ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — The journey to a potential bond proposal continued Thursday night for Ector County ISD, or ECISD.
The committee charged with creating a bond package heard presentations from the departments of fine arts, athletics, transportation and technology around the district.
The presentations highlighted the various needs of those departments, all with hefty price tags into the millions.
However, ECISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri told the committee that Thursday night's conversations were not about the money, but rather prioritizing what is important to them.
“Tonight is about the projects, the ideas, the concepts," said Dr. Muri. "We’ll get to the money later.”
Another layer of progress was peeled back Thursday night as members of the community came together for the fourth time representing the bond advisory committee for ECISD.
Before beginning group conversation, representatives from several district departments identified some specific needs for the committee to consider.
“So, we heard from our technology department," said Dr. Muri. "One of the opportunities in a bond is to address the technology needs of a district. We listened to transportation, whether it’s building a new transportation facility or purchasing buses to replace the aging buses that we have. We heard from our fine and performing arts department, many of them musical instruments and equipment that kids use is aging. And then athletics, our athletics director provided an update tonight on specific needs -- both at Ratliff Stadium and at some of the schools that we have in ECISD.”
Following that information, the tables discussed what they felt was important, conversations that Dr. Muri sat in on and observed what he heard.
“Incredible interest," said Dr. Muri. "I saw lots of conversation, people asking probing questions of the others at their table, people making sure that they understood what was being discussed and then people talking about what they feel is important to them, so great conversations and exchange of ideas and information tonight.”
The committee members then placed green dots on posters that were labeled into different areas that they prioritized, action that will help better identify the needs when money begins being factored in.
“At our next meeting we’ll add some dollars and cents, we’ll talk about taxation, and, so, some new information for our folks next week," said Dr. Muri. "And it will help them begin to refine this list down to a bond package that they feel confident and comfortable with sharing with our board of trustees.”
The next bond committee meeting will take place on April 13th from 6-8 P.M. at New Tech Odessa High School, and Dr. Muri said that adding money to the conversation will change the way things are looked at.
All of this work is being done for a potential bond proposal later on in June.