Trustees approve $100 million budget for new school year

The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 2024-25 fiscal year budget at its meeting on June 24.

The $100.4 million operating budget, less recapture, allocates 84% of its budget inr payroll for nearly 1,100 district employees. The remaining 16% of the budget will be used for classroom supplies, utilities, professional development, transportation, safety, and travel.

2024-2025

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

The budget includes a 1% pay increase for staff and increased health insurance premiums. It also reduces the district’s personnel by 23 full-time equivalent positions, saving $967,500. The district will increase the student- to-teacher ratio in Pre-K of 20 to 1; and second through third grade classes to to 23 to 1.

Other highlights include: - Efficiencies in secondary master schedules - Repurposing CL&I aides - Reducing 1.0 lunch monitor at elementary campuses - Reallocating positions to align with staffing guidelines - Restructuring and moving special education positions to use federal funds Trustees praised DSISD Chief Financial Officer Gina Mitschke for her staff’s hard work in delivering a budget that allowed the district to increase staff pay at a time when other districts in the state are facing austere cuts and in some cases, closing campuses.

Trustee Kim Cousins emphasized the importance of daily attendance for funding. “Funding is tied to student attendance every day that attendance is taken,” Cousins said. The basic allotment from the state of Texas to the district is $6,160 per student, unchanged since 2019.

The district’s average daily attendance rate is projected to be 95.25%. Attendance is taken at 8:45 a.m. for elementary school, 9:45 a.m. for middle school, and 10:50 a.m. for high school. Cousins added that increasing the average daily attendance rate by just 1% could generate an additional $700,000 to the district per school year.

NO INCREASE IN TAX RATE EXPECTED

“We’re committed to keeping our tax rate as low as possible,” said Trustee Rob McClelland, noting that while other districts have been forced to increase their tax rates, DSISD has avoided such measures.

The board is expected to keep this year’s tax rate similar to 2023, despite an increase in the homestead exemption to $100,000. The proposed property tax rate is $1.1052 per $100 valuation, slightly less than last year’s rate of $1.1075 per $100 valuation. In April 2024, the district was informed to expect a 5.11% increase in local property values.

The board is expected to adopt the final tax rate in August or September.

For more information about the adopted budget, visit www.dsisdtx . us.