The Ector County Independent School District Board of Trustees approved partnering with Weidner Property Management LLC to provide discounted rent for school district employees.
Lease agreements would be for six-months, and be 10 percent off market value for a maximum of 100 units across all Weidner properties in Odessa and Midland, the board recap said.
The agreement would also reduce initial move-in costs, waive other fees, and eliminate the requirement of first-and-last-month’s rent up front. Teachers will be the priority for available apartments, the recap said.
ECISD will provide payroll deductions for employees and pay Weidner on behalf of each participating employee.
On compensation, trustees voted 7-0 to approve the 2019-2020 compensation plan. The raises go beyond what is required by House Bill 3, passed by the state legislature this past session.
The new starting teacher salary will increase to $52,000, up from $50,000, and teachers with more years of experience will receive larger increases ranging from $2,500 to $3,500.
The board also approved a salary schedule that included raises ranging from 4 percent to 5.4 percent, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Gregory Nelson said.
Jaiver Ruiz, president of the local chapter of the Texas State Teachers Association, told the board he would like to see hourly employees get a 6 percent raise.
He said he was pleased that the board listened. Several other teachers joined him in the audience.
The board reached a consensus that it would revisit the matter after they had time to digest the information.
On a separate item, the board heard a demographics presentation from Adan Navarrete, senior school planner with Davis Demographics.
Navarrete presented the results of the firm’s recent study and 10-year student projections.
Continuing the recent trend, more than 3,000 residential units are planned within the school zones of Jordan Elementary and Buice elementary schools; district-wide enrollment is projected to top 35,000 by 2024; and high school enrollment is projected to reach about 9,900 in the next 10 years, the board recap said.
The board recognized employees of the year for the district.
They included:
- Administrator of the Year: Erin Bueno, principal, San Jacinto Elementary.
- Counselor of the Year: Lynette Salinas, Ector College Prep Success Academy.
- Nurse of the Year: Kristen Brame, Buice Elementary.
- Para-Professional of the Year: Shirley Babcock, trainer, Information Systems.
- Professional Employee of the Year: Armando Nunez, director for payroll.
- Transportation Employee of the Year: Delia Renteria, bus driver.
- Custodial Employee of the Year: Lupe Valenzuela, head custodian, Dowling Elementary.
- Maintenance Employee of the Year: Randy Parker, cabinet maker.
- School Nutrition Employee of the Year: Shannon Ballard, head cook, Permian High School.
- Police Officer of the Year: Brandon Upchurch, K-9 officer at Odessa High School.
- Elementary Teacher of the Year: Nancy Stone, media specialist, Cameron Elementary.
- Secondary Teacher of the Year: Milton Hunt, Bowie Middle School.
- Special Presentations included the recognition of Doyle Woodall as the school board’s outgoing president; the announcement of TMEA’s Distinguished Administrator Award to Bowie Middle School principal Shelia Stevenson; College Board Counselor Award to Permian High School’s Jennifer Perkins; and the WeTeach_CS Change Makers award to Odessa High School teacher Tom Kyle.
- Heard a report on state assessment results, which included Ector College Prep Success Academy.
