Discussion of a proposed $427,155,000 bond is on the agenda for Tuesday’s Ector County ISD Board of Trustees workshop.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the first-floor boardroom of the administration building, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave.
Town hall meetings on the bond were held Aug. 3 and two more on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. at West Elementary School, 2225 W. Sycamore Drive, and 6 p.m. Aug. 7 at Permian High School Library, 1800 E. 42nd St.
The board has until Aug. 21 to call a bond. It would include:
>> A new career and technical center for $80 million. CTE would be used by ECISD students, but also adults for reskilling and upskilling. Part of it would be funded by the Permian Strategic Partnership.
>> A new middle school for $120 million. There has been discussion of putting this in the western part of Ector County.
>> Priority 1 items for $48.4 million (these are things that need to be taken care of right away).
>> Priority 2 items for $72.7 million (these are things that can be done in three to five years at the most).
>> Replacing the Transportation Department building and buying buses for $37.54 million.
>> Technology Department needs, $23.5 million.
>> Fine Arts Department needs, $18.5 million.
>> Athletics Department needs, $11.1 million.
>> Agricultural Farm, $7.5 million. This would replace all the original buildings that are out there.
>> Replacing the Transition Learning Center for $8 million.
The bond committee had been working with a no tax increase threshold of $396 million, but Superintendent Scott Muri said he told them that number could be different once the legislature finished its work and the district has new information.
“We always told the committee that number could be different once the legislature finishes and once we have new information. … Now we have more information. That number is bigger. We’re still following what the committee said; no tax increase, but we have a higher number that we can use,” Muri said July 25.
The figure is now $427,155,000 and officials have said the district has the capacity to take on that bond in part because of legislative changes and in part because of good financial stewardship.
The total tax rate for ECISD is currently $1.17 per $100 valuation.
Other items on the agenda are opening remarks by the superintendent, public comment, discussion of Texas Association of School Boards Policy Update; Presentation and disunion of ECISD bullying reporting and investigation process; and closing remarks by the superintendent.
