The Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees approved long-time DSISD counselor Retta Ary as the new Director of Counseling & Health Services at the Sept. 23 meeting.
“We are thrilled to promote Retta Ary to Director of Counseling & Health Services,” said Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Innovation Dr. Karen Kidd. “Retta’s ability to form strong relationships with staff and students and her experience shaping the counseling program here at DSISD made her a frontrunner for this position. Her dedication to this district and community is unmatched and we are excited to see how she will continue to build our counseling and health services departments.”
As the Director of Counseling & Health Services, Ary will oversee the planning and implementation of a district-wide comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program, and provide leadership, coordination, and support for the district’s health services program, with emphasis on providing counseling support to schools and fostering physical and mental health and wellness so that students can reach optimum achievement.
Now in her 12th year in DSISD, Ary has served as the Coordinator of Counseling Services since 2023 after spending 10 years as the Lead Counselor for Dripping Springs High School. In her current role, Ary has spearheaded the implementation of the Effective Advising Framework, which supports the development of an individualized student planning system in the areas of college/career, social and personal, academic and financial literacy. Ary also mentors 24 DSISD counselors, plans and presents district counseling professional development, coordinates the McKinney-Vento program and serves on the Crisis Support Team.
Prior to arriving in Dripping Springs, Ary served six years as a counselor for Dawson High School in Pearland. She received a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Education from the University of Alabama and a Masters of Education in School Counseling from the University of West Alabama.