Education Foundation presents plans

The Education Foundation’s President-elect Lisa Wyman presented accomplishments and future plans to the Ector County ISD Board of Trustees Tuesday night.

Trustee Donna Smith was absent.

Started in 2000, the Education Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to create opportunities for education in Ector County ISD.

Their vision is that every student in ECISD will be school-ready, college-ready, work-ready and world ready.

Wyman said they are looking at two mobile vehicles to be used for community outreach. She said they would be rolling out this year and Assistant Superintendent of Student and School Support Alicia Syverson will be leading the project.

The Education Foundation received its first check for $75,000 from XTO Energy.

A few of the largest Education Foundation projects through the years are:

>> Food 2 Kids, backpacks filled with nutrition food started in 2010, now has expanded to other food outreach programs.

>> Bookworms involves volunteer readers; more than $540,000 invested (including purchase of 38 book vending machines), and over 6,700 students per month impacted.

>> $1,000 incentive to ECISD’s two teachers of the year.

>> Provide partial funding for the district’s grant writer with the other half coming from the district.

>> Support for AVID from its inception in ECISD with more than $1 million invested.

>> $750,000 in student scholarships.

>> More than 930 teacher grants have been funded, worth $2.7 million.

>> Contributed to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs, Innovation Department, Career & Technical Education, teacher training, and data research.

The Foundation’s future plans are to focus on grants for innovative initiatives that can be scaled widely; celebrate educators for their work; and continue collaborative efforts with the community.

Wyman said they also want to expand the foundation’s board to more accurately reflect the community it serves.

Under purchases of $50,000 or more, the board approved having PBK Architects to update the 2017 facilities study. Supplemental agenda material said the cost is $194,000.

The study is being updated in preparation for a potential bond issue.

Superintendent Scott Muri said this week is National Substitute Educator Week.

“We have 500 of these individuals in ECISD serving elementary, middle and high school. They are not all busy every day. This Thursday, we are going to celebrate these individuals from 5-6:30 p.m. at NTO,” Muri said.

It will be a drop-in event.

“If you happen to see a sub this week, let them know how much you appreciate them,” Muri said.

The board also:

>> After a closed session, voted to terminate employment contract of Community Engagement Specialist Megan Powell for “good cause.” Trustee Dennis Jones abstained.

They also voted 4-2 to hire Jessica Gore as executive director of accountability. Gore joins ECISD after three-plus years as the principal of San Jacinto Middle School in Midland. She has experience in several Texas school districts as a teacher, assistant principal, instructional coach, interventionist, and teacher development specialist, the recap said.

Trustees Carol Gregg and Delma Abalos voted no. Abalos said she would have preferred to hire someone from within for that position.

>> Learned they got an unmodified opinion on its financial statements and heard the annual financial report.

>> Under special presentations, the district recognized six nurses selected by Permian Basin Great 25 Nurses.

>> Approved applications for Appraised Value Limitation on Qualified Property, Pursuant to Chapter 313 of the Texas Tax Code, submitted by DG Penwell North, LLC and Ophelia Solar.

The Comptroller’s website says an appraised value limitation is an agreement in which a taxpayer agrees to build or install property and create jobs in exchange for a 10-year limitation on the taxable property value for school district maintenance and operations tax (M&O) purposes.

The minimum limitation value varies by school district.

The board recap said an important benefit is, in addition to interest and sinking tax revenue, these Chapter 313 agreements include maintenance and operations tax protection and supplemental payments from the companies which are not subject to recapture, nor state funding reductions.

Generally speaking, the State of Texas wants school districts to seek voter approval for bond building projects, so the additional revenue does not have any bearing on bond proposals presented to the citizens of Ector County. And, again, the tax limitation is not granted for debt service funds that pay off bonds, the recap said.

>> Trustees voted 6-0 to approve revisions to board policy FFAC (Local): Wellness and Health Services: Medical Treatment. This revision authorizes a registered nurse or other designated and trained district employee to store and administer opioid antagonist medication, NARCAN, in the case of an overdose on school property. Prior to this approval, ECISD police officers were the only district employees authorized and trained to administer this type of medication.

>> Voted 6-0 to approve the annual financial report. Every school district is required to prepare annual financial statements, have them audited by an external public accounting firm, and submit them to the state. The auditor, Whitley Penn, issued an unmodified opinion meaning a clean report with no internal control findings related to the financial report and no findings related to compliance. The recap said the financial report shows the largest areas of school district expenditures by function are Instruction (56%) and Plant Maintenance & Operations. This report follows last month’s announcement of a perfect score of 100 on the state’s FIRST report for financial integrity.

>> Voted 6-0 to approve West Texas National Bank as an approved investment tool. Diversification of investments is a requirement of the Texas Public Funds Investment Act which is set forth in the Texas Government Code Chapter 2256.

>> Trustees voted 6-0 to approve ECISD’s participation in the General Services Administration Advantage purchasing co-op.

12. Trustees voted 6-0 to approve the Consent Agenda. This month’s Consent Agenda included minutes of previous meetings; bills for payment; acceptance of donations over $10,000*; the Quarterly Investment Report; retainer agreement with Welsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Russo & Kyle P.C. for Special Education legal services; additional 2022-23 T-TESS Appraisers, a data sharing agreement with Hanover Research; and authorized investment representatives.

Special presentations included announcement of the Texas Art Education Association District of Distinction award and the recognition of the top fundraisers in ECISD’s United Way campaign.

>> Department – Technology Services $6,285.88.

>> Elementary – Gonzales Elementary, $3,501.60.

>> Middle School – Crockett Middle School, $4,672.

>> High School – Odessa High School, $9,603.