Round Rock ISD Year in Review
• In November the Round Rock ISD board of trustees swore in newly elected trustees Suzi David, Place 5, and Nikki Gonzalez, Place 1.
• The board of trustees unanimously adopted a $374 million budget for the 2015-16 school year—a $12.7 million increase in revenue from the prior year’s budget. Revenue increases are largely due to $9 million in additional funding from the state and an increase in tax revenue from properties in the district, according to Randy Staats, the district’s chief financial officer. RRISD had an increase of more than 650 students in the 2015-16 year, Staats said.
• The board of trustees adopted a Freeport Tax exemption in June. Before the exemption, RRISD applied the tax to companies with inventory that was brought into Texas for manufacturing and exported out of the state within 175 days. The board and the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce said they expect the exemption to draw more manufacturers into the city and boost the local economy.
Pflugerville ISD Year in Review
• Dearing Elementary School opened in August 2014. Located at 4301 Gattis School Road, the school was built to accommodate population growth on Pflugerville’s northeast side. Its first year’s enrollment was 550 students.
• In October 2014, Pflugerville ISD announced the location of High School No. 4 on Weiss Lane between Pflugerville Parkway and Pecan Street. Two weeks later, Pflugerville residents approved a bond to significantly repair portions of Weiss.
• In May, Pflugerville and Hendrickson high schools were named among nation’s best high schools by U.S. News & World Report. Pflugerville High School was ranked at 1,612 and Hendrickson was ranked at 1,788 among 6,517 high schools nationally.
Hutto ISD Year in Review
• In April the school district began construction on its sixth elementary school, Norman Elementary School. The 92,000-square foot facility will be located in the Riverwalk Community in Hutto.
• In May, Hutto ISD approved a high school equivalency program. The program will provide an alternative for students at risk of dropping out of high school.
• In June, HISD Superintendent Douglas Killian was named the Region 13 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards. Killian was hired in 2010 and was named the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce 2014 Superintendent of the Year.
