It’s easy to say ‘no’. The word usually translates to inaction and doing nothing is the easiest thing to do in the short term but eventually that inaction of repeatedly putting off that which needs attention catches up with you. Ector County ISD currently has needs that a select few in the community continue to say ‘no’ on through complacency of not voting or opposition based on personal reasoning but now our educational facilities have lagged far behind the growth of our city.
The last time this district built facilities to meet the true population growth was in the 80s with six elementary schools and Crockett middle school being built. Since then the area has grown 43% according to the census but by all metrics Ector County has exploded in size higher than that, while the population is undercounted. Much like the 1980’s the area is given the opportunity to be the leading energy provider in the world while leveraging our current generation of +33,500 students in ECISD into our future workers while messaging to them that ‘YES!’ we believe in this area and so should they.
I was a product of the 1980s school growth that brought new opportunities for the students to the district such as the magnet program. My mother opted to send me to Travis Elementary even though we lived in far West Odessa near the newly built Cavazos Elementary due to many factors but the one that weighed heavily on my future was the fact that this school had a large computer lab that every student had access to multiple times a week. That early introduction to technology and possibilities sparked a love for technology that translated into a complex career path that always relied on a skill set in software engineering and data analysis where I have continued to apply those skills in almost every task I approach.
Our schools have an average age of 52 years and our youngest students’ current enrollment will put a major strain on the capacity of our middle schools once they hit that age in just a few short years. Regardless of anyone’s past repressed memories of the local school district, it doesn’t change the fact that the most basic needs of 4 walls and a roof are not being addressed by the community for these students. That decision is being brought to the citizens of Ector County to vote on November 7th but unfortunately the area’s voter turnout is poor. Decisions are made by those who show up and it’s time for the majority of Odessa, not a select few, to start making those decisions for our city.
Sheikh Rashid the founder of Dubai in relation to his city that oil built once said ‘My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel’. Those kingdoms of the Middle East were afforded opportunities to prosper off their energy abundance much like Odessa but as time moves on so do they, yet it seems Odessans are stuck in the mindset of the 1980s in relation to infrastructure and facilities. Odessa has shown no signs of wavering growth in the past 100 years due to massive innovations, continuing to evolve, and our stubbornness to never give up.
I refuse to give up on Odessa and plan on showing up for our community on election day to say ‘Yes’ for all three school propositions giving administrators, teachers, and most importantly students the tools needed to keep our prosperity going into the next century.
Kevin Searcy
Co-chair for Odessans for a Bright Future
