The Ector County ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution for a local remote learning program.
Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Lilia Nanez said about 50 students qualified for the program, which is expected to start Nov. 29.
Instruction from certified teachers will be provided by StrongMind. The cost is $3,850 per student for a full year of instruction; it will cost an estimated $385,000 for 100 students.
Nanez said the district will also reach out to students who do not qualify who may have home situations where they are caregivers to an ill parent, for example.
Elementary and Secondary School Relief Emergency funds will pay for those students.
Superintendent Scott Muri said he was in Houston Tuesday to talk to the city and county there about bringing affordable, high-speed broadband to the community.
The ConnEctor Task Force was used as an example of a community working together to solve the broadband issue.
There will be a bond committee meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Permian High School cafeteria.
In his opening comments, Muri and Luz Melendez from ECISD’s Bilingual Department recognized retiring Bilingual Specialist Gloria Phillips.
The board recap said Phillips is known to those in the Bilingual Department is “Momma G” and has served our school district for 47 years, in a variety of roles and responsibilities.
In other business, the board:
- Voted 6-0-1 to approve Texas Association of School Boards Local Policy Update 118. These recommendations are to bring local policies in line with legislative changes. Delma Abalos abstained from the vote.
- Voted 7-0 to approve a Resolution of the Board Delegating Authority to Accept a Contract Employee’s Resignation Effective before the End of the School Year. This resolution and the one in Item C (below) designate which administrators may accept a letter of resignation.
- Voted 7-0 to approve a Resolution of the Board Delegating Authority to Accept a Contract Employee’s Resignation Effective at the End of the School Year or Submitted Before Penalty-Free Resignation Date.
- Voted 7-0 to approve the Quarterly Investment Report. The report represents investments for the months of July 2021 through September 2021. The District’s investments are governed by state law and local policies.
- Voted 7-0 to approve the Annual Financial Report. Every school district is required to prepare annual financial statements, have them audited by an external firm, and submit them to the state, the recap said. The auditor, Whitley Penn, issued an unmodified opinion meaning a clean report with no internal control findings related to financial report and no findings related to compliance.
- Voted to approve four new members to the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC): Sandra Mendoza and Katy Ochoa as Parent Members; and Sara Hinshaw and Christina Acosta as Community Members.
- Voted 7-0 to approve Austin Keith, Robert Chavez, Tommy Ervin, Nelson Minyard, Dorothy Jackson, and Tom Sprawls as members of the Ector County Appraisal District Board.
- Voted 7-0 to approve the Consent Agenda. This month’s Consent Agenda included minutes of previous meetings; bills for payments; acceptance of donations over $10,000*; (*$12,000 from New Tech Network to support students’ access to college).
Also, additional T-TESS appraisers; a waiver for remote homebound instruction for Special Education student; approval of National School Board Association annual conference session presented by Trustee Chris Stanley and ECISD Chief Innovation Officer Jason Osborne; and renewal of Special Education Legal Services Retainer agreement with Walsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Russo & Kyle P.C.
Special presentations included the announcement of ECISD’s top fundraisers for the 2021 United Way campaign; the recognition of Kay Crow, Burleson Elementary volunteer, as the W.D. Noel Adult Volunteer of the Year; recognition of four ECISD nurses selected to the Permian Basin Great 25 Nurses; and introduction of the winners of the National Fossil Day Art Contest.
