BUDA — Parents across Hays CISD are divided over the district’s new attendance policy, which states that a student could be unenrolled if they are absent without contact for five days. The policy was adopted by the board of trustees on Aug. 28. The policy states, “The district may initiate withdrawa...

(Editor's Note: This story was updated at 10:18 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20 to include the cost of Hays CISD joining the lawsuit) BUDA — Hays CISD is joining a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency (TEA). At its meeting on Monday, Sept. 19, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved t...

BUDA — The new fine arts wing at Dahlstrom Middle School (DMS) — which includes the school’s new band hall and music rooms — will be named after Leroy Gerdes. Gerdes, who taught and directed bands for 44 years, including 34 in Hays CISD, was the original band director for DMS in 1985 when the campus...

HAYS COUNTY — In an effort to keep students safe, Hays CISD has implemented a dismissal order at all campuses that requires walkers to be the last to leave. Under the new policy, bus riders will be the first dismissed, then parent pickup, student drivers and student walkers. Earlier this year, a stu...

BUDA — “I realized that these students need their own class where they can be stars,” said Hays High School Head Theatre Director Lory Stewart, recalling why she developed the Adaptive Musical Theatre with Supportive Peers course in 2019. For the past 20-plus years, Stewart has been writing and dire...

Readers submitted photos of their children on the first day of school. Hays CISD and Dripping Springs ISD's first day was Tuesday, Aug. 15. Wimberley ISD will begin classes on Wednesday, Aug. 16.

HAYS COUNTY — In order to have up-to-date materials for students, Hays CISD is purchasing new textbooks for some Advanced Placement classes. On July 24, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the purchase of materials and support for Advanced Placement Biology 2 and Advanced Placement ...

HAYS COUNTY — The Hays CISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the purchase of additional buses last week. Totaling $1,522,012, the 2023 Bond purchase from Longhorn Bus Sales includes 10 buses, with seven for regular routes and three for special education. The timeframe for getting buses right n...

HAYS COUNTY — The fentanyl crisis has hit far too close to home. Since the summer of 2022, Hays CISD has experienced six student deaths related to fentanyl overdoses and poisonings. But it’s not just a local issue — more than 100,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdoses and poisonings in the 12...

BUDA — The Hays CISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the district’s 2023-24 Compensation Plan following a series of meetings about the proposal. During its agenda review meeting on June 20, the board was presented with the proposed 2023-24 compensation plan. The focus of the discussion revolv...