DSISD delays choosing new attendance zones

The planning and discussion of new attendance zones for the Dripping Springs Independent School District hit a snag during the Board of Trustees agenda review meeting on March 22. The Board was set to receive the proposed new attendance zone maps from the Attendance Zone Development Committee, but no final recommendation was provided at that time.

Originally, the projected date for the Board to approve new zones was March 29. On March 24 and March 26, the committee met to discuss feedback from the Board, review current options, and determine if any alternatives were feasible.

At the March 29 board meeting, PASA (Population and Survey Analysts) presented the updated demographic report. PASA President Stacey Tepera, P.h.D. stated that many long-range planning decisions depend on what the Board decides with the attendance zones now. However, none of the zoning options under review affects the need for two more elementary schools and a third middle school within the next five years. The sticking point with the maps remains middle school feeder plans and capacity limits at Sycamore Springs Middle School (SSMS).

After a robust discussion, the Attendance Zone Development Committee ultimately recommended Elementary Option E and Middle School Option

1 to the Board, which was also most popular among the community. The elementary zoning plan provides significant relief to Sycamore Springs Elementary (SSE) and some relief to Dripping Springs Elementary and Walnut Springs Elementary. The middle school option does not change the current middle school attendance zones, but creates the need for capacity to increase at SSMS immediately.

“Next school year, we’re okay,” Clint Pruett,

Director of Facilities and Construction said. “Two years, we would need a couple of additional portables. The third year is when it gets more critical… but would give us time to design and get a potential expansion on the ground.”

Despite expanding SSMS either with portables in the short-term or a construction expansion longer term, the demographic studies still suggest a third middle school is needed by 2026. This is due to expected overcrowding at Dripping Springs Middle School during the next few years.

Permanent middle school expansions and additional campuses would signal the need for a new bond. The district’s Long-Range Facility Planning Committee previously projected the need for a new bond to address middle schools in fall of 2021 or spring of 2022.

No action was taken on approving the committee’s recommendation. Boardmember Joanna Day asked the committee and PASA to provide a new middle school option with projections that would allow 100% of SSE students to feed into SSMS instead of splitting the elementary 60-40 under the current middle school zones.

Other topics such as how to use 2018 bond savings to purchase portables for SSMS, transportation needs, and a potential virtual learning option for middle schoolers that could provide capacity relief will also be discussed further. A decision on attendance zones is anticipated after a special board meeting on April 12.

To view the recording of the Board meeting, visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=h77zFqnB0lo.

For more information on attendance zones, visit https://www.dsisdtx.us/ Page/2789.

“Next school year, we’re okay. Two years, we would need a couple of additional portables. The third year is when it gets more critical… but would give us time to design and get a potential expansion on the ground.”

Clint Pruett

Director of Facilities and Construction