University of Texas Permian Basin STEM Academy and Ector County ISD will officially partner starting July 1.
The performance agreement between the two entities was approved by the ECISD Board of Trustees in March. STEM will become a part of ECISD but maintain its charter independence.
A STEM Task Force of parents, teachers and university leaders was formed about three years ago to identify viable options that addressed the goals of maintaining the STEM academic model; maintaining access for teachers, staff and students; and providing a pathway for permanent facilities to meet the long-term needs of the school. The task force worked for about two years.
Shannon Davidson, superintendent of STEM Academy, who will become executive director when the agreement begins, said for the most part the school day will feel much the same as it is now.
“… We worked very hard to keep our teachers on board. We worked hard to keep our students rolled over and continue on with us. So for the most part, everything will feel very much like it does now the only change for our students really is some more opportunities for them. They will have food services, so we will have breakfast and lunch for our students next year which is a big change. The kids have been bringing sack lunches for the last eight years, so I think they’re excited about that,” Davidson said.
“We’ll have some transportation with ECISD, so that will be exciting. Then also we’re working with ECISD on fine arts and athletics for our kids in secondary, so middle school and high school,” she added.
Davidson said they will start with individual sports like tennis, track, cross country, swimming and golf.
“… We’re looking to align it to our schedule the best we can for students to either take those sports and fine arts first thing in the morning, or at the very end of the day,” Davidson said. “They’ll go to their home campus if they weren’t coming to stem, they would go to whatever campus they would have normally been assigned to to participate in that sport or fine art.”
Most of the activities STEM Academy has are offered at ECISD in some form or fashion.
“Our big ones are robotics, Destination Imagination, of course, Honor Society, StuCo (student council), UIL academics so those are all activities that some of the other schools have, as well,” she added.
Davidson said Destination Imagination fits right in with STEM curriculum because it’s project-based learning and it’s STEM-based, too. It’s really engineering and science meets theater, so it’s kind of a unique combination,” Davidson added.
The school will still be located on the UTPB campus.
“A lot of our community has asked, are we going to grow because we’re now partnering with ECISD. The answer to that is we just don’t have space to grow right now. We’re using every single classroom, every single space available to us right now,” she said.
They have not talked about putting up another portable at this time, Davidson added.
STEM Academy has 775 students in kindergarten through 12. It graduated its first senior class last year and is working on its second this year.
The senior class this year has 38 students and last year’s had 52 students.
“… Normally, kinder through eighth we have full enrollment but starting ninth grade on, we’ve had a hard time keeping full enrollment in our high school because a lot of the kids have chosen to go to ECISD to do the sports and fine arts,” Davidson said.
She said she believes having those options available for students will give the school a boost.
“I think it’s going to be great for us because a lot of times when the when the students leave it’s a hard choice for them to make … But sports and fine arts are calling their name and they want some different opportunities. So I think this will be really great for the culture of our high school, especially,” Davidson said.
For now, the school will keep a summer program for students.
“It is one of our goals to eventually add some of those STEM-based summer camps. We’re excited about those, but that’s not something that we’re going to implement this school year. Our goal would be the following school year,” Davidson said.
She added that the academy has had many meetings with ECISD departments and staff to ease the transition.
She noted that there will be some title changes to go with the change.
Davidson said parents want football and soccer.
“… We’re not closing the door permanently on that. We’re just not implementing that next school year. Also we’ve had some concerns from our Midland County on whether our Midland County students can participate in some of the sports and fine arts. … So those are just some little concerns that have popped up. But no objections. I think everybody’s excited about the new opportunities and I think it’s hard to deny that this is going to be a good thing for our students. Our students really get to have that exceptional learning experience that they’ve had here at STEM with all these added opportunities and services such as the food and transportation,” Davidson said.
About 10 to 15 percent of their students come from Midland County, she said.
Food service will be provided by ECISD.
“That’s actually going to be very interesting because we don’t have a cafeteria here on campus and so what ECISD is going to do is they’re going to prep it and bring it over to us each morning and each afternoon for lunch. That’s a lot of work,” Davidson said.
“It should be exciting for our kids because it will be hot meals,” she added.
On police coverage, Davidson said they will be working with ECISD police and the department will provide an officer.
“The reasoning behind that was because the students are technically ECISD students, so it kind of makes a little more sense. However, they will have to collaborate with the UTPB police because we are sitting on the UTPB campus. If anything happened in the area, they would have to talk together and collaborate with each other. That’s going to work out just fine,” Davidson said.
She added that it’s her understanding that the UTPB and ECISD police chiefs get along well.
Candi Sikes, who will become director of curriculum and instruction, said transitional pieces pop up that they haven’t thought of and they have to figure them out.
Davidson said both police chiefs are completely on board and willing to make this work.
“… I haven’t run across anybody who’s worried about it,” she added.
Sikes said every department they have reached out to, the communication has been open and quick.
“Everyone’s been very friendly and ready to jump on and help us solve any little questions or issues that have popped up. That’s been very pleasant when you’re already trying to figure things out to have a collaboration and a team,” Sikes said.
Part of the performance agreement with ECISD is that STEM Academy has full autonomy over its curriculum and instruction, Sikes said.
“And under that umbrella is our teacher professional development and training. For the most part, we will still provide our own professional development based on the needs of our students, but with that partnership, we’ll have the opportunity to participate in the ones that they provide because they have just a large network. Their resources would be a great pool for our teachers, if it’s something that we can’t provide here, or an extension to what our students might need, so we’re excited for that as well,” Sikes said.
STEM could also invite other campus teachers to STEM for their professional development.
Sikes noted that they will also have access to the Office of Innovation at ECISD.
“… We are reaching out and talking to them as well, because that feeds right into our learning opportunities with the students. I’m very, very excited about some of the programs that they offer over there,” she added.
The hands-on, authentic learning, having someone to bounce ideas off of and getting creative also will be a plus, Sikes said.
Although STEM will soon be linked with ECISD, Davidson said she doesn’t mind.
“… Change is hard sometimes, but I’m feeling like there’s a lot of safety nets and a lot of extra supports that we will have by working with ECISD. Again, they are the experts in the community when it comes … to K-12 education and they have a lot of great people working out there that we can now pick up the phone and ask for help and support and so I’m actually not nervous about that,” Davidson said.
Sikes said there is something to be said about established systems and programs and using those resources.
“We already reached out sometimes anyway, but now I feel more confident …,” Sikes said.
ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said the district is excited to welcome almost 800 students from the STEM Academy and all their teachers, administrators and faculty members.
“We look forward to really a healthy relationship with them and exploring the possibilities. When you think about a public school system and a university coming together to create opportunities for kids, the sky’s the limit,” Muri said.
“(UTPB President) Dr. (Sandra) Woodley and I have a very healthy relationship. She’s been great through this processes and she and I both look forward to what could be (and) what will be in the future as we think about opportunities to collaborate. We’re thrilled and happy to welcome them to the family,” Muri said.
