August 18, 2022

At a special meeting on August 18, the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-1 to call for a $481.1 million bond referendum. The bond package includes funding for: 

PROPOSITION A - $199,280,000* 

• Build Elementary School #6 - $62,872,000 

• Expand Sycamore Springs MS to 1200 Capacity - $30,830,400 

• Purchase Land for Future Facilities - $15,000,000 
• Design for Elementary School #7 (Complete Design Through Construction Documents) - $2,500,000 

• Design Middle School #3 (Schematic Design) - $600,000 

• Dripping Springs Elementary School Lifecycle Replacements and Renovations - $17,448,750 

• Dripping Springs Middle School Lifecycle Replacements and Renovations - $35,169,580 

• Dripping Springs High School Replace Approximately 120,000 SF of Roofing - $3,074,000 

• Dripping Springs High School Replace Competition Gym Floor and Retrofit 3 Gyms with LED Lighting  - $587,500 

• Replace Pressure Reducing Valves on Various Campuses - $155,000 

• Dripping Springs High School Repair Civil Site Issue at Southside Tennis Courts - $165,500 

• Dripping Springs High School Life Skills Classroom Renovations - $845,000 

• Dripping Springs High School Health Services Classrooms Renovations - $164,000 

• Dripping Springs Elementary School Reconfigure CL&I and Maker Space - $194,800 

• Rooster Springs Elementary School Reconfigure CL&I and Maker Space - $194,800 

• Updated Sound and Lighting Systems in Spaces at Various Campuses - $1,280,000 

• Dripping Springs High School Lockers in Main Building and Fieldhouse - $274,000 

• Dripping Springs High School Outfit Lab Spaces for Chemistry - $448,500 

• Technology Lifecycle Replacements - $2,438,931 

• Campus Security & ADA Updates - $14,594,906

• New Buses and Vehicles to Replace Aging Fleet and Growth - $4,875,838 

• New Classroom Portables - $1,130,000 

• Child Nutrition Services (Kitchen) Equipment Replacements for Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs Middle School, Dripping Springs Elementary School, and Rooster Springs Elementary School - $1,264,000 

• New Facility for 18+ Program - $3,168,000 

PROPOSITION B - $275,350,000*

• Construct High School #2 - $275,350,000 

PROPOSITION C - $6,505,000* 

• Technology Lifecycle Replacements - $6,504,690 

A full detailed view of the package can be found here. 

Approval of the bond is not expected to result in a change to the current tax rate, which is $1.3103 ($0.9603 - Maintenance & Operations/$0.35-Interest & Sinking) per $100 of certified property value. Actual property tax bills are a product of the tax rate and the appraised property value. Increases in property value will increase a homeowner’s tax bill. By law, homeowners 65 years and older who have taken certain steps to apply for an exemption would not see an increase in their total school taxes above the amount at which their taxes were frozen (unless new improvements were constructed).

The bond proposal is the result of a thorough planning process conducted by the district that involved community members, parents, campus, and district staff. Beginning in 2019, the district’s Long-Range Facility Planning Committee (LRFPC) evaluated the current state of district facilities, reviewed school capacity and program models, and examined demographic data. Following the LRFPC process, a Citizens’ Bond Steering Committee (CBSC) was convened in May 2022 to take the recommendations of the LRFPC and consider bond project options and associated costs. The CBSC presented its recommendation to the Board of Trustees in July 2022.

Residents must be registered to vote in order to be eligible to vote in this bond election. The deadline to register to vote in the November general election is October 11, 2022. The first day of early voting in person is Monday, October 24. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail (received in the elections office, not postmarked) is October 28. The last day of early voting in person is November 4. Election day is Tuesday, November 8.  

*Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5,000