Cypress Springs Elementary (11091 Darden Hill Rd.) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 6:00-7:00 p.m., to celebrate the opening of the new school. The CSE event will include the Sycamore Springs Middle School band as guests arrive between 5:45-6:00 p.m., and the new school song will be introduced during the program. Following a brief program guests will be able to go on self-guided tours; several key areas will be highlighted.
The Dripping Springs ISD Transportation Department is committed to providing safe and efficient transportation to DSISD students, in support of the district's educational functions and school activities. In our 200-square-mile district, the department runs 165 routes every day transporting more than 2,000 students and covering more than 4,000 miles. Our buses also transport students for more than 1,000 extracurricular trips each school year. While school districts are not required by the state of Texas to provide student transportation to and from school (a state requirement does exist for transporting students who receive special services), DSISD believes strongly that this is an important service to provide to our families.
The 2021-22 school year is presenting unprecedented challenges due to staffing shortages in student transportation departments, not only in our district, but in school districts across the state. DSISD Transportation currently has 12 openings for drivers. In addition to the staffing shortage, the availability of route drivers is affected when a driver is out.
When faced with this situation, Transportation administrators are implementing creative solutions. In many cases, other employees in the department are stepping away from their assigned positions to drive routes. Some of the tactics that have been implemented include combining routes, usually on a temporary basis, or splitting a route that does not have a driver into several parts and assigning students to other buses. The impact of combining routes is that pick-up and drop-off times may be modified as this action generally results in longer routes. The DSISD Transportation Department is contacting families who may experience schedule changes directly. We ask for continued understanding and patience of parents as we work hard to continue providing high-quality transportation to our families.
DSISD is looking for candidates to join the Transportation team! Current open positions include drivers, bus mechanics, and bus aides. Starting pay for DSISD drivers is $18.75 per hour and up, depending on experience. They receive full-time benefits and a $500 signing incentive for new employees. The district pays for all required training for new drivers. Please share information on this opportunity with anyone in the community who might be interested!
Three students represented Dripping Springs ISD over the summer at the 2021 Lone Star Leadership Academy camp hosted by the non-profit organization Education in Action. Students were nominated by educators to participate based on demonstrated leadership ability, academic success, and involvement in school/community activities.
Dripping Springs High School sophomore Natalee Scholl and freshmen Ryder Trent and Ella Newman were among 736 students who attended one of three leadership camps.
During the week-long, overnight camps in the Houston area, students developed leadership skills while learning about their state through visits to notable and historically significant sites. Venues included places such as NASA, a boat tour of Galveston Bay with a marine biologist, the San Jacinto Battleground Monument, and Moody Gardens. In addition, professionals at sites visited introduced students to a wide variety of unique careers during each camp.
The Lone Star Leadership Academy experience provides a unique opportunity for outstanding students to learn about Texas leaders and what it means to be from the Lone Star State. Participants discuss what they learn, complete problem solving and decision-making simulations, exercise creativity, and practice presentation skills in Leadership Groups.
