Hays CISD board trustees approved spending $19,742 for a data-compiling agreement with The University of Texas at Austin Ray Marshall Center during their meeting on Monday night.

The agreement helps HCISD track where its students go and what they do after they graduate.

While HCISD originally partnered with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the school district decided to directly work with the Ray Marshall Center to get a more in-depth report that would project long-term trends on the district's graduates.

According to the agreement, the center will provide the school district analysis on the results of a survey conducted on HCISD juniors and seniors and the post-secondary outcomes for the class of 2017. The center will also compile data on college and employment outcomes for graduates from 2008-16, which would include college enrollment, retention and graduation rates, and employment outcomes for graduates who do not enroll in college, those who complete college, and those who are still enrolled or have dropped out of college.

Trustee Esperanza Orosco said she hopes the district actively uses this information to better the district unlike previous years.

The data should ready to use by Sept. 30.