Early voting for the May 7 Ector County ISD bond election kicks off Monday fresh off the news that the board of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce recently voted to endorse it.
This action came after extensive presentations from ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri and Odessans for Education PAC members Lorraine Perryman and Lisa Wyman, a news release Friday detailed.
“We must not only prepare our students for the future job needs and demands, but we must also make sure they are fully equipped with the proper skill sets that will be needed by our current and future employers. That requires repair and upgrades to our aging infrastructure, facilities and technology, as well as providing a state-of-the-art Career & Technical Education Center that will provide our employers with graduates who are career ready. After all, our students deserve the best and as a community, we must strive for an academic setting of excellence,” said Jim Cox, chair of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
The news release continued that the high schools are exceedingly overcrowded, “our students deserve a safe, secure and learning atmosphere every student deserves. Odessa has not built a new high school since 1959 and that does not align with the overall excellence that we feel our students, families and employers should demand. We are decades past the need for a new high school.”
“Our needs are great. As time goes on, the price tags to meet these needs increase. Putting off the inevitable is not going to make it any cheaper. We must act now and VOTE YES on both propositions. The students deserve this, our community’s future demands this and our future success depends on this,” added Cox.
The Chamber Board has 30 board members, elected by the membership of more than 740 companies and organizations making up more than 27,000 employees.
As early voting begins Monday, voters will face the $398,255,000 bond, which comes in two propositions.
Proposition A, $215,255,000 which would include maintenance and life-cycle repairs/replacement for school district buildings ($130,255,000); construction of a new Career & Technical Center ($70 million), which would include classroom and lab space for programs like welding, construction, health science, automation and process technology, HVAC, plumbing and others.
It would cover an estimated at 150,000 square feet and include furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
Classroom technology upgrades ($15 million) also would be included. That would feature classroom and/or campus audio, visual and multimedia refresh or additions.
Proposition B for $183,000,000 would go for a new comprehensive high school at Yukon and Faudree Roads. The district purchased the 100-acre site about two years ago for a little over $2 million.
The new high school would be 6A and have a 2,500 to 2,800 student capacity. It would cover an estimated 400,000 square feet and include furniture, fixtures, and equipment
The district website said leaders anticipate the bond will create a tax rate increase of 15 cents and, for a home with a taxable value of $100,000, would equate to a tax increase of approximately $12 per month.
There would be no tax increase on residence homesteads for taxpayers 65 and older, as state law dictates that the tax rate and the amount paid on a residence are frozen when that person turns 65 years old, applies for the exemption and is approved by the Ector County Appraisal District. ECISD gives local taxpayers a 20% Homestead Exemption, which is the maximum allowed by law.
