SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 VAX FOR KIDS
STUDIO TOUR
Pfizer vaccine soon ready for kids age 5 to 11.
Wimberley Studio Tour and Sale this weekend.
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News-Dispatch © Barton Publications, Inc.
75¢
HaysNewsDispatch.com
Vol. 41 • No. 52
Serving Hays County, TX
Dripping Springs school district considers lower tax rate
Hays CISD, DSISD kids challenged to destroy property as part of TikTok BY SAHAR CHMAIS What property has been taken down or destroyed in school bathrooms? Air dryers, perhaps paper towel dispensers – and even bathroom signs. These are some examples of how school kids are following a TikTok challenge, which asks kids to destroy items in school bathrooms. In schools across the nation, kids are taking down bathroom doors, destroying mirrors, taking down paper towel dispensers and more. Hays CISD students were not immune from participating in this challenge.
TIKTOK CHALLENGE, 6
Hays gets $400K for veterans services BY SAHAR CHMAIS Two veterans service systems received a combined $400,000 to aid Hays County veterans. Hays County Veterans Office was funded with $100,000, and the Hays County Veterans Treatment Court received $300,000 through the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC). The TVC awarded $6.8 million grants to veteran services across Central Texas, with a big-check ceremony held Wednesday, Sept. 15, at the Hays County Government Center.
VETERANS SERVICES, 6
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
DSISD board discusses remote instruction learning per SB15 BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
A resolution regarding remote learning was presented by Dr. Karen Kidd, Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Innovation, at the Dripping Springs ISD agenda review meeting on Monday. “Out of Senate Bill 15 and training and recommendation from Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), it’s recommended that the board adopt a resolution around remote learning,” Kidd said. The resolution approves a combination of remote synchronous and asynchronous instruction, with daily
School districts may only enroll up to 10% of their student body in remote learning.
attendance for remote instruction taken at 8:45 a.m. Per SB 15, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 1, local educational agencies (LEAs) may receive full average daily attendance (ADA) funding for students who attend local remote learning programs at any point during the 2021-22 school year, so long as the instruction meets requirements set by SB 15. Some eligibility re-
quirements for LEAs to provide remote instruction include a district-wide performance rating of C or higher for the 2018-19 school year, provide an option for on-campus instruction (remote learning may not be the sole option given), allow students enrolled in remote learning to participate in extracurricular activities, and periodically assess students’ remote learning progress. Additionally, school districts may only enroll up to
10% of their student body in remote learning. More information on SB 15 can be found on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. “We put together the items we need to specifically draw attention to, which is the attendance time and that we’re allowing both remote and in person,” Kidd said. “That’s two of the check boxes we’re looking for in the resolution to say we’ve met those requirements and are seeking board approval.” The board wants to move the item to the consent agenda for the board’s regular meeting on Sept. 27.
STATE NEWS
Black principal swept into a ‘critical race theory’ maelstrom in a mostly white Texas suburb BY BRIAN LOPEZ TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG
didn’t have and he wouldn’t It was June 3, 2020, let that and James Whitfield couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t go to waste. been able to sleep for At 4:30 the last several days. a.m., he As a Black man, the wrote a deaths of three Black WHITFIELD letter to Americans, George the school community Floyd, Breonna Taylor declaring that systemand Ahmaud Arbery, ic racism is “alive and weighed heavily on his well” and that they mind. Their slayings by needed to work together white people had been to achieve “conciliation dominating the news for our nation.” — sparking once again “Education is the key national conversations to stomping out ignoabout race and racism rance, hate, and sysin the United States. Last summer, protest temic racism,” Whitfield wrote. “It’s a necessary after protest made waves across the nation. conduit to get ‘liberty and justice for all.’” It was no different in Then, the feedback to Texas, and Whitfield, that letter was nothing who had weeks earlier short of spectacular, been named the first Whitfield said. He didn’t Black principal at Colhear a single negative leyville Heritage High comment. He felt there School, couldn’t just sit back. He said he felt like was a consensus in the community. But, a little he had a platform that over a year later, his other Black Americans
HISPANIC HERITAGE September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month.
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words would backfire. At a July 26 Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school board meeting, Stetson Clark, a former school board candidate at Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, would use the letter to accuse Whitfield of teaching and promoting “critical race theory.” At the podium, Clark named Whitfield four times, even though the board asked him not to criticize particular employees. The first time, someone in the audience yelled out, “How about you fire him?” Clark continued to name Whitfield, completely ignoring the rules, and called for the board to fire him. “He is encouraging the disruption and destruction of our district,” Clark said. When his time wrapped up, Clark walked away from the podium to cheers from the audience.
And in the ensuing days, Whitfield found himself at the center of the debate over how race is taught in Texas schools. He received a disciplinary letter from the district a few weeks later and was placed on administrative leave soon after that. On Monday, the school board met and recommended a proposal to not renew Whitfield’s contract for the 2022-2023 school year. Gema Padgett, executive director of human resources for GCISD, said this was recommended because of Whitfield’s evaluations, deficiencies in communications and insubordination. Padgett said Whitfield lied to the media and created division in the community. District officials made clear that the vote was
CRITICAL RACE THEORY, 7
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DSISD – Dripping Springs ISD is lowering its tax rate for 2021, and proposing to set the rate at $1.3103, but the average taxable value of homes within the district has risen in one year by 20.63%. Last year’s average taxable value of residences within the distict was $387,560 compared to this year at $467,544. The tax rate for 2020 was $1.3332. Interim CFO Larry Keiser presented the Dripping Springs ISD tax rate resolution during the DSISD agenda review board meeting on Monday. The tax rate per $100 valuation for the district for tax year 2021 is $1.3103, with $0.9603 for maintenance and operations, and $0.3500 for payment of principal and interest on debts. The resolution states that this tax rate will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate, because of the increases in valuations within the district. The board will adopt the tax rate resolution during its regular board meeting on Sept. 27.
Expect delays on US 290 West Travelers along US 290 West in Dripping Springs should expect some traffic delays as a realignment project begins on Friday, Sept. 24. Construction of a minor realignment at the intersection of Martin Road and a dedicated right turn lane addition on US 290 West, is a project by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Work will begin on or about Sept. 24 with a targeted completion in the spring of 2022. The right turn lane will include paving, drainage, signing and pavement markings. This addition will allow for more traffic volume to travel through the intersection, reducing travel times and improving safety at the intersec-
DELAYS ON 290, 6