PSP announces program help
Mar. 2—Ector County ISD Superintendent Scott Muri had a chance to trumpet many accomplishments, progress and plans during his State of the District message Thursday night.
The message, which included teachers and students, was held at the Odessa High School Performing Arts Center.
Muri said ECISD has done what it couldn't from providing high-speed, affordable broadband access to increasing kindergarten readiness and preparing students for the new world.
He announced plans for middle school and elementary International Baccalaureate programs. Odessa High School is the only IB program in the district.
Muri also announced plans for a principal incentive allotment. Permian Strategic Partnership President and CEO Tracee Bentley announced a $100,000 infusion for a new teacher apprenticeship program in ECISD.
Bentley said the future workforce is dependent on this pipeline that "we strongly believe is going to come through CTE."
Muri and Bentley said if the community prioritizes career and technical education, the Permian Strategic Partnership will close that gap.
"PSP works in 22 counties in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, you have the shining start of superintendents in our entire region," Bentley said.
Muri said ECISD will be the first in the region to have a principal incentive allotment.
"We are now in the development process of creating a principal incentive allotment. We'll be the first in the state to do that. We'll be expanding our leadership pipelines," Muri said. "Great principals lead great schools."
Tonight, Muri said, is the story of a district that couldn't.
It started with board goals and created a strategic plan aligned to those goals.
He noted that for the first time in ECISD history, they are a B district under Texas Education Agency accountability standards.
Half the schools received a grade of A or B from the state this year. Two years ago, 16 schools were rated F.
Muri said even TEA Commissioner Mike Morath remarked on the improvement in a video message.
"... You're seeing achievement gains that have never been achieved out in West Texas ...," Muri said.
ECISD has 33,300 students and 4,200 staff members. It has 45 schools; 80 percent of the students are Hispanic; 14 percent are white and 3 percent are other; 66 percent are economically disadvantaged.
Muri said they have an A financial rating, $54.8 million in grant donations; 1 to 1 technology; Space X satellite internet; and 6 million meals served by the end of this year.
Muri said now 3,600 children in ECISD have internet connectivity and it has changed the lives of families.
For the last three years, Muri said the district has earned highest financial rating and a perfect score of 100.
They have also saved taxpayers nearly $27 million by refinancing and pre paying bonds.
ECISD has had consistently clean financial audits and its bond rating upgraded in 2021 because of the good financial stewardship of the board and district, Muri said.
A host of individuals, companies, nonprofits and community members across the state have contributed almost $55 million donated to "invest deeply in the children that we serve," Muri said.
Starting teacher salaries in ECISD are $58,750 per year compared to $44,000 in 2017.
When Muri came to ECISD three years ago, the vacancy rate was 18 percent and there were 356 teacher openings. In 2022, the vacancy rate was 1 percent.
Just two years ago, he said, hourly employees made $10 an hour and in 2022 it was $15 an hour. For the first time, he said, the custodial department is 100 percent staffed.
In 2022, 120 teachers earned $850,000 in Teacher Incentive Allotments and this year there are already 263 that have earned it.
"We've made significant investments in our people," Muri said.
He also introduced people who are in the district's 13 pipelines for everything from teachers to principals and other leadership roles.
Ector County ISD is one of three districts with its own educator certification program. The other two are Dallas and Houston ISD.
ECISD also has added 30 additional days of summer learning completely and completely redesigned it. Today, it attracts 6,000 students.
They also have expanded pre-k to full day for 4-year-olds and half day for 3-year-olds.
Some 6,000 students experience high-impact tutoring. There are 14 choice schools, with the STEM Academy recently added.
Currently 5,500 students participate in those choice and magnet opportunities, Muri said.
There are 4,443 students involved in UIL athletics and 15,964 students in fine arts.
There are 10,908 students in career and technical education and ECISD offers 27 pathways provided by the state of Texas.
Kindergarten readiness two years ago was 33 percent. In 2022, it was 57 percent. State of Texas is now at 58 percent kindergarten readiness.
In 2020, 76 students earned associate degrees and 99 in 2022. Muri said he expects more in 2023.
The graduation rate is at 85.5 percent, the highest it has been in 20 years and 65 percent are considered college, career and military ready. That number was 56 percent in 2019.
The 65 percent is above the regional score and equal to the state.
"Finally, our kids are just as competitive as their peers across the state of Texas," Muri said.
In 2019, 19 percent of rising seniors were already considered college, career and military ready and in 2022, 38 percent were college, career and military ready.
"Finally our kids are right on par with the competition around our state," Muri said.
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