HUTTO — With the fall 2025 opening of Lee Martinez Elementary School approaching, the Hutto Independent School District board has approved new zones for the upcoming school year at its Jan. 23 meeting.
Trustees also approved amendments to the District of Innovation Plan regarding discipline and teacher contract days.
No changes have been made to the map since the Dec. 12 meeting, which can be seen on the school district website at hipponation.org/bond2023/ elementary-attendance-rezoning- process.
“There have been no changes since the presentation on Dec. 12,” Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dustin Barton told trustees. “The primary changes were, obviously, adding Lee Martinez, and so, we’re splitting and providing relief for Cottonwood, Hutto Elementary and Ray Elementary with this proposal.”
Soon, Hutto ISD will launch software on its website where families can easily search which zone they reside in using their home address, officials said.
Along with the new zones, a “grandfathering” policy was finalized at the recommendation of trustees at that Dec. 12 meeting.
Families affected by the rezoning with a rising fourth grader this school year can request for their students to remain at their current campus for the 2025-26 school year, allowing them to finish fifth grade with their peers.
In regard to younger siblings of these fourth graders — future and current pre-kindergartners through third graders — families may apply for a transfer so that the siblings aren’t split between two campuses. In this case, transfer application fees will be waived.
However, the school district will not provide transportation for these students who choose to remain at their current campus despite changed zones.
Hutto ISD will soon begin the design phase of elementary No. 9, according to a presentation by Casey Sledge of Sledge Engineering, who is leading the school district’s capital improvement projects.
The school district aims to open this new campus by fall 2027.
Next on the agenda, trustees unanimously approved — 5-0, with board Vice President Shannon Jacobs and board Secretary Shara Turner absent — 14 amendments to the District of Innovation Plan, which is currently active for 2022-27.
In accordance with state House Bill 1842, Texas school districts may create a plan to become a “district of innovation,' exempting themselves from requirements in the Texas Education Code that 'inhibit the goals of the plan.”
“When we talk about our District of Innovation Plan, and we’re exempting ourselves from some of the things that (the Texas Education Agency) requires, we’re sometimes saying we just want local control. We’re not saying that we won’t do certain things, but that we want control in how we do certain things,” Chief of Schools Cara Malone told trustees.
Many amendments Malone proposed refer to how the school district may address student behavior.
Following the topic of inter-district transfers, the school district is exempting itself from following a oneyear commitment for these types of transfer under the code in order to address rare instances these students may need disciplinary action, such as being suspended (in or out of school), placed in a disciplinary alternative program (DAEP) or expelled.
These inter-district transfer students, as well as those who don’t meet the 90% attendance standard, may have their transfer status revoked by the superintendent.
Next, school districts may not place students below third grade in outof- school suspension unless the student engages in behaviors that include weapons, violent offenses or being under the influence, according to the education code.
However, Malone said students who engage in “persistent misbehaviors” that are harmful to themselves or others may not understand the seriousness of their behaviors since administrators are limited in how they can respond.
“The district will establish a district protocol to facilitate appropriate disciplinary steps to address the behavior of students in grades three and below,” Malone’s presentation read.
In a similar manner, another amendment proposed revising the wording of a TEC rule from only allowing the school district to place students engaging in “serious misbehavior” in a DAEP to including students engaging in “persistent misbehavior.”
Also during the meeting, trustees approved the 2025-26 academic calendar, which reflected the changes to the minimum amount of teacher contract days and minutes of instruction.
To boost morale and aid recruiting efforts, Malone proposed exempting Hutto ISD from requiring a minimum of 187 service days in a 10-month contract. For the upcoming academic year, Hutto ISD educators will have a minimum of 185 service days.
In addition, Hutto ISD is exempting itself from the minimum of 75,600 instructional minutes under the state education code, so it can alter school days, modify start and stop times and allow for early release or late days to best meet local needs.
Without this District of Innovation Plan exemption, school districts only receive exemptions from this commitment when the TEA commissioner grants it in the event of disasters or other emergencies.
Trustees also named Ryan Robison, currently head golf coach at Hutto ISD, as the new director of finance.
Robison received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Texas Tech University, according to his LinkedIn profile.
