Keeping the seven priorities for a potential bond proposal in place, Ector County Independent School District Superintendent Tom Crowe told bond advisory committee members Thursday the possible cost has been reduced.
The meeting was held at George H.W. Bush New Tech Odessa's cafeteria and was the committee's last gathering.
The seven priorities the bond advisory committee reached consensus on last week had a potential price tag of $339,705,796. After consulting with district officials and PBK architects, which has been working with the district on the proposed bond project, Crowe said the potential cost is now $286,672,291.
After Crowe's announcement, committee member Conrad Turner wondered why the committee had been working all summer if Crowe was going to reduce the cost of the list of priorities.
Turner said he thought it might have been better if there had been a limit put on the amount of the bond.
Committee member Tatum Hubbard, also an anchor with CBS 7 News, said she thought the priorities reflected the group's work.
The committee was formed to make recommendations on district needs and a possible future bond issue.
The priorities are now:
- Priority 1 lifecycle projects such as roofing, HVAC, plumbing and window replacements at every campus are now $29 million.
- A new comprehensive high school for 2,500 students at $131,000,480.
- Conversion of Ector Middle School to a high school for 1,500 students at a cost of $30,037,460.
- A new middle school to replace Ector Middle School for $62,514,557.
- Securing front entry vestibules at every school for $1,123,500.
- Fire and life safety upgrades at every campus for $5,317,044.
- And a district-wide fiber network for $27,115,705.
Rounding up, on a $287 million bond, for a home with an average taxable value of $104,244, it would cost $167.83 per year, or $13.99 a month.
The Bond Advisory Committee will present its recommendations to the ECISD Board of Trustees during its 6 p.m. Aug. 15 meeting at the administration building, 802 N. Sam Houston Ave.
The board will consider calling a Nov. 7 bond and tax ratification election at a special meeting Aug. 17. The deadline to call a November 2017 bond election is Aug. 21.
Because the district is maxed out on its maintenance and operations taxes, it will have to go for a tax ratification election, or TRE, along with a bond.
The district has a $1.04 per $100 valuation M&O rate, but it has room on its interest and sinking rate at 11 cents per $100. That is its debt capacity. The district's total tax rate is $1.15 per $100 valuation.
To adopt a maintenance and operation rate above $1.04 per $100 valuation, the district has to conduct a rollback election, known as a tax ratification election or TRE. With a TRE, the highest allowable M&O rate is $1.17 per $100, which equates to an additional 13 pennies of tax revenue and corresponding state revenue.
Crowe said the priorities in the proposed bond don't mean that other needs presented such as those in career and technical education, fine arts and athletics won't be addressed in future bond issues. He said the community has to start thinking long term with the growth that's here and what's coming.
The days of bonds that last 15 years are gone, Crowe said. ECISD didn't lose students in the last oil bust and there is more diversity of jobs here now than there used to be.
Committee member Charles Carlson said this is just a start. Carlson said almost every elementary school has portables and smaller class size is optimal.
Odessa College President Gregory Williams, a committee member, said year to date, Odessa College's enrollment is up 15 percent from the best year they've ever had and 36 percent up over the last 10 years. He said that's probably somewhat predictive of ECISD's growth.
"The good thing is that the numbers are there. The bad thing is that the numbers are there," Williams said.
As of July 31, Crowe said enrollment had been closed at Buice, Downing, Jordan and Buddy West elementary schools. He said Murry Fly will probably come next.
Crowe said met with Odessa College President Gregory Williams about using their auto tech facilities which should free up space at the Frost Building. Crowe said he and Williams also talked about putting more career and technical education at the high school campuses if room was created.
In May 2013, the Sewell family of prominent local auto dealers announced it would its facility at 2425 E. Eighth St. to Odessa College, allowing the school to vastly expand and improve its auto program, officials announced Thursday at the site.
Sewell is currently building a new facility off State Highway 191 in the Parks Legado area.
Crowe said this should start conversations about how facilities can be shared. He said Odessa has three institutions of higher learning -- OC, the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center -- that can get involved in improving education in Ector County.
The committee also participated in a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
The strengths included what makes the bond referendum good, what the committee did right and how can the strengths of the referendum be capitalized on to ensure success.
The weaknesses would be what is the weakest link in the referendum; is there a lightning rod; has anything been overlooked; how could the referendum be improved.
Opportunities (external to the committee's work and outside its control) are where are the biggest supporters in ECISD for a bond referendum; how can they best reach and inform the community; are there community segments that could become favorable voting blocs and how can they be reached.
Threats discussed would be silent "de-railers" that could hinder community support of the referendum; community segments that could become unfavorable voting blocks; economic issues that could influence voters; and what is the major hurdle?
Gino Solla, a committee member, said the perception is that the community has been "nickeled and dimed" with previous bond issues and this one could take care of growth and dilapidated buildings.
Jeff Russell, also a committee member, said the $286,672,291 bond was better than $339,705,796, but it would still be a "heavy lift" to sell. He said he thinks officials and the committee need to keep looking at bringing the costs down.
Russell said he thinks good explanations are needed about what is planned for the high schools and there needs to be a good plan in place to pass the proposed bond.
Committee members also said the bond has to be sold and marketed well, people have to be educated about the need for it and voter turnout needs to be high.
Some of the things committee members noted were left out included athletic needs and career and technical needs. They also said that there is a group of people who want to stay with the two high school system.
Converting Ector Middle School to a high school and the need for teachers will be lightning rods, as well, committee members said.
Among the threats and hurdles mentioned were the tax ratification election, other government entities going for tax increases, getting the best value for the dollar, parents who won't vote for the bond because their child isn't getting a new school, people who don't believe there is enough growth to justify new schools and people who will vote against anything.
