There are a lot of great community minded people that have served on the facilities committee and the TRE tax ratification election committee and related committees over the years, and most of these committee members, me included, have been very skeptical of the District’s decisions and recent history of less than stellar (terrible) performance.
More recently, and with the new administration, we would remind them that the District needs to show improvement before we would feel comfortable trying to support more money for the District.
We saw some indications of a direction shift toward a better result as we completed the work for the TRE, and the community appropriately passed it.
Here are some facts providing even more evidence of the change in direction which gives me reason to support the ECISD Bond Proposition A and B;
- increase kindergarten readiness by 13%,
- 40% increase in SAT scores,
- 15 points higher than the State,
- highest graduation rate in 20 years,
- college career, military readiness increased to 63%, which is above the regional score.
There is a list of promises made and promises kept from the TRE dollars and there has been excellent transparency in how those dollars were used. The process included a budget advisory committee and this Administration has agreed to establish and report to a similar advisory committee for the bond dollars.
Also, the Odessans For Education PAC (political action committee) has committed to independently communicate to the public how bond dollar are being spent.
Good things are happening at ECISD and I am ready to vote yes for our future. Please join me and vote yes to both Proposition A and B.
David Duree
Odessa
