After coming out of a Tuesday closed session, the Ector County ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to approve a performance agreement with UTPB STEM Academy.
Beginning on July 1, UTPB STEM students will become a part of ECISD while the school maintains its charter independence, the board recap detailed.
The STEM Academy is grades kindergarten through 12; students currently enrolled may remain with empty seats to be filled through ECISD’s Choice School lottery.
ECISD will employ all teachers and most staff members. The partnership gives ECISD students access to another choice options, while eligible STEM Academy students will have access to ECISD services and extra-curricular activities.
On a separate item, the Blackshear Magnet Elementary auditorium and Bonham Middle School football field will now bear the names of prominent local educators and coaches, thanks to approval by the Ector County ISD Board of Trustees.
The Blackshear auditorium will be named for Frizella C. Whitiker. Her name will be placed on a sign near or inside of the auditorium, supplemental agenda material stated.
The naming policy states that recommended names shall be submitted to a committee. The committee shall be chaired by the superintendent or a designee. The committee shall submit to the board one or more recommended names for each facility to be named, the material detailed.
The committee for Blackshear auditorium included Valerie Rivera, Chair and members Renee Earls, Marcia Cleaver, Eddy Spivey and Gilbert Vasquez.
Supplemental agenda material stated the committee met March 4 and unanimously decided to accept the recommendation to name the Blackshear Elementary School Auditorium after Whitiker.
The Bonham football field will be named for J.T. King and his name placed at the bottom of the new scoreboard that was recently installed.
The committee for this naming included Co-chairs Tracey Borchardt and Juan Dominguez; and members Renee Earls; David Simpson; Dr. Donald Hembree; Terectica Deary and Melissa Ruiz. The committee met on March 8 and unanimously decided to accept the recommendation to name the field after King.
Chief Financial Officer Deborah Ottmers presented a budget update. Expected revenues for 2022-23 are $306,800,000. It was $309,966,550.
Ottmers said the district lost fast-growth revenue, but may be adding attendance revenue from adding University of Texas Permian Basin STEM Academy as a school of choice.
Attendance is anticipated at 93 percent.
In his opening comments, Superintendent Scott Muri told trustees the state just announced it would grant school districts leeway on attendance for this school year. This is a concession to the negative effect COVID had on school attendance throughout Texas for a large part of the year. Details are not fully known at this time, the board recap said.
Property tax rates for maintenance and operations (the general fund) will be $1.03 per $100 valuation. It was $1.05 per $100 valuation and is being compressed by state law.
For debt service, it is currently 12.6 cents per $100 valuation. Should the proposed bond pass, the tax will go up to .27622 per $100 valuation.
Ottmers said property values in the district have declined.
The board also decided to wait until April to move on a timeline to fill the vacancy left by former District 7 trustee Nelson Minyard. The attorney hired by the district and other entities is still waiting for data.
Trustees passed a resolution to nominate Superintendent Scott Muri as superintendent of the year. Each year the Texas Association of School Boards recognizes a select group of superintendents for exemplary and visionary leadership, supplemental agenda material stated.
One of these administrators will be named the 2022 Superintendent of the Year at the txEDCON22 TASA/TASB Convention.
- Trustees voted 6-0 to approve the physical education and health education textbook adoption. After a district committee review and vetting process, the Physical Education Department recommended Quaver Health/PE for Kindergarten-5th grade and Texas Health Skill for 6th-12th grades. Both of these comprehensive curriculums are designed to meet the needs of diverse learners while supporting the expectations.
- Approved the gifted and talented plan. The Advanced Academics Department is redesigning GT services with more professional learning, strong curriculum, more family and community involvement work. In the classroom, GT services will look this way: Kindergarten-2nd grade, in an inclusion setting (supported by a certified specialist); 3- 5 pull-out (for two-hours per week); middle school students will be served in their Honors classes (supported by a certified specialist); high school students will be served in Honors, AP, IB and Career & Technical Education classes (supported by a certified specialist).
- Heard a presentation from Talent Development.
- Approved the District of Innovation plan through spring 2027.
House Bill 1842, passed during the 84th Legislative Session, permits Texas public school districts to become Districts of Innovation and to obtain exemption from certain provisions of the Texas Education Code.
In the spring of 2017, ECISD Board of Trustees voted to become a District of Innovation (DOI) and adopted an innovation plan to begin with the 2017-2018 school year. The plan submitted terminates at the end of 2021-2022 with the option to include amendments, items to rescind, or to renew, the agenda material stated.
ECISD followed TEA’s process for renewing the District of Innovation Plan. This new plan will be in place through spring of 2027.
