One of three ECISD bond propositions passed on Tuesday.
Ector County ISD’s three-proposition $436,109,000 bond Tuesday ended with only the first of three props being agreeable to a small voter turnout. Although turnout was 30 percent higher than the last bond election.
The last ECISD bond passed in 2012.
Proposition A, for $424,263,000, was the one that passed 56.83 percent, or 5,557 for, to 43.17 percent or 4,222 against.
Proposition A includes a New Career & Technical Education Center to be located in south Odessa/Ector County; a new middle school to be located in west Ector County; districtwide maintenance and repairs; bus purchases and a new transportation facility.
Also, replacement of district phone system, PA/bell/clock/fire alarm system replacements; a security camera refresh; classroom interactive flat panels; and large group instruction area audio/visual equipment.
Also, complete renovation of the Permian High School Auditorium; replacing outdated instruments; performance risers for all middle school choirs; classroom instruments for elementary campuses; uniforms for middle school bands and mariachi; JROTC facility needs; complete replacement of the Transition Learning Center, a facility for students with special needs learning to transition from school to the workforce; complete replacement of classroom buildings and barns; 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; and purchasing land for a new middle school.
The land for a CTE facility was gifted to ECISD by Grow Odessa.
Failed Proposition B, for $8,096,000, at Ratliff Stadium failed with 52.06 percent, or 5,072 votes, against and 47.94 percent or 4,670 supporting the prop.
It included concrete overlay of bleachers; update restrooms; LED lighting for stadium parking lot; LED lighting at track/field event venue; air conditioning/heating for south building locker rooms; replace one grass field with artificial turf; (also includes any major maintenance needs at the stadium complex identified in Facilities Assessment report).
Failed Proposition C, for $3,750,000, included a new indoor practice facility for Odessa High School; new artificial turf for existing indoor practice facility at Permian High School (according to the law, these indoor practice facilities must be separate bond proposals for voters to consider.) Elections office figures show 54.13 percent, or 5,269 voters, rejected Proposition C and 45.87 percent, or 4,465 voted for it.
Since 2020, ECISD has made early payments of about $37.3 million dollars on existing bonds, and by prepayments and refinancing, saved taxpayers $26.9 million in future interest payments. Based upon the district’s existing tax base, the district will not need to increase the total tax rate of $1.014 to pay the $436,109,000 of bond projects.
Odessans for a Bright Future conducted a 62-day campaign, but there were many people who came before. There was a community bond committee in 2019 that was suspended due to COVID. In 20201, a second bond community was formed to continue the work and that culminated in a failed bond election last spring.
But this effort has included lots of participation from businesses and chambers of commerce.
Midland ISD’s $1.4 billion bond passed.
