Ector County ISD leaders issued a news release Wednesday saying they are excited by the passage of Proposition A, a school bond totaling more than $424 million dollars, that will bring new schools, new technology, new equipment, and major maintenance and repairs to facilities across the district. The unofficial results from the Ector County Elections Office show overwhelming support for the measure with 57% (5,557) voting For, and 43% (4,222) voting Against.
“The children of ECISD won in this election,” Superintendent Scott Muri said in the release. “Not just our current students but generations of students to come who will benefit from updated and new schools, new buses, new technology, new instruments and more.
“We cannot say thank you enough to everyone who took the time to vote for our kids and our staff.”
Proposition A, at $424,263,000 will provide the following:
- A new Career & Technical Education Center to be built on land donated by Grow Odessa, located in the industrial park on East Murphy Street. The Permian Strategic Partnership has pledged additional money toward the facility.
- A new middle school to be located in west Ector County on South Tripp Avenue.
- Districtwide maintenance and replacement of electrical systems, plumbing systems, heating/air conditioning systems, and more.
- A new Transportation facility, plus bus purchases.
- Technology items including replacement of districtwide phone system, PA/Bell/Clock/Fire Alarm system replacements; security camera refresh; classroom interactive flat panels; large group instruction area audio/visual equipment.
- A complete renovation of the Permian High School Auditorium and Theatre; replacement of outdated instruments; performance risers for all middle school choirs; classroom instruments for elementary campuses; uniforms for middle school bands and mariachi.
- JROTC facility needs.
- Compete replacement of the Transition Learning Center facility for students ages 18-21 with special needs learning to transition from school to the workforce.
- Complete replacement of classroom buildings and barns at the Ag Farm.
- LED lighting at the Odessa High School baseball and tennis stadiums; LED lighting at the Permian High School baseball stadium; resurfacing of tennis stadiums at all middle schools; replacement of indoor bleachers in main gyms of all middle schools.
“Our next steps are to evaluate each of the projects in Prop A and prioritize the ones we can begin first,” Muri said. “Accountability and transparency will be first and foremost. The Board of Trustees will establish a Bond Oversight Committee of community members, the school board will receive regular updates during their meetings, and a website will allow Ector County citizens to keep up with the progress.”
The two other propositions on the ballot did not pass. Voters denied Prop B, which would have provided upgrades to Ratliff Stadium and the surrounding complex, and voted down Prop C that would have built an indoor practice facility at Odessa High School and replace the turf in the existing indoor practice facility at Permian High School.
Overall, about 12% of registered voters in Ector County participated in this election. That’s 9,858 of 82,752. Visit www.ectorcountyisd.org/Bond2023 for more information.
