Ector County ISD Superintendent Scott Muri rolled into convocation Tuesday at the Ector County Coliseum driving the new Inspiration Station to kick off the school year.
The Inspiration Station is a a mobile classroom that can be fitted out for a variety of activities.
Along with the unexpected entrance, Muri introduced the theme of #Reflect, reviewed passage of a $424 million bond and introduced students, parents and pro football and baseball player Bradley Marquez to the roughly 4,200 employees attending the massive start-of-school pep rally.
Muri said enrollment is expected to reach 33,500.
ECISD has 48 police officers, the highest number of officers the district has ever had and they plan to add more this year.
Over the last five years, ECISD has had an A rating for its finances.
It had 9,700 students in career and technical education in 2019 and there are now more than 11,000 with 30 different career and technical education pathways to choose from.
In 2019, there were 350 teacher vacancies and now there are less than 36, Muri said.
Teacher salaries have increased from $44,000 a year in 2017 to $60,600 today.
Teachers have the chance to make $100,000 with stackable compensation and principals have a chance to make $200,000.
The district is growing its own through a variety of teacher pipelines.
High school graduates with industry certifications has risen from 111 in 2019 to 648 today. Muri said ECISD will surpass that this year.
College board national recognitions numbered three in 2019 and last year it was 47.
For college and career readiness, the rate was 56 percent in 2019. Last year, it was 73 percent and this year Muri expects it to be over 80 percent. The state average is 70 percent.
The graduation rate is the highest it’s been in 22 years at 85.7 percent for the Class of 2023.
The district has received national attention for its outcomes-based contracting and high-impact tutoring.
Muri said there is a team in the district embracing artificial intelligence and “exploring ways to make that beneficial for the students that we serve and the adults in our organization.”
Muri said the investments ECISD has made in its people is getting national attention.
The district’s strategic plan has gotten a lot of attention as well because of the results they are getting.
“That’s because of the good work of everybody in this room and the way we manage our strategic plan, the project management oversight process, just how we do our work is getting attention as well,” Muri said.
Videos and appearances were made by graduates and current students like Andrew Zavala, a Permian High School graduate who is now making six figures as a welder and Denisse Rendon, an eighth-grader at Crockett Middle School who wants to go to Harvard and become a doctor.
Nidia Soriano, Sergio Ortiz and their children Michael and Scarlett were on hand to talk to Muri and the audience.
Muri also introduced Marquez, who played three sports for Odessa High School, played for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Mets organization and the NFL’s Lions and Rams.
Muri noted that Marquez has lived in a variety of places, but he wanted to come home.
“No matter where I’ve been, all the different places I’ve lived, I’ve been away for a little over 10 years and none of them are home,” Marquez said. “I know home is what you make it, but this community, my friends and family they’re all still here.”
“It was great when they visited, but there’s nothing like home.”
One of the ways Marquez influences the community is running camps for kids, Muri said.
He first offered a baseball camp his rookie year.
“The first question from most of the parents and everybody else was when to do a football camp? So we followed that up the following year and continued doing it throughout the years and then eventually getting partnered with Roy Williams,” Marquez said.
They had offered camps separately, but they decided to provide it together.
He also has a sports bar in downtown Odessa with business partner Patrick Rodriguez. Marquez said he wanted to give back to the community and help revitalize downtown.
Marquez said a lot of people like the fried bologna sandwich.
School starts Aug. 12 and 13.
Arleen Sanchez, who will be teaching biology at Odessa Collegiate Academy, is starting her first year of teaching.
Sanchez said the convocation was really great.
“It reminded me of whenever we do the university signing, whenever we’re seniors in high school. I felt like there was a lot of energy here; a lot of great fun; a lot of teachers that are passionate about what they’re doing. It really feels that way in this room. I find that really great, especially me being in the ECISD system as a child and going through this, I found a lot of teachers that I used to have that are still here, teaching and seeing them having great fun and having a lot of energy, but still wanting to teach and learn and growing these kids, it really makes me happy,” Sanchez said.
Angelle Mundia will be teaching sixth grade English at Crockett Middle School.
“As a teacher, you have so much on your mind about what’s coming for this year. You’re thinking about your kids that are coming. You’re thinking about setting up your classroom and convocation is always one of those things you go to because you’re supposed to, but then once you’re here, it’s inspiring, and it kind of gives you a moment to pause and remember why we do it,” Mundia said.
Convocation also featured the OHS Drumline, a faculty choir singing the National Anthem and presentation of the colors.
