201.74, expenses $256,213.82 and cost recovery at 61.4%

•   2025: Revenue at $147,442.36, expenses at $206,093.43 and cost recovery at 71.5%

“It definitely was unique on those revenues for 2025. Our families really figured out that punch pass and we felt it. A punch pass is where a family can buy a ticket and it gets 10 skates and it was $100,” Nelson said. “I was really happy that those families found that affordable way to have those activities, but we felt it in the revenue side because they figured out how to not pay the $15 a ticket and to do the punch pass, so [a] double-edged sword there. But we were able to really hone down our expenses significantly.”

Nelson also considered what it would look like if there was a slight price increase to skate, but it still keeps Dripping Springs “in the pocket” of other rinks in the area, as Bee Cave sits at $20 per skate and Marble Falls is at $18. Basing it off the 2025 numbers, if there is the same attendance and a single ticket was $15, she proposed jumping that to $16. Then, on the punch pass, it would be 10 skates for $120, instead of $100, and group parties would be $12 a head versus $10.

“The total increase by doing that, those slight adjustments bring us just a little over $11,000 and then, when you add that plus the rink discount, that brings us to a total recovery of 81.2% next year if we had exact same attendance,” she noted. “The one caveat I would say is, if we've got amazing sponsorships, I would love to hold the prices where they're at, but if we saw that those sponsorships just weren't responding and we weren't getting sponsor dollars, then we know that we could do a slight increase to see another improvement on the total recovery.”

The assistant director is looking into contacting an outside individual for more sponsorship opportunities, as it can be a hard call for the small pool of local businesses, who are faced with the challenge of choosing between competing events, sports, etc.

“Across the board, for a lot of our city events, I think we felt that sponsor dollar lessen no matter how many requests [went] out. So, this person, and I'd have to call and see if she's taking on new cities or not, but she brings in a fresh pool of people that she usually feeds into sponsorships in the [Dallas-Fort Worth] area, so it would be larger companies; it would be outside of Dripping Springs,” Nelson explained. “She does local, too, like she will approach and try to drum up business within here, too, but she does have a different pool of people that she draws from.”

Council member Sherrie Parks agreed that she wants to give local businesses the first opportunity, but knows that there are many competing interests for sponsorship dollars, so looking for an outside perspective is a good idea. She added that it can take five years to solidify an event to where it breaks even and Western Wonderland is still within that window.

“It's been successful in the other markets that she has taken over and I've watched it, so I would be excited to see with her looking in this direction what she could create,” Nelson said, adding that this contact can look at sponsorships for a variety of different city events, not just Western Wonderland.

Council member Geoffrey Tahuahua stated that while he has questioned how much money the city was and is going to lose overall, he commended city staff for their ability in being able to cut down expenses.

He, along with council member Travis Crow, suggested looking at different price points, as well.

“I wouldn't mind seeing $1 increments … I know it's more work for you, but $17, if it still saves the public a dollar. A dollar is a dollar right now, but if it's not too much work, maybe look at $17 or $18 and see what the difference is,” Crow said.

Council did not take a vote on the proposed agreement, but it will be brought back again at a future meeting.

At the beginning of the process of forming the district’s second high school’s identity, DSISD sent out a community survey that received nearly 4,000 responses. Out of those, the majority — with 28.4% strongly agreeing and 27.1% agreeing — found that both high schools should have one unifying color in common between them. However, a second question of if the two should have the same exact colors garnered more disagreement.

The community feedback was then provided to the Naming & Branding Committee, which recommended the following colorway packages that also aligned with school names:

– Driftwood High School: Navy blue, gold and white

– Driftwood Springs High School: Navy blue, gold and white

–Bear Creek High School: Maroon and sky blue

– Sycamore Springs High School: Maroon and metallic silver

– Cypress Springs High School: Forest green and gold

Ultimately, the committee recommended the official colors for Driftwood Springs High School be navy and gold.

“They liked the connection to Dark Sky. They thought it was a nice complement with gold. They also thought it was a nice complement with maroon, as well,” said chief communications officer Jennifer Edwards, who added that navy was a popular color suggestion from the beginning.

All of the elementary campuses within DSISD also have gold as the unifying color, so this would be a continuation of that strategy, Edwards said. Navy is considered to be a strong color, conveying authority, confidence, trust, intelligence and tradition: “I think it fits into our brand really nicely,” she said.

Trustee Dr. Stefani Reinold asked about the color white in the committee’s recommendation. While there will only be two colors that are officially named for the school, white can be included in the future brand package as a complementary or secondary color, Edwards clarified.

The board unanimously approved navy and gold as the official colors for Driftwood Springs High School, slated to open for the 2028-29 school year. The school’s mascot is expected to be approved this fall.

“I appreciate the community for giving us the extra time and I know that there are some members on this board that wishes we had an entire package, but this is still so exciting,” said trustee Tricia Quintero. “I know when I told my kiddos that will actually go to this new high school what the colors potentially could be, they were super excited about it. We've had a shirt actually at convocation with blue and gold and … it's one of my favorite shirts.”

Budget

The board also unanimously approved the 2026-27 budget, consisting of the general fund, debt service and child nutrition.

As presented by chief financial officer Randy Rau, the budget was based on several key assumptions, including a projected enrollment of 8,940 students, which is a large jump from the 6,008 in the 2016-17 school year, as well as the following:

– Average Daily Attendance: 95.25%

– Property tax collection rate: 99%

– 1% general pay increase, based on pay group midpoint

– District health contribution of $420 per employee per month — an increase from the previous $405

– Non-payroll inflation factor: 1%

The proposed general fund operating budget includes expenditures of $104,486,991, revenues of $102,327,356 and other uses/transfers of $176,000. This results in an overall deficit of $1,983,635 that complies with the board’s policy of a 2% budget parameter by $62,911.

“I want to point out our general fund expenditures by major object category. The biggest ticket item, for the most part, in our budget is payroll just at 80%, which is sitting good. Districts usually try to hit their payroll not more than 82-83% of [their] budget. The one thing we do have to take into consideration is our district is a recapture district and that's an [estimated] 4.55% of our total budget,” Rau said.

For debt service, revenues sit at $46,243,588 and expenditures at $42,832,288, resulting in an operating surplus of $3,411,300.

The final fund of the budget, child nutrition, reflects two separate operations, as suggested by the Texas Department of Agriculture, Rau explained.

The budget for the campuses — mainly the elementary schools — participating in the National School Lunch & Breakfast Program comprises $2,255,523 in revenue, $2,846,475 in expenditures and $590,952 in operating deficit. Secondly, the Self-Funded Meal Program at the secondary campuses has $2,508,179 in revenue, $2,538,640 in expenditures and $30,461 in operating deficit.

Trustee Kim Cousins shared that she is grateful to see that DSISD is not having to make some of the difficult decisions that other districts are.

“We just got back from state conference and we spent a lot of time talking to a lot of trustees and superintendents around the state; they are closing schools [and] they are canceling programs. Their fund balance is not very healthy,” she said. “It's really sad to see the things that are going on out there [but] we have not cut any programs; we are funding this district and our kids are having opportunities. Our enrollment is still growing. There's a lot of enrollment shrinkage throughout the state, which is affecting their budget.”

Currently, the district is looking at a proposed total $1.0610 tax rate, which consists of $0.7110 in maintenance and operations, as well as $0.3500 in interest and sinking.

Trustee Rob McClelland said that while the board is not adopting the tax rate until August or September, it does look like the proposed numbers show a decrease for the community.

To listen to the full meeting, and find the agenda with the full budget documents, visit www.dsisdtx.us/page/board-meeting-livestream.

Launched in late 2025, Bel & Co. Embroidery blossomed, following the birth of Durkee’s third child. With her growing family, she wanted to step away from the dental field that she had been in for eight years and pour her heart into something that allowed her to be more present for her kids.

Embroidery was a natural idea for her home-based business, Durkee explained. Along with her kids — ages 18 months, 3 years and 6 years old — always having embroidered products, it’s also been a passion of hers for years.

“I wanted to find something where I actually enjoyed working, enjoyed doing and this was what I landed on. I've always been pretty creative in design, as well, because a lot of the embroidery is also digital design and setting up everything,” she said, adding that the name of the business comes from her children: Beau, Eleanor and Lucy.

What she loves most is being able to take what a client is envisioning, whether that be a name or an image, and transforming it into a finished product.

Initially, she foresaw the business would be a small side gig that would take up approximately an hour a day, but with the Dripping Springs having a need for local embroidery, Bel & Co. has kept her busy from the get-go.

“When I started the business, it was right into the holiday season and so, gift-giving and holiday things hit super heavy. I kind of was expecting a downward slope after the holidays and it just never happened,” she said. “It’s just evolved in the amount of what I could handle at a time.”

Durkee runs the business completely from her home, where people will contact her through the social media pages or website. She explained that most times, clients will reach out with items that they already own that they want to add embroidery to, but she also has a small collection on hand that she can provide.

Another component of the business is live embroidery, Durkee said, where she will show up with her machine to private events and do embroidery on-site tailored to the client.

Currently, because it’s based on the season, her most popular product has been towels — whether that is beach towels for the summer or bath towels for students getting ready to go to college. Durkee added that backpacks and custom birthday T-shirts are also popular year-round.

While she loves all the products that she gets to create, Durkee shared that her recent favorite is one from a couple of months ago for someone whose best friend lost their mother and they wanted a completely custom order on blank fabric with a Spanish design in mind.

“She ended up framing it and giving it to her friend, so it was a very special memento to her friend's mother,” Durkee said. “I think that was probably one of my favorite things just because I knew how cherished it would be and it was just completely out of nothing that we put all these images together to create it for her.”

Knowing that people have had to drive to Austin to get their items embroidered, Durkee explained that she wants to continue spreading the word of Bel & Co. Another goal that she has is to venture more into the live embroidery space for private events, baby showers, weddings, etc.

Bel & Co Embroidery is based in Dripping Springs, but welcomes orders from all over the United States. Learn more about the business at www.belcoembroidery.com.

Arrieta brings 15 years of head coaching experience in Texas, including the past five years as the head boys and girls wrestling coach at Pieper High School in San Antonio. During his tenure at Pieper, Arrieta built the girls wrestling program into a consistent State contender, stated a news release, and his teams recorded top-five State finishes in each of the last three seasons and earned five top-10 State finishes overall.

In recognition of his success, Arrieta was named the 2025 Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year by the Texas High School Coaches Association. He also earned three district coach of the year honors and two regional coaching awards during his career.

In addition to coaching, Arrieta will teach principles of audio/video production, audio/video production and animation I and II at DSHS.

Arrieta earned a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Full Sail University.

This follows council member Ana Grace Husted’s motion to appoint Geoffrey Tahuahua as mayor pro tem for a one-year term at the previous meeting, held May 19, with a nearly unanimous vote, except for council member Taline Manassian, who has served as mayor pro tem for multiple terms. The appointment is a requirement for the governing body — as Husted was newly elected to the dais — at its first meeting or soon thereafter.

Two weeks later at its next meeting, another item, sponsored by council member Sherrie Parks, was brought forward to reconsider the motion.

“After our last meeting, we rushed through the last item super fast and no discussion was held and, upon reflection, I thought it was super important to have a discussion about who we appoint as mayor pro tem,” Parks said.

She added that she is appreciative that Tahuahua is willing to step up to serve in the position, but she has concerns about the various responsibilities he has on his plate, including the Hays County judge race, his job and family.

Tahuahua shared that, despite his busy schedule, he wanted to fill that role for the reason that he was elected: to put forth change.

The word “change” was then echoed by Husted, who explained that’s what constituents in both the city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction want to see. One of the ways that can be accomplished is by looking at the leadership roles on city council, she added.

“... When I made the motion for Geoffrey, I want to make it clear that in no way was I disrespecting mayor pro tem Manassian. I think she has done a wonderful job over the years and has served the role greatly, but I do think in the natural progression of any position serving in it for a certain amount of time, you almost peak in your effectiveness to do that job. In my mind, six years, I think at that point, it's time to see new fresh leadership in that position and that’s step one in sort of enacting the change that we've heard from citizens that we want to see.”

Mayor Bill Foulds clarified that the mayor pro tem does work closely with him in that role, but does not have any more authority, power or access than the rest of city council. According to the American Legal Publishing Code Library, the mayor pro tem performs the duties of the mayor during their absence or inability to do so.

Foulds added that just because someone is in that role for six years, that doesn’t mean that it’s time to move on.

As for the initial motion to have Tahuahua as mayor pro tem, Foulds felt like the recommendation was not in the best interest of the city, while also noting that it would be harder for them to work together and sharing concerns of potential conflict.

“I want to have separation and transparency. I feel like I have more separation, more transparency and more respect from the citizens by having Taline or someone else sitting up here with me,” the mayor said. “There is a lot of mumbling in the city that will make it harder, I think, to go with Mr. Tahuahua.”

Then, Manassian voiced the opposition she had when Husted was running to be on city council, questioning her ability to remain independent, as she currently works for Tahuahua.

“So, we now have two lobbyists for builders and contractors on this body and one of them works for the other and that causes me tremendous concern for us as a city and I think it compromises our integrity,” she said.

Tahuahua confirmed that he and Husted are colleagues — comparing the situation to Manassian having other partners inside of her law firm. While there are questions that were raised of potential conflict to remain independent, Tahuahua said that could be said for conversations between any of the council members and not just those between him and Husted.

Council member Travis Crow, who seconded the initial motion, shared that he has been “disappointed with the city, with the way we are heading” and in order to best serve the citizens, there needs to be a better working relationship to move forward.

“Ana Grace was elected by the public,” Crow said. “They made a choice and I respect that. I might not like that you and Geoffrey work together, but I have to have faith that y’all will not go behind the scenes and you will do the right thing because that’s your job.”

He added that having these difficult conversations is important and the individual council members should not take them personally: “I don’t want us all to agree all the time because I don’t think we serve the city all agreeing.”

Husted then echoed Crow’s points, sharing that she is her own person and the priorities that she has for the city — of which were in her candidacy during the May election — did not overlap with her day job. However, Husted said, if there was anything that came before council on an agenda that she or others felt like were a conflict of interest, she would excuse herself.

“I have been involved with the city for over two years now. I've been attending city council meetings. I've been attending multiple committee meetings. I've already been [having] conversations with staff about ideas that I have and I do care for the community. So, I resent the claim that I'm only here because of the will of someone else and because I don't care about this community,” she emphasized. “I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to work. I think I've already proven that. I don't think I need to prove it any further. And it disappoints me that those feelings are still alive because like Travis said, I hope that now that I'm here, we would have the trust in each other to drop that and continue to move forward and and work for what we're elected for, which is what is best for the citizens here.”

With a motion to reconsider on the table, Husted said that she would support Parks to be mayor pro tem if the mayor felt comfortable working with her.

The mayor explained that he works with Parks a lot and while he has a “great deal of respect” for her, he felt like it would be better to continue the relationship with Manassian because she brings a completely different point of view.

“[Parks] and I tend to be more on the same page and I think having [Manassian] balance that out keeps me a little bit in checkmate,” Foulds said. “I think that's a good thing and that would be my only reservation.”

Council unanimously voted to reconsider the motion for mayor pro tem.

Then, ultimately, council voted 3-2, with Tahuahua and Husted opposed, to appoint Manassian to serve as mayor pro tem for a one-year term.

Road maintenance

From 2022 to 2026, the city’s Maintenance Department has been completing annual mill and overlay — a resurfacing process for asphalt roads — projects related to the five-year maintenance plan. Prior to that, the city did not have a lot of “preventative maintenance,” explained Riley Sublett, maintenance director, before city council.

Sublett stated that the previous five-year plan, up to 2026, has been completed with the following projects and contractual, or budgeted, numbers:

•   Fiscal year 2022 at $160,000: Mercer Street

•   FY 2023 at $541,000: Sportsplex Drive

•   FY 2024 at $474,000: Old Highway 290, Bonnie Drive, Judy Drive and Retha Drive

•   FY 2025 at $586,000: Post Oak Drive, Roanoak Drive and Butler Ranch Road

•   FY 2026 at $635,000 (budgeted and in progress): Rob Shelton Boulevard and Rambo Lodge parking lot

“As we wait for roadways to be fixed, the more we wait, the more expensive it gets,” Sublett said. “The reason why this is important is the more we wait and the more we push off maintenance, the more money we are going to be spending.”

The new five-year roadway maintenance plan for 2027 through 2031 will include the following projects:

•   FY 2027: Grand Prairie Circle, Grand Prairie Circle (loop) and Goodnight Trail

•   FY 2028: Broken Lance Drive

•   FY 2029: Oak Springs Drive, Bob White Cove, Springlake Drive and entrance of Founders Ridge

•   FY 2030: Neighborhood streets in The Woods, Springwood, Blue Ridge and Hidden Springs, along with Arrowhead Boulevard

•   FY 2031: Neighborhood streets in Founders Ridge, Legacy Trails and Cortaro, along with Sports Park Road, Sportsplex Drive, EMS Drive and Peabody Place

The majority of the projects will include mill and overlay and spot repairs, specifically for 2027-2029. The total estimated budget for the new maintenance plan is $3,004,000 and is broken up as follows for each year: $664,000 for 2027, $727,000 for 2028, $750,000 for 2029, $453,000 for 2030 and $410,000 for 2031.

Crow said that the city took an active role in saying it would repair these roads because they were neglected for a long time, so a five-year plan was created in order to budget annually for the projects.

However, he shared that the city may need to extend the plan to seven years as a cost-saving measure.

“That’s kind of the whole point of preventative maintenance, is to keep us out of this position … We were doing $4 per [square] yard and if we wait five years, now we are doing $40 a square yard for mill and overlay,” Sublett responded.

Ultimately, council unanimously approved the five-year roadway maintenance plan for 2027-2031.

Dripping Springs City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 16.

Dripping Sweat was created with the belief that fitness should help people feel stronger not only in workouts, but throughout life. Founder Nevin Spinosa, a local mom, former school administrator and certified group fitness instructor, has always valued movement, education and community, according to a news release. With a background in dance and running, fitness has long been an important part of her life and she knows how much prioritizing her own health through fitness positively impacts her ability to fully show up for all that life brings — inspiring her to create a welcoming, high-energy fitness community.

The studio offers a variety of classes designed to improve endurance, mobility and real-life strength that are approachable for beginners, while still offering a challenge for experienced participants.

Spinosa understands that strength training and traditional gym environments can feel intimidating and aims to create an encouraging atmosphere where people feel comfortable showing up exactly as they are. Through studio classes and fitness pop-ups throughout the Dripping Springs community, neighbors meet one another, friendships are formed and participants find accountability and encouragement. Her goal is to help people build healthy habits that support long, active lives with the people they love.

Dripping Sweat is located at 11601 US 290, Austin, in the Cedar Valley Shopping Center and co-located within Meta Mixed Martial Arts.

For more information, class schedules or to book a class, visit DrippingSweat.com, follow @DrippingSweatTX or call/text 512-387-5032. New clients can receive 20% off their first month of membership or class pack purchase using code LAUNCHPARTY through the end of June.

When he was heading to a friend’s home in the Big Sky community of Dripping Springs, Trevor noticed a neighboring door standing open and from a distance, he saw what appeared to be a pool of blood. Knowing that something needed to be done, he then raced back home — first on scooter and then, on foot — while also trying to flag down help along the way.

“I pull up in [my friend’s] sidewalk and I look to the house to the right and I see a man covered with blood. Then, he mumbles some words I can’t understand, so now I ride back down the hill and go into my house,” he said. “I saw him and a little part of me thought, ‘Is he actually hurt? What happened?’ He needs help and I am going to go.”

From the time he left on his scooter to when he returned to his house, it was just under three minutes. He explained to his dad, Marc DuBransky, what was happening and he called 911, leading first responders to arrive on scene within less than 10 minutes.

“When Trevor came back, he had a sense of urgency to his voice and to his face that I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen before. In 10 seconds, I knew exactly what was going on and just the clarity in which he expressed what was going on and what I needed to do. I'd like to imagine that any parent that sees their kid do something like that, that they're going to act kind of in the same way I did without hesitation and just go into action mode,” Mark said.

Trevor’s sense of urgency and lifesaving actions are something that both of his parents are proud of.

“I was very impressed with his quick thinking. He immediately knew, ‘Hey, I've got to get to an adult.’ I'm very proud of him and I'm very thankful we were able to help save that man's life,” Mark continued.

His mom, Tanisha, echoed the same points as she heard a recollection of the events secondhand because she was out of town at the time, but hearing the story over the phone left her filled with overwhelming emotions. He was also carrying out his duties that he learned in the Hays County Junior Deputy Academy, which he has attended for the last three years, the mom added.

“A lot of people react when they see a lot of blood, they might freeze, even adults. They might get faint or feel like they're going to pass out. I was emotional because of that poor man and also just super proud of him as well and impressed,” she shared.

Additionally, Trevor was recognized at the May 19 Dripping Springs City Council meeting for his heroism. This was brought on by Tanisha sharing what happened with a close friend, who took the liberty to email the mayor directly, saying “we have a hero in Dripping Springs.”

It was there that the 12-year-old also received multiple challenge coins — small medallions that represent an achievement or affiliation to a specific group, like the military or law enforcement community — to add to his collection. Along with those, he received a lifesaving award from Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolio and a heroism certificate from the city.

“Trevor’s just Trevor to us, but he is definitely a hero in our eyes with what he was able to do and we are thankful that he was able to just be aware and act so quickly,” Tanisha said.

“Trevor’s actions reflect a remarkable presence of mind, bravery, compassion well beyond his years. He exemplifies the very best of Dripping Springs, reminding us that heroes don’t wait; they act,” Mayor Bill Foulds stated.

The family has remained close with the 95-year-old man, John Fednya, whom Trevor helped save, and they were even able to go pick him up to accompany them at the city council meeting.

District administrators and school officials recognized the accomplishments of the graduating class as students closed one chapter of their lives and prepared to begin another.

Class valedictorian Sanvi Surpaneni and salutatorian Bella Rose delivered inspiring farewell addresses, reflecting on the memories, friendships and lessons learned during their years at DSHS, while also thanking teachers, parents and classmates for their support.

The Class of 2026 officers included president Bella Rose, vice president Kyle Kreuz, secretary Adeline Spies, treasurer Sophia Jones and historian Miller Cochran.

The ceremony also featured the official certification of graduates by Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz and Dripping Springs ISD board president Dr. Stefani Reinold.

Following the presentation of diplomas, graduates and attendees were treated to a fireworks display, provided by Half Off Fireworks, to celebrate the conclusion of the evening.

Several members of the DSHS Tiger baseball team were unable to attend the ceremony as they competed in the University Interscholastic League Class 6A Region IV Final playoff series at Calallen High School. The Tigers clinched the Region IV Championship Saturday, May 23, and will next face Memorial High School, the Region III champions, in the UIL State Semifinals.

This is the first time that the rates have been adjusted since 2022 and the process to review them began in fiscal year 2025, when the city contracted with HDR to conduct a utility rate study, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch. Following a presentation by HDR in March, city council asked the rates to be further developed and reviewed — six scenarios were then presented to council May 7 before the proposed rates were voted on last week.

A combination of factors led to the urgency of adjusting rates, including rising operational expenses and construction costs, according to the city. Additionally, the city first applied for a permit through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2015 for a new wastewater treatment facility; however, that permit was delayed, due to legal challenges, and was not fully resolved until April 2025.

“During that same period, the water development board said, ‘We’re not going to allow you to do any construction on the project. You can still start planning it, but the construction phase, we’re going to hold off on until we get some resolution on that permit application,’” said deputy city administrator Shawn Cox during the May 19 council meeting.

The delays reduced the timing and collection of impact fees that would have otherwise helped offset infrastructure costs, so the city allocated approximately $2 million from the utility fund in FY 2026 to help cover debt service payments, while continuing to move forward with the project. The city also applied for $51.5 million in additional funding through the Texas Water Development Board.

City staff met with some council members and Planning & Zoning Commission chair Mim James — who has extensive background in finance — to review the rate model and look at different options, Cox explained.

In doing so, there were two scenarios put on the table.

The first scenario has a 30-day, or 8.3%, fund balance with a $2,500,000 general fund contribution through 2030. For FY 2026, wastewater base fee would be $43.32, along with a usage fee per 1,000 gallons of $5.67, for residential — the base would be the same for commercial, with a usage fee of $5.99, with differences based on living unit equivalents (LUE).

“Looking at the 2026 rates and average usage, you can see it’s going from $50 to $73, or about a $22 or $23 increase, to a $60 to $88, or about a $27 increase, on the residential side,” Cox explained.

The second scenario also has a 30-day fund balance, but with a $4,000,000 general fund contribution in FY 2026 and $2,500,000 through 2030. The wastewater base fee would be $40.43 with a usage fee of $5.35 for residential; the base would be the same for commercial, with a usage fee of $5.61, with differences based on LUE.

According to Cox, the city will be looking at this during the budget process, reviewing the expenditures and rates, seeing if changes need to be made based on what the model did. He anticipates doing another rate study within the next two or three years.

“We will look at that more on a regular basis to make sure that we are sustaining our rates to meet our needs and not having to do these giant increases at once, but if we can reduce when we can, [we are] taking that opportunity to present that to council, as well,” he said.

Council member Ana Grace Husted asked if city staff feels confident that the only way to get a clear picture on the numbers — actuals and revenues vs expenditures — is by doing a utility rate study.

“Without an influx of money or a stripping out of an expenditure, major expenditure somewhere, it's going to be the rate study to make sure our rates are covering what they're supposed to be covering for the division that they're supposed to be covering,” said Cox, adding that the model does a good job of anticipating the number of customers, usage, growth in expenditures and revenues, etc.

He continued that the city would be able to review the model every year to analyze if the rates are holding steady, as well as if it needs to look at going down or any potential errors.

Council member Taline Manassian questioned why an infusion of $4 million, in the second scenario, does not have as much of an impact as expected.

The city is not putting in all of the rates or money in the first year, so it is still buying down the fund balance, Cox explained.

“Even putting an extra $4 million in, you just start $4 million above. You're still not covering your expenditures with the rates yet … So, right now, in the model, we're at about 52% to 60% fund balance in reserve. We're still spending that down in all of these scenarios. Even though there's an influx of cash, it's being used in [fiscal years 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029] and then that next year, in [20]29 is where you see that drop because that's when that major debt payment comes on,” he said. “We looked at any number of ways to spread that out and it just didn't bring the rates that much lower down.”

When figuring out the scenarios, council member Geoffrey Tahuahua said that he and council member Sherrie Parks — who was also part of the group who collaborated with city staff — looked at how the city can cover the debt payment at a minimum and “what the rates are doing is they're covering our operating expenses and kind of getting us through this sort of hump as that debt payment increases. So, it's really not until 2029 that we start to play a little bit more of a catch-up as opposed to working from behind.”

The city could potentially absorb a $4 million payment for one or two years, but it wasn’t “necessarily a sustainable model” when it came to the effect it would have on the overall budget, as compared to the $2.5 million option, Tahuahua continued.

Council voted 6-0 to approve the wastewater rate increase — based on the first scenario presented — with an expected increase of approximately $20-$30 per month for residential customers, depending on usage. There will also be a very slight increase in the water rates, but the more significant adjustment is to the wastewater.

To allow for the city to communicate the changes to the public across multiple billing cycles, the increase will be reflected when customers receive their bills in September.

To listen to the full presentation and find more information about wastewater services and the rate structure, visit www.cityofdrippingsprings.com.

The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees discussed the 2026-27 compensation plan, along with general pay increases that coincide, during its Monday, May 18, meeting. According to chief Human Resources officer Linda Hall, the compensation plan reflects a 0.5% increase to the minimum, midpoint and maximums, allowing DSISD to “stay competitive” with new hires coming in.

With last year’s Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA) — at $2,500 for teachers with three and four years of experience, as well as $5,000 for those with at least five years — it made a substantial increase to the teacher pay scale, Hall explained. Approximately 6-8% is what DSISD teachers saw for their increase last year; however, looking at that percentage compared to the administrative professional and other pay grades, they are not matching.

“What that does is we are now seeing some challenges when we have people who are coming off the teacher pay scale and want to move to the administrative professional scale; they are not increasing at the same rate,” Hall noted. “It’s a little bit of a challenge in that they may either … not see as much of an increase as they were hoping or they may not see an increase at all.”

DSISD is still doing everything it can to keep it competitive, said Hall: “It’s a fantastic thing to pay our teachers as much as we can. It’s just that we can not make that same incremental increase to the administrative professional scale.”

Trustee Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick shared that this issue has been recognized by other school districts across the state, as the superintendent with Lorena ISD, for example, has gone before the Texas House Committee on Public Education to speak on midsized school districts. Hetrick said that there are “exceptional teachers who would make exceptional interventionists [and] instructional specialists,” yet they are choosing not to for the reason of pay disparity.

Trustee Rob McClelland pointed out that there are other school districts in the surrounding area faced with difficult decisions, such as closing multiple campuses, the uncertainty of this year's budget and significantly reducing the size of their workforce.

Along with the 0.5% increase included in the compensation plan, the board unanimously approved a 1% general pay increase based on the midpoint for returning staff, including teachers, auxiliary, child nutrition, transportation, clerical/technical and administrative/professional.

The board also heard an updated presentation on the facility that would house the district’s special education and adult transition services 18+ program.

This follows an earlier presentation in March, in which the board was informed that the construction timeline, as it was at that time, was delayed and the team had to go back to the drawing board to determine cost-saving measures. The trustees opted to give direction to only have one General Maximum Price (GMP), rather than two.

Now, the construction documents schedule has been compressed to where they were completed May 8 to give Swinerton, construction manager at risk (CMAR), more time to go out to subtrades in the market to get the best possible pricing, explained Darrell Pearson of PBK Architects. This is also to ensure that the GMP will still be delivered, completed and presented to the school board in June.

Pearson continued, emphasizing that the team ensured that the educational spaces, functionality of the building and aesthetics remain as intended because those are non-negotiables.

“I do want people to understand that the programs and the spaces are what we want to hold onto and the functionality of the building because … there are [specific] needs that go on in this program and we need to make sure that we keep those in place,” said trustee Tricia Quintero.

However, Pearson said, there are cost reduction strategies that went into the site and building plans, which include:

•   Reducing parking and drives

•   Reconfigure parking and drives to avoid retaining walls and cut/fill of hillside

•   Relocate building to avoid cut/fill

•   Remove/simplify utilities

•   Remove items that can be added later: outdoor yard and fencing, greenhouse, rainwater collection system, golf cart path/parking and reduce canopy system

•   Use wood frame construction

•   Simplify building foundation

•   Reduce height of building

•   Utilize all one roofing system

•   Change to split-system heating, ventilation and air conditioning

•   Utilize efficient finishes

•   Remove folding panel wall, which can be added later

Quintero said that the greenhouse is currently pulled from the project, but there is potential for alternative funding for that. She did question if the fencing, however, could be paid for out of the safety allotment.

Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz said that there could be potential for that, but it is a reimbursement, so the district would have to look at that and it depends on at what point if there are still grant funds available at that time.

The project is still expected to be complete by the end of the year. Ultimately, the board unanimously approved the revised construction documents.

To listen to the full meeting, visit www.dsisdtx.us/page/board-meeting-livestream.

The DSISD Board of Trustees meets next at 2 p.m. June 15 for its agenda review meeting.

SB 10 went into effect Sept. 1, 2025, following its passage in the 89th Texas Legislature. The bill requires school districts to display “in a conspicuous place” a 16 inch by 20 inch “durable poster or framed copy” of the Ten Commandments,” which reads as follows:

"The Ten Commandments

I AM the LORD thy God.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s."

The posters, the bill continues, may be donated by community members for display purposes. They may also be purchased by the district, if no donations are received, but this is not a requirement.

According to Paxton, “The demands issued to these schools also require them to produce documents regarding the display or lack thereof of the Ten Commandments and their policies regarding SB 10.”

The investigation also detailed SB 11, which requires school boards to either adopt or deny a designated time for prayer. The DSISD Board of Trustees opted to deny adding the time unanimously at its Feb. 23, 2026, meeting.

“I will always fight for students’ fundamental right to pray in our schools and work to ensure that Texas kids are able to learn from the Ten Commandments daily,” added Paxton.

DSISD communications specialist Blake Barington stated that the district remains “in full compliance with the provisions of Senate Bill 10,” as the display is contingent on receipt of donated posters and none have been received.

The district did not send out any information regarding the bill or poster donations to parents, due to the injunction placed on the bill in the fall, noted Barington. Although no posters have been received, staff are not planning on purchasing any posters, as this is not required by law, he continued.

“Dripping Springs ISD has not heard from Ken Paxton's office. Once posters are donated by an organization, we will put them up, but none have been donated,” concluded the specialist.

To view the investigation notice, visit https://bit.ly/3RmSjHB. To learn about the details of SB 10, bit.ly/4nPVZOb.

Currently, the middle schools follow the high school in using a block schedule with 90-minute periods, where the students attend four longer classes on “A days” and then, the remaining four classes on “B days.”

However, now, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, those students will be transitioning to a hybrid schedule. They will have three days of a traditional 48-minute class schedule, seeing all of their teachers for eight periods three days a week and then, on the other days, they will revert back to the block schedule for four periods per day with advisory.

The students will be on a traditional schedule Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, while on the block schedule Wednesdays and Thursdays.

It wasn’t just one variable that led DSISD to make this decision, said Dr. Karen Kidd, assistant superintendent for Learning & Innovation, as they have been looking at and reviewing schedules for middle school students since 2022.

She explained that when looking at similar school districts, DSISD was the only one of the 40 comparison groups that was doing the block scheduling, while other campuses were either doing a hybrid or traditional.

“What we did is we looked at all the evidence over the course of years and we kind of just did a blend from the teaching perspective and how students at that age learn,” Kidd said. “We need a little bit faster pace in the classroom sometimes, but then, there's also times where they need time to dig in deep. So, we really married the two together and decided that the hybrid was the best for us.”

Some schools have seven-period days, while others have eight-period days, but DSISD wanted to ensure that there was the least impact for student opportunities as possible, Kidd emphasized. This includes maintaining the number of electives that are offered, athletic and sixth grade band scheduling stays the same and a reduction in what students miss when they are absent or leave early.

“We have four electives that our students can choose from. Other schools might drop that down if they're only doing a seven period class. They might only have three choices for students or maybe even two choices,” she said. “We opted to not let the student feel the impact of the schedule change — taking away choices — and we left the choices the same, so we're still having the eight-period day with still the four electives and four core.”

From the teacher’s perspective, there is also the benefit of being able to support their students more throughout the week, especially in subject areas, like math and reading, that require frequent practice, Kidd continued. The new hybrid schedule also takes away any confusion that was brought on by the current, fluctuating block schedule.

Parents were notified of the change in April with a chance to attend an informational meeting May 7.

The new schedule format will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year. More information can be found at www.dsisdtx.us/page/ms-hybrid-schedule.

The road to get to the Women’s Development Program National Championships, held May 8-10, was not an easy feat, as Bragg — who has been doing gymnastics since she was 4 years old — works out 28 hours a week, including Saturdays, and practices five hours a day, alongside her teammates. This consists of a combination of conditioning, stretches, drills, basic skills, technique work and more that goes from about 3 p.m. to the evening hours.

The scoring also comes into play, explained coach Carlos Arroyo, who has been at Moxie Gymnastics and Cheer in Dripping Springs, where Bragg trains, for six years. The competitors have to qualify for each level, beginning at earning at least a 34 all around for state and then, above a 34 for regionals. Once they get there, they need to be in the top seven out of seven states — Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Kansas and New Mexico — to qualify for nationals.

“You're competing against the best of the best in our region,” Arroyo said.

Now being a level 10 gymnast, Bragg earned the opportunity to qualify for the first time to go to nationals, where she earned the following scores:

•   Vault: 9.650, 18th place

•   Uneven bars: 8.325, 49th place

•   Beam: 8.875, 43rd place

•   Floor: 9.500, 15th place

•   All around: 36.350, 42nd place

“It was a really great feeling, just knowing that all the work that I’ve put in all year, with all the hours I do, pay off and get to compete with the best in the nation,” the young gymnast said, adding that she has learned to cope with the challenges and nerves that come with being in front of the crowds that come with the competition.

“To make it national your first year is extremely difficult because you are going against girls that have competed level 10 for two to three years, sometimes longer. Those are the ones that usually rise up that make it to nationals,” Arroyo said. “Aubrey was phenomenal this year and was able to make it in as our state champ.”

The coach also explained that there are two different programs with the competition team at Moxie: compulsory, which has gymnasts levels three through five, competing in September through January, and optional for more advanced levels, competing in January through May.

The compulsory program did three regular season competitions, known as district qualifiers, as well as district and state championships. On the optional side, which is what Bragg competes in, there are six regular season competitions, plus state and regional championships, dependent on the gymnast’s level, and nationals.

Along with Bragg, Moxie has level 9 gymnasts Colette Hite and Reese Ray who qualified in the top six at the regional level and headed to Western Nationals. It was there that Hite secured third place and Ray earned 10th place all around. Coach Arroyo shared that they also have a level 8 gymnast that is an all-around champion who placed at regionals, making Moxie strong at every level.

“We've done a phenomenal job this year … We had a total of 15 girls compete in the championships this year, from state all the way up to nationals. With that, we've accumulated 58 medals. When I talk about medals, I'm talking about first place through third place podium medals and out of those 58, we have 20 gold medals and three all-around champions in optionals,” Arroyo said. “Including compulsory, we have had a total of six all-around champions between district championships, state championships and regionals.”

Now, the team is entering into its down period, where the gymnasts take the summer to learn skills and go back to the drawing board to see what needs to improve to get to the higher levels.

Arroyo also shared that Bragg is leading the way for colleges to begin the scouting process for potential scholarships. While they are not able to talk to her until June 15, based on National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, there are several colleges interested.

More information about Moxie Gymnastics and Cheer can be found at www.moxiegymandcheer.com.

The second comprehensive high school will open its doors in the fall of 2028 to serve 2,500 students in ninth through 12th grades in the eastern portion of the district, located off Darden Hill Road east of Cypress Springs Elementary School.

Since March, the district’s High School #2 Naming & Branding Committee — made up of 64 members, including staff and secondary students — has been tasked with making recommendations to the board on various components of the school’s branding. The first decision was determining the school's name, which was on Monday’s night agenda.

The committee did have to follow some guidelines when selecting recommendations, explained executive director of communications Jennifer Edwards. These included:

•   District facilities may be named for local residential areas, local geographic features or local, state or national landmarks.

•   District facilities shall not be named for persons, living or deceased.

•   The committee shall recommend three names to the board for each facility — however, that number expanded over time.

Name recommendations that the committee provided to the board were Driftwood High School, Driftwood Springs High School, Bear Creek High School, Sycamore Springs High School and Cypress Springs High School — the first two were the top contenders.

A survey, which was open from mid-February to early March, was also brought along the committee’s responsibilities to garner feedback from those who would have the most impact from the decision: the community.

Those voices and ideas were also heard during public comments, of which, the importance of identity was highly emphasized.

Parent Sarah Matz shared her strong support for naming the campus Driftwood High School, noting that it’s important that there should be an opportunity for those students to have their own identity separate from Dripping Springs High School, while still being able to have shared values, traditions and commitment to excellence.

“Our kids will still grow up together, will compete together, perform together and graduate together as part of Dripping Springs ISD. I think one community, two traditions, shared values,” she said. “I hope that we can fully embrace this opportunity to build a second great high school that honors both individuality and unity for generations to come.”

Another parent, Shellie Deringer, who also sits on the committee, requested that the board honor the deep history of the district and communities within its boundaries by choosing Driftwood High School. She explained that there have been conversations about DSISD’s 150-year anniversary, however, the board should look “beyond the recent elementary school naming pattern” — alluding to all of the campuses having “springs” in the name — and recognize actual historic communities that built the district.

“Driftwood School was established behind the Methodist Church in 1905. Mount Gainer School opened in 1906. Hamilton's Pool School dates back to 1886. Henley and Pedernales Falls also had early schools serving local communities in the 1880s. Those names represent real places, real history and real communities that helped form this district long before the recent growth era,” Deringer emphasized. “Students have repeatedly said that they want their high school to have a true identity tied to a recognizable place. A high school name follows students to competitions, college applications, resumes and alumni connections for the rest of their lives. A high school deserves more weight and consideration than simply extending a naming pattern created less than 20 years ago for elementary schools during rapid expansion.”

Others, like parent Kat Williams, shared that keeping the tradition of having “springs” in the campus names should continue, noting her support for Emerald Springs and Cypress Springs.

“Traditions give a sense of identity and cohesion. Traditions provide comfort, familiarity and continuity, emotional anchors. Traditions show what we hold dear and our value reinforcers. Traditions are a celebration of our heritage, allowing us to celebrate our roots and unify with those in our town,” Williams said. “Please do not take these traditions from our children and from our community. Please uphold our traditions and save our springs.”

During the board’s discussion, trustee Shanda DeLeon explained that it’s not in policy that the schools must have “springs” in the name, however, every DSISD Board of Trustees has done so. She added that there have been some conversations surrounding Driftwood Springs not existing as a spring, but that could possibly later be brought forward to the Texas Water Development Board, since there are hundreds of unnamed springs in the Texas Hill Country.

Trustee Kim Cousins said that she loves living in a community where people feel like these decisions matter, as there are other districts where a second high school is being built, but nobody shows up to the meetings or provides input: “You stood here tonight behind the microphone and taking time out of your busy, busy evenings at home, where you could be spending time with your families and this shows to me that this is important.”

She continued that she was torn between the top contenders — Driftwood Springs High School and Driftwood High School — but what she has really looked at is the input from the students, who are going to attend the school, build pride and start traditions.

“I never really kind of imagined this town with a high school or a building or any elementary, middle or high school without springs attached to it, but at one point, I have to listen to what the majority of the people are saying and that's what I'm listening to. I value your time, I value your care,” Cousins said. “I love that you care about where you live and how things are named and how they're going to proceed. I'm following my heart. I'm following the work of the committee. I'm following how I feel. I'm following how I have heard what people have said and to me, it's just been crystal clear and loud what they want and I just want that on the record.”

Later in the meeting, trustee Rob McClelland emphasized his support for Driftwood Springs High School because it “strikes the right balance” by honoring the history and heritage of a broader community that helped build the district over 150 years, but it also gives students the opportunity to create their own traditions.

Ultimately, the campus will be known as Driftwood Springs High School, following a 6-1 vote by the board of trustees. Cousins was the dissenting vote.

The board will continue its discussions on the mascot, colors and overall branding in June.

To listen to the full meeting, visit www.dsisdtx.us/page/board-meeting-livestream.

“You've got two women who are running the city. You've got a woman publisher of one of the local newspapers. You have a woman running the Dripping Springs school district,” she emphasized. “You have a woman who is overseeing the chamber of commerce. You have two women who … along with the Lions Club, oversee one of the city's most beloved events: Christmas on Mercer.”

Sullivan, who serves as the city’s People & Communications director, is also the face behind her company, The Happiness Element, which helps organizations and individuals find the joy in their life again. She also started a women’s retreat eight years ago, hosting them in Texas — with the first at Camp Lucy in Dripping Springs — New Mexico, Massachusetts and Florida.

Through hosting the retreats, Sullivan found that she wanted to do something more and uplift the women who give the community their all, thus creating the not-so-typical WOW Awards.

“I wanted to make this more fun, whimsical [and about] what women are,” she said. “I wanted to make them different, that still celebrated the women, but did it in a fun and uplifting and inspirational way because that's what the women are doing.”

Currently, according to The Happiness Element website, the awards are categorized as:

•   “The Pillar of Power Award” — for a woman whose leadership has created a lasting impact after she leaves the room and has lifted others as she rises

•   “The Watch Her Soar Award” — celebrates an emerging leader who is just getting started, but is already making waves and lighting the way forward

•   “The Ripple Effect Award” — recognizes a woman whose actions make a meaningful difference in the lives of others; she strengthens the heart of community through service, passion and purpose.

•   “The Hometown Heroine Award” — embodies the spirit, warmth and soul of Dripping Springs and is considered to be the heartbeat of the community

•   “The Fearless Founder Award” — forges her own path with courage and conviction, challenges the status quo, opens doors for others and shows what is possible

•   “The She Brings Us Together Award” — brings people together and builds meaningful relationships

•   “The Boss Lady Energy Award” — honors a woman business owner who leads with vision, resilience and heart

•   “The Adorable Badass Award” — boldly shows up as her authentic self and unapologetically powerful, is the perfect blend of heart and hustle, dances to live amid challenges and advocates for women with kindness, grace and joy.

Sullivan concluded that she also wanted to give back to the city of Dripping Springs, where she has lived and poured into for nearly 20 years.

“I just adore this community and I love the women that I have met. They are so amazing — from women with health issues that are still inspiring people, to the women who are working full-time jobs yet raising kids,” she said. “I wanted to do something to give back to Dripping Springs because it has given so much to me.”

Nominations for the WOW Awards will open at the end of May or early June, with finalized categories and requirements also expected by that time. The awards will be judged by an independent panel of women from outside of Dripping Springs and from the six nominees, three finalists and one winner will be selected in each category.

The awards will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at Canyonwood Ridge, located at 250 S. Canyonwood Drive, Dripping Springs, with lunch, a keynote speaker, artists showcase, marketplace and more in store.

Keep up-to-date on when the nominations are available and find more information at www.happinesselement.com/wow.