Three public community meetings are coming up next week as a way to get input on what qualities and characteristics people would like to see in the next Ector County Independent School District superintendent.
Jim Nelson was named interim superintendent following the resignation of Tom Crowe.
The ECISD board of trustees hired Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates in November to conduct the search for a new school chief.
The meetings are scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 8 in the ECISD board room at the administration building, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave.; 7 p.m. in the Permian High School cafeteria, 1800 E. 42nd St.; and 7 p.m. Jan. 9 in the Odessa High School cafeteria, 1301 N. Dotsy Ave.
There also is a community survey people can take by following https://www.ectorcountyisd.org/Domain/8943.
Board President Doyle Woodall said representatives from HYA would be conducting the meetings.
Woodall added that the gatherings are very important to the community.
“We need to make sure we get the right fit for Odessa. Without input from the citizens, I don’t know how we can do that. I don’t expect to see a lot of people at the meetings because usually we don’t. But I would love the see the place packed out. I really would,” Woodall said.
He added that he hoped a lot of people are taking the survey off the ECISD website.
“Odessa is a unique community in a lot of ways. It’s very, very important that we get this right,” Woodall said.
At a previous board meeting, HYA senior associate Rick Berry said the vote to name a lone finalist will likely be in April.
Berry said the projected date is April 8, but that could be pushed back to the middle of April. The contract would be approved by the end of April or first day of May and the district would probably want a superintendent to report July 1, he has said.
