Ector County ISD will begin holding listening sessions on school choice starting in March, Superintendent Scott Muri said during his media call Wednesday.
“As we think about choices and options in ECISD, we want to hear from our parents, specifically what are the types of school choices and options that they would like for their children,” Muri said.
He said they are going to make some improvements to the magnet program and want to make sure they listen to the community and parents and hear what they want for their children.
“This weekend, all of our parents will receive … an electronic survey that we would encourage all families to complete. Secondly, we’ll be having some face-to-face, as well as virtual meetings — listening sessions if you will — to hear more specifically what our moms and dads are interested in as we think about expanding choices and options for families within ECISD. … The survey goes out this weekend. Those meetings will begin next week and occur throughout the month of March,” Muri said.
This is part of an ongoing study of magnet schools and learning what people want with the purpose of trying to revitalize some of the magnet campuses and seeing what options the community is interested in and supportive of.
No timeline was given for the process.
“It is a lengthy process. Most of our magnets are still very popular, and for magnets that still attract kids, in fact have a waiting list of students, obviously those magnets are highly successful and we certainly don’t want to mess with that success,” Muri said. “But some of our magnets just aren’t attracting students any longer and those are the ones that we need to make some adjustments with … and so we’ll pay attention to that. In addition, there may be some other options that parents are interested in that would provide other areas of expansion in ECISD.”
An update will be provided to the ECISD Board of Trustees at their March workshop.
Muri said the process is a “journey.”
“Creating a new school concept is something that takes quite a bit of time to plan … carefully and execute appropriately,” he added.
He said it will probably be done in phases, because ECISD wants to do it right and well.
“… We’ve been listening already to some families and parents … so there are some things that parents have been saying for several years; some options that they would like to explore, but there are still some things that I … think will be surprises and may be new. Those items will require some investigation and some more work in order to make happen within our system. …,” Muri said.
He also spoke about the upcoming bond election set for May 7. The district owns 100 acres across from Parks Bell Ranch at the intersection of Yukon Avenue and Faudree Road.
There has been talk that a new high school would go out there, but Muri stressed that the board has not made that decision yet.
“When it was purchased many years ago the intent was for a new high school. Our board has not made that decision yet on the location of that high school, but we anticipate that decision coming from our board in the upcoming months. We’ll be having that conversation, but again, no decision at this point. But we certainly do own 100 acres that was originally intended for the construction of a new high school,” he added.
Some community leaders want something to be done with Ector Middle School such as making it the fourth high school.
“We conducted a facility review study and that study indicated that the building where Ector Middle School is currently located is in such poor condition that it actually needs to be replaced, rather than being renovated or reconstructed. … So spending money on that school to renovate it and really bring it up to speed to be a renovated middle school or high school, according to the architects and engineers, is not something that they would advise us to do.”
“And we shared that information with the bond advisory committee, and so they’re recommendation to the board is that we build a new comprehensive high school. So again, that facility is so old and it’s just not in the condition of the type of building that you would actually want to spend money renovating,” Muri added.
He said if the building were torn down, the district would have to build a new middle school and there are currently 1,500 students at Ector.
“… We do not have the construction of a middle school in the bond package. That was not recommended, nor is there money in the bond to build a new middle school. So no, we cannot remove that school until we have a place to put those students and right now that place doesn’t exist,” Muri said.
The four items in the bond package are maintenance and repair of existing facilities, investing in technology — technology enhancement in classrooms across the district; a career and technical education center; and construction of a new comprehensive high school.
Muri also mentioned that the district will host the regional spelling bee Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at the performing arts center on the Odessa High School campus.
