BACKGROUND

In November of 2019, the Long-Range Facility Planning Committee (LRFPC) was formed to plan for the next 5-10 years of student growth in Dripping Springs ISD. The committee, comprised of 50 community members and staff, held five meetings over the next six months before pausing due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic including potential implications on future student enrollment. The committee reconvened in October 2021 and held six meetings before presenting recommendations to the DSISD Board of Trustees on February 28, 2022. Following the LRFPC recommendations, DSISD moved forward with gathering community feedback on the recommendations with four in-person meetings and an online community survey in April 2022.

In May, the Citizens' Bond Steering Committee (CBSC) was formed with 17 stakeholders who represent diverse backgrounds and expertise, including but not limited to, parents of DSISD students of all ages, long-time and newer residents, business owners, and local real estate, finance, and construction professionals. The CBSC took the work of the LRFPC and developed a recommendation to present to the Board of Trustees in July 2022. 

The work on the May 2023 bond began following the November election with a series of Board workshops to regroup and develop a plan to serve the district’s rising student enrollment and capital improvement requests. These workshops focused on reviewing and confirming the project requests, understanding the reasons why voters rejected the district’s November 2022 bond propositions, analyzing line item pricing, including the analysis and validation by an outside third-party pricing consultant, tours of the district’s oldest properties to view the renovation and repair requests, and developing different packaging options for consideration.