DSISD BOND ELECTION VALIDATED

District Court in Travis County ruled on Tuesday August 14ththat the Dripping Springs ISD May 5thBond Election was valid, ruling against a legal challenge from “Citizens for Excellent Education,” The ruling applies to both the election contest lawsuit and the district’s request for declaratory judgment.

DSISD issued a statement stating, “We are pleased that today’s ruling means our school community will be able to move forward with a $132 million bond program that will benefit every student in our district, and do so without raising the property tax rate. More than 100 community members and parents generously gave of their time and expertise to help the district identify the more than 40 projects that went before voters in May, and we are grateful for all who participated in the process.

DSISD also said it would swiftly move forward with implementing its infrastructure growth. “We now will quickly begin plans and designs to update and build new educational facilities that will accommodate rapid growth and elevate the educational experience for our DSISD learners. We welcome community stakeholder input in the process, and plan to re-engage the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee to provide feedback on current and future plans to improve district facilities,” DSISD said.

Citizens for Excellent Education also issued a post judgment statement, which stated, “Despite Dripping Springs ISD and Hays County Elections not disputing most of our case’s underlying evidence, the judge sided in favor of DSISD’s high-priced lawyers’ creative interpretation of law—and further ruled that DSISD’s and Hays County Election’s many mistakes were not sufficient cause to overturn DSISD’s May 5th Bond Election. One thing is abundantly clear: both DSISD and Hays County Elections believe their many mistakes were insignificant. And be assured: many actionable discoveries have already been made over the course of this Election Contest, and this information will help us in our fight to bring good governance to our school board.”

Citizens for Excellent Education also said it would look at its alternatives. “At this juncture, we are considering our remaining legal remedies, and we remain steadfast in our fight. A more comprehensive update on today’s trial will be coming soon,” the group said.