Dripping Springs ISD trustees approved a fiscal year 2023-24 budget with 61% dedicated to payroll, totaling a $122.8 million general fund budget for the fiscal year.

What you may have missed

In a May 22 meeting of the trustees, a 3% pay increase for teachers and staff was approved for 2023-24. Additionally, the board voted to nearly double the amount of school resource officers, or SROs, to campuses.

The majority of the budget is for payroll, Deputy Superintendent Elaine Cogburn said.

The breakdown


The approved budget includes:
  • General fund expenditures totaling about $122.83 million
  • Debt service fund expenditures totaling about $40.73 million
  • Child nutrition services fund expenditures totaling about $4.73 million
The general fund expenditures includes:
  • 3% salary increase for all staff
  • Bus driver pay of $30 per hour
  • Bus monitor pay of $16 per hour
  • Increase in employer health care contributions to $330 per month, a $30 increase
  • Child nutrition services pay $18 per hour
  • Custodial pay $16 per hour
  • Addition of 36 full-time employees
  • Seven SROs on campuses
Revenue for the general fund includes:
  • Local sources, about $110.88 million
  • State sources, about $8.75 million
  • Federal sources, $720,000
The district’s budget is based on enrollment of 8,854 students and an estimated property value growth of 20.43%.

Recapture for the 2023-24 fiscal year is projected to be $33.4 million, which is about 27% of the general fund budget.

What’s next


The 2023-24 budget will take effect July 1 and will be amended as necessary through June 2024.

The district will adopt the 2023-24 tax rate until no later than Sept. 30, after certified property value appraisals of both Travis and Hays county are collected in July and brought to the Texas Education Agency, which will then give the district a notice to proceed with a tax rate adoption.

The current tax rate for 2022-23 is $1.2929 per $100 property valuation.

For more information, visit www.dsisdtx.us.