Swearing in the newest member of the Ector County ISD board of trustees, a report on the school safety plan, a presentation on the bullying reporting and investigation process and supports and an update on the district’s strategic plan are part of the agenda for Tuesday’s board workshop.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the first floor board room of the administration building, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave.
Dennis Jones will be sworn in as the Position 7 member of the board. Jones is an attorney and former judge. He was appointed to the board during its June 21 meeting. He replaces Nelson Minyard.
The bullying presentation reviews the process for reporting bullying and the responses.
For 2021-22, supplemental agenda material details that there were 238 total bullying allegations reported and 37 confirmed cases of bullying.
In the counseling response for 2021-22, there were 31,099 counseling responses in person, 7,942 parent contacts, 2,233 emails, 72 virtual, 323 phone calls and 949 safety checks.
There were 149 counseling responses to alleged perpetrators and 449 to alleged victims, the presentation shows.
Community and outside resources are also used including Texas Tech Campus Alliance for Telehealth Response. The partnership began in the 2020-2021 school year for grades prekindergarten through 12; 73 students have been referred; 41 students have utilized services.
In the safety presentation, supplemental agenda material said Superintendent Scott Muri, District Police Chief Todd Hiner and Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Daniels will provide trustees with a School Safety Plan.
In an Aug. 4 ECISD Live broadcast, Muri said there is a safety committee that continues to revisit and analyze information.
“They ensure that we’re monitoring and following any new laws or policies that are created by our state legislature or the Texas Education Agency,” Muri said.
He added that the district’s responsibility to the students and parents is to ensure that they do everything they possibly can to make sure they are safe in the learning environment.
Daniels said he wanted to assure parents that keeping students safe is their No. 1 priority. He added that they work hard to maintain that.
“It’s a community effort,” Daniels said in the broadcast. “It’s not just the school district’s effort. Talk to your kids. If they’re hearing something, they need to say something. If you hear something, please come forward and let us know. It’s a community effort to keep our children safe and it takes all of us.”
