The Ector County ISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved hiring several top officials.
Matthew Spivy from Greenville ISD was announced as executive director of human resources, replacing Staci Ashley.
Jaime Miller was named executive director of talent development replacing Ashley Osborne who moved to Midland ISD.
Noe Ortiz, who was principal at Ireland Elementary, was named Bonham Middle School Principal replacing Juan Dominguez who moved to MISD to be principal of Alamo Junior High.
Superintendent Scott Muri added that Crockett Middle School will also become the first middle-year program for International Baccalaureate.
Maribel Aranda will be director of administrative services.
Kamye Smith was announced as principal of Bonham Middle School.
The board recap said Spivy comes to ECISD with 18 years’ experience in public education. He spent the last 11 years in Greenville ISD serving as the Executive Director of Administration, Compliance, and Operations for two years and Director of Human Resources for two years. He served as Dean of Instruction at Greenville High School for two years, three years as the Principal at Travis Elementary and another two years as an Assistant Principal at Carver Elementary.
Dr. Spivy began his education career in the classroom, teaching math and science to secondary students for seven years in Quinlan and Royse City ISDs.
Miller is a graduate of ECISD and has served in various roles during her 21 years with the district. She has worked as a teacher, dyslexia therapist, curriculum facilitator, and principal. Most recently, she was Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction. She oversaw implementation of several educational programs and initiatives within English Language Arts and Reading, Advanced Academic Services, and created the Early Childhood Department from the ground up.
Ortiz will oversee the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) in the 2024-25 school year. He was the principal of Ireland Elementary for the past two years and before that served as an assistant principal two years at Crockett. He will take over for Maribel Aranda who was hired as Director of Administrative Services. Both Ortiz and Aranda will finish this school year at their current schools.
Smith has been the principal at Blanton Elementary for the past two-and-a-half years, and before that the principal at Pease Elementary for two years. She has also served as an assistant principal at Blanton, West, and Burleson Elementary schools. Smith will finish this school year at Blanton.
Trustees Delma Abalos and Tammy Hawkins were absent.
In a budget update, ECISD trustees heard there is still a lot happening with estimates.
The planned enrollment this year was 33,500, but it was 33,200 which came out to an average daily attendance of 29,600, Chief Financial Officer Deborah Ottmers said.
She added that they started with 33,400 students.
“At this point in time, the state has extra money,” Ottmers said. But they haven’t given it to ECISD.
Ottmers said they anticipate $310 million in revenues, but right under $333 million in expenditures, which means they’ll have to get a total of $22.3 million from fund balance.
Ottmers said that includes the $13 million budget adjustment from the last board meeting.
At the end of this year, the fund balance year will be about 95 days, Ottmers said. The standard is 90 days
“It’s ok this year because we have this fund balance. But pay attention to the 95,” Muri said. “We need to keep about 90 days in our fund balance to remain healthy and stable.”
Ottmers estimated 33,500 students next year, so the average daily attendance will increase a bit.
Changes to school finance are anticipated when the legislature ends in May.
Ottmers said the district’s taxable property value is $146 million which is down some because lawmakers are expected to compress the tax rate. There are also some exemptions and there’s refunds that “we’re going to have to give that we didn’t have to do before,” Ottmers said.
Muri noted that one of the board’s top priorities is raises. If a 1 percent raise is given that would be $3 million.
“If nothing changes,” he said, “we’re in a very different situation. Do we need things to change at the state level? Absolutely because the status quo for us is a real problem.”
Ottmers said this will be fine for the district’s various financial ratings, such as bonds.
“We hope to see some positive things coming out of the legislature,” she said.
Muri said the House set aside $5 billion for public education. He added that the House is leaning less toward vouchers while the Senate is supporting them.
Muri said advocacy is the district’s opportunity.
“Our state is flush with cash, $32 billion. I don’t think the ask is $32 billion,” Muri said.
He added that according to economist Ray Perryman for every $1 the state invests in education the return on investment is $56.76.
Muri said he thinks it’s important that the local legislative delegation hears from ECISD.
“Right now, we’re paying attention to a lot of bills. Senate Bill 9 has embedded in it paid teacher residencies,” which Muri said is very powerful.
“Investment in public education is pretty critical right now,” Muri said.
Ottmers said ECISD is essentially the same revenue since 2019.
On another item, Muri said online registration for prekindergarten students new to the district will open April 1. He added that ECISD is expanding its partnership with the YMCA.
Online registration for returning pre-k students will open when district-wide registration opens.
Also, Ajay Gundlapalli, a Nimitz Middle School seventh-grader, is the regional spelling bee champion and will go to the national bee May 30-June 1.
Ajay Gundlapalli is the son of Dr. Sai Gundlapalli and Dr. Meghana Gillala.
PSP and the Scharbauer Foundation announced a $6.1 million investment in leadership. Muri said he and Chief of Schools Keeley Boyer have been working with the Holdsworth Center on a proposal since October.
“They will be bringing their services to the Permian Basin to really target leaders developing principals and central office leaders,” Muri said.
“That’s a significant financial investment in leadership in our community,” he added.
The board also approved Amendment No. 2 to Agreement for Limitation on Appraised Value between the District and Nacero TX 1, LLC, Texas Comptroller Application Number 1568, Pursuant to Chapter 313 of the Texas Tax Code.
Muri said at the request of Nacero the Comptrollers Office has extended the timeline when they can start construction, which requires a change in the contract.
“The financial situation doesn’t change. This is still a very healthy deal, so the dollars don’t change; only the amount of time it takes to build,” Muri said.
The board also canceled the Position 1 and 6 elections as they were uncontested. Position 1 will be Dawn Miller, replacing Carol Gregg, and Position 6 is incumbent Tammy Hawkins.
The board election is May 6.
Trustees also approved a contract with the Ector County elections office to conduct a joint election.
The board also revised the 2023-24 academic calendar by adding a holiday Oct. 9.
