MESSAGE FROM DSISD BOARD PRESIDENT

August 16, 2021

Message From Board President Barbara Stroud:

The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees is convening a special meeting this evening for the sole purpose of receiving an informational briefing from legal counsel regarding the evolving state and local orders on face masks in public schools. A briefing for the entire board can only be done in a posted meeting. The board will not take any action at tonight’s meeting.

The board will go directly into closed session after convening the meeting at 6 p.m. The closed session will be followed by the opportunity for public comment on agenda items as at all of our special meetings. Public comment will be reduced to 1.5 minutes per person from the usual 3 minutes at this evening’s meeting, in order to allow families and staff to get home at a reasonable hour and be well rested for the first day of school tomorrow.

It is important to reiterate that the board will take no action at tonight’s meeting. We always encourage and appreciate public comment at our meetings. However, no community member should feel that they have to attend our meeting to make their concerns known. Having received hundreds of passionate emails from community members on both sides of the mask issue, we understand your concerns on both sides of the issue. We appreciate your patience and partnership as we all navigate these challenges together and we respectfully ask that audience members refrain from outbursts, interruptions and applause during public comment this evening. We all have the same goals - a productive and safe learning environment for all of our students with all campuses open for in-person learning. We must navigate these challenges together in a kind and respectful manner.