What you need to know
The district will present on the attendance zoning process and timeline, as well as projected enrollments and demographic information. “Starter maps” of the potential attendance zones, created by the Attendance Zoning Committee and the district’s demographer, will also be shown. The Attendance Zoning Committee consists of community members who create areas, or zones, to outline which school a student will attend based on where they live.
District administration and the Attendance Zoning Committee have been working on options for starter maps since August, according to the DSISD website. Feedback from community meetings will be reviewed by district administration and the committee before presenting a recommendation to the board of trustees in December.
The new attendance zones would go into effect in fall 2025.
How we got here
As Dripping Springs sees new growth, various schools in the district are at overcapacity, according to DSISD officials. For the current 2024-25 academic year alone, 8,900 students are enrolled, which is over the capacity limit of 8,850 students, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Construction of a sixth elementary school began in June. The new elementary school, slated to open fall 2025, will alleviate overcrowding at Walnut Springs Elementary School, Dripping Springs Elementary School and Sycamore Springs Middle School. The elementary school, located in the Headwaters neighborhood off Mira Vista Drive, will be for pre-K through fifth grade and is estimated to accommodate 850 students.
The district is also working to expand Sycamore Springs Middle School to increase capacity from 850 to 1,200 students. The expansion is set to be completed in spring 2025.
While renovations continue, the district must adjust attendance zones as student capacity shifts across the district, DSISD Superintendent Holly Morris-Kuentz said in a board meeting Aug. 26.
“That's going to change some of our capacity for elementary and middle school, which means we're going to be rezoning for all elementary schools and middle schools over the fall,” she said.
Stay tuned
The community meetings to present information on attendance rezoning updates will be held:
- Thursday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Center for Learning & Leadership, 300 Sportsplex Drive, Dripping Springs
- Tuesday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Center for Learning & Leadership, 300 Sportsplex Drive, Dripping Springs
