Bond Oversight Committee delivers first report to board

The report report for March began with a look at ongoing projects. The District has now received 75% of the construction documents for the Career and Technical Education high school and conducted a page-turn look at the design with architects earlier in March.

The site work on the new middle school is busy with electrical, plumbing, and foundation work is underway. The footprint of the school is clearly taking shape. This project is about 6% complete.

Permian High School’s auditorium renovation is nearing the end of the design development phase. Look for construction to start in June.

Negotiations are ongoing for a potential contractor for the new JROTC facility at PHS. While no on-site activity is happening at this time, construction could start as soon as April.

The new Transition Learning Center is now in the construction drawing phase and will move to procurement next with construction beginning in June.

That TLC timeline is similar to the one for the new Ag Farm. It is currently in design development and construction could begin in June.

The technology update reveals Burleson and Pease have been completed for public address (PA)/Bells/Alarms/Clocks upgrades. Sixteen (16) schools are in the cabling process, and five (5) schools are now installing equipment. New surveillance cameras are now installed at Odessa High School, PHS, New Tech Odessa, and Ector Middle School. Bowie Middle School is next on the schedule.

The Fine Arts Department has ordered 1,054 instruments at a cost of $1.695 million; 952 of those have been delivered with 179 being for elementary school classrooms. New middle school choir risers have been delivered to Bonham, Ector and Wilson & Young.

An updated look at the bond finances, as of March 1, shows about 6% of bond funds have been spent with another 31% encumbered for specific purchases. That is approximately $157 million to this point.

After the monthly update, Trustees received a report from the Bond Oversight Committee. This committee of ten (10) community members was formed after the bond package was approved by voters in November 2023. The group began meeting in January 2024 and plans to meet quarterly throughout the implementation of bond projects. The Bond Oversight Committee has four charges: 1. Ensure bond projects remain faithful to the priorities identified in the bond plan approved by voters; 2. Review and evaluate information on all projects, bond funds, and timelines to ensure accountability and transparency; 3. Review and evaluate the bond budget status; 4. Provide an annual report to the Board of Trustees on progress. Sixteen months since the successful election, and all projects are underway to varying degrees. At meetings, committee questions have been answered to satisfaction and guest presenters, such as architects, have made themselves available for the committee, too. There is no indication now that any projects are over budget or significantly behind schedule. The committee is pleased with the detailed level of communication, openness to suggestions, and follow-up from the ECISD administrative team. Several oversight committee members have also been able to serve advisory committees for individual projects.

Next, Trustees voted 6-0 to approve Betsy Rhodes to be a member of the Bond Oversight Committee, replacing an original member of the committee who moved.

Trustees voted 6-0 to approve Wayne Byrd and Kevin Searcy for the Naming Committee for the new middle school. Local board policy states a school naming committee shall be made up of two (2) members of the Education Foundation selected by the Foundation, two (2) members appointed by the school board, three (3) community representatives who reside with in the District and have been selected by the District Continuous Improvement Team (DCIT), and three (3) parents who reside in the District and have been selected by the DCIT.