The contract for Ector County Independent School District Superintendent designee Scott Muri is up for consideration in closed session at the ECISD Board of Trustees meeting set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the board room of the administration building, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave.
Muri, who is currently superintendent of Spring Branch ISD in Houston, is expected to start July 1. His base salary in Spring Branch is $285,000, plus a $1,000 a month car allowance, reimbursement for technological devices, for example cell phone and personal digital assistant, an annuity, and other benefits, his contract stated.
As a stopgap measure, Board President Doyle Woodall said trustees will consider extending Interim Superintendent Jim Nelson’s contract by another 30 days. Woodall said Nelson’s contract is up this month.
The board will go into closed session to discuss the contracts and come out and vote.
Nelson is paid $22,000 a month. Woodall said Nelson has done a tremendous job during his tenure at ECISD.
“If Jim hadn’t been here, I don’t know if Scott would have applied for the job,” Woodall said.
He said Muri’s next move from Spring Branch could have been Austin, Houston, Dallas or San Antonio and it would have come with a substantial salary increase.
But Woodall said Muri feels he can make the biggest impact on students by coming to Odessa.
“The fact he’s willing to make a lateral move is proof positive that’s his motivation. That’s his motivation to help kids. … He is just too good at what he does to be making a lateral move. We are going to try and give him a raise, but it’s not what he could have received one of the larger school districts,” Woodall said.
“… I’m just really thankful that we’re going to get a chance to work with him,” he added.
Hiring principals for Cavazos and Travis elementary schools and one for Bonham Middle School are on the agenda. The board will meet in closed session and come out and vote.
Woodall said Judi Tarleton, who was hired as principal for Bonham in April has withdrawn.
Tarleton is the associate principal at Midland Lee High School, and previously worked as lead diagnostician and special education supervisor for ECISD, as well as assistant principal at Abell Junior High in Midland ISD.
Under special presentations, the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council will be introduced; the Mexican American School Boards Association Scholarship winner will be recognized; and recognition of perfect attendance for 12 years.
The introduction of the top 10 graduates from OCTECHS, Falcon Early College High School, George H.W. Bush New Tech Odessa; Odessa High School and Permian High School also is on the agenda.
Some other items on the agenda are:
>> Presentation of the Student Health Advisory Council yearly report and recommendations.
>> A report on the Middle School Education Action Network mentoring program.
>> An update on middle school redesign plans for 2019-2020.
