Reviewing the last four and a half years, Ector County ISD Superintendent Scott Muri recounted figures and programs, putting faces with them during his State of the District address Thursday night.
Muri spoke at the Odessa High School Performing Arts Center.
ECISD serves 33,500 students, up from 32,810 in 2022. It has a poverty rate of 70 percent, which is the highest it has had.
Many districts have declining enrollment, but ECISD is bucking the trend.
“As your community grows, so does the school system,” he added.
In 2019, the seven member board of trustees met with administration and developed a set of goals and a strategic plan.
Kindergarten readiness has increased from 35 percent in 2019 to 54 percent in 2023.
In Texas, 49 percent of pre-kindergartners are considered kindergarten ready.
The district has improved its STAAR scores across all subjects and grade levels. In 2019, it was 63 percent and in 2023, 68 percent.
Reading scores in 2019 were at 61 percent and they were 67 percent in 2023.
Math scores were at 67 percent in 2019 and have increased 1 percentage point to 68 percent.
In 2019, 111 high school graduates earned industry-based certifications. In 2023, it was 648.
On the Scholastic Aptitude Test, scores were 923 in 2022 and 936 in 2023. The state is currently at 924, Muri said.
College Board national recognitions have increased from 19 in 2020-21 to 47 in 2022-23.
In 2019, 56 percent of graduates were college, career and military ready. In 2023, it was 73 percent.
In 2024, Muri expects the percentage to reach 80 plus.
He said the district has predictive analytics that show this and it is because of the work of ECISD’s high school teams.
“Why is 73 for us this year a big deal? Because the state of Texas is at 70, so we have surpassed the state,” Muri said.
Historically, ECISD is below state levels.
To date, the district has invested $564,250 in impact resistant film.
Since 2019, the number of ECISD police officers has increased from 32 to 42 in 2024.
They have four canines — two canines to detect narcotics and and two weapon/bomb canines. Officers said they are used as deterrents, but they also search classrooms, for example.
“These are no ordinary dogs,” Muri said.
The dogs can pick up on any kind of weapon, ammunition, any kind of explosive material, and even a gun that hasn’t been fired.
They also help outside agencies having had bomb calls out of Andrews and Alpine.
On finance, Muri said ECISD has had a perfect financial score from the state since 2019. It was 94 in 2018-19.
That improvement was made because of the people who work in finance, Muri said.
The board of trustees over the past several years has saved the taxpayers $32 million-plus by prepaying bonds and its bond rating has increased.
Speaking of bonds, one of three propositions in a bond issue passed for $424 million.
“That bond included a lot of things,” Muri said. “There’s a lot of work happening in our organization,” a new career and technical education building, transition learning center, transportation center, a new ag farm, musical instruments and 825 interactive panels installed. The panels are worth $3,193,412.
Grow Odessa donated 37 acres for the new career and technical facility located in south Odessa.
Muri added that students for generations will be impacted by the donation from Grow Odessa.
Over the last four and a half years, ECISD has received $75.2 million in investment.
“This money doesn’t come easily, but this money comes with success. We’ve been able to do very powerful work over the last couple of years,” Muri said.
Under talent development, Muri noted that when he started in 2019 there were 350 teacher vacancies. In 2023, there were 36 vacancies.
“Our teacher shortage issue has greatly changed since 2019,” Muri said.
In 2024, ECISD teachers will earn $3,321,528 in Teacher Incentive Allotment awards.
“We’re the home of the $100,000 teacher,” Muri said.
Currently, ECISD has multiple teachers making triple digits.
“This year for the first time we have five National Board Certified teachers. We have 40 in the pipeline,” he said.
ECISD also has a variety of teacher pipelines — registered apprenticeship for teachers, para to teacher, Odessa Pathway to Teaching, Future Teachers of Odessa and Odessa College.
Muri said 60 percent of teachers in the country teach within 25 miles of where they went to high school.
“There’s still 40 percent we need to recruit from the outside,” he added.
ECISD has its own educator preparation program.
Natalie Jones, a second grade teacher at Gonzales Elementary School, went through the future teachers program.
Her mom inspired her.
Jones gradated from George H.W. Bush New Tech High School in 2021 and just graduated from UTPB Dec. 15 and has been teaching since January.
“ECISD just developed the first Registered Principal Apprenticeship Program making sure we have the most effective leaders on our campuses,” Muri said.
He added that ECISD is the first school district in the nation to have this program.
“We will soon be the home of the $200,000 principal. ECISD is the first district to offer the principal incentive allotment,” Muri said.
Funding is made possible through the Permian Strategic Partnership.
Teachers and principals are critical to the success of students and make sure every school is led by a great principal and every classroom by a great teacher, he added.
Muri said they are also working with the Texas Education Agency to create this opportunity in the form of legislation for all principals in Texas.
Muri noted that he presented a lot of good data, “but we are not done. There is a lot more to do.”
