Karen and I had the privilege of growing up in Odessa and raising our three sons here. All five of us were educated in ECISD schools. I later served on the school board, and she subsequently worked in the district as a speech pathologist. We are proud advocates for public schools and were blessed with parents who supported ECISD schools until the end of their lives.
I was fortunate to serve as Interim Superintendent in ECISD in 2018-19. It was a tumultuous year with significant teacher shortages and a flaming economy driving prices through the roof. In November 2018 the community was asked to “trust” the district by supporting a TRE that if passed, would bring significant new resources to the district. In October 2018 I wrote a piece for this newspaper in which I promised that we would earn that trust, spend the money in a transparent fashion, and prepare the way for new leadership. You overwhelmingly supported the TRE and we earned your trust through the wise and transparent expenditure of those needed funds.
Now the time has come for the district to once again ask for the community’s trust and for support of the two bond propositions. Through the exceptional leadership of Dr. Scott Muri the district is well on its way to significant improvement in student outcomes, teacher supply, and teacher retention. It’s my belief that Scott is one of the top five Superintendents in the State of Texas and the remarkable improvement in ECISD during his tenure (pandemic notwithstanding) is clear evidence of his talent. When I left in the summer of 2019, there were over 350 teacher openings. Today there are about 50. Student performance as measured by kindergarten readiness and high school SAT scores shows remarkable growth. Given time and the passage of this bond, I have no doubt Scott and his team, and the teachers at all the schools will continue this improvement.
School facilities receive what I call hard use. Thousands of feet walk those halls, use those rooms, and roam those playgrounds every day. Occasional updates are essential. The new CTE center will bring ECISD up to where many districts are now going and will further allow more young people to explore their passions. It will enhance the partnerships with OC, one of the finest community colleges in the country. Finally, a new high school is critical. I was in both schools four years ago during class changes. It was organized mayhem. It is long past the time for a new school. Odessa will be better for it as will the students at all three high schools.
In summary, I ask for your trust one more time.
Jim Nelson
ECISD Board Member 1984-1995
SBEC Chair 1996-1999
Texas Commissioner of Education 1999-2002
Richardson ISD Superintendent 2004-2006
AVID Center Executive Director 2006-2013
ECISD Interim Superintendent 2018-2019
