Ector County ISD

We remember and we continue to rise above the tragedy of five years ago.
Here are just a few pictures from Thursday night's Bright Star Memorial dedication ceremony.
This beautiful spot stands as a tribute to those we lost, those injured, and the heroes who stepped in to help.

Can't make it to the Permian football game tonight? Don't worry, you can now watch games for both OHS and PHS FREE on the Mascot Media app! This platform includes an app and website with schedules, rosters, scores, live broadcasts, push notifications, a messaging tool, and more. With this new platform, fans of ECISD athletics have all the information they need for multiple sports right at their fingertips. Download the app today!

Good luck tonight Broncos!

Update: Game has been cancelled due to rain and lightning - The final score OHS 0 Amarillo 6 (non conference game).

Thursday Night Football!!

Bronchos vs Amarillo Sandies
Kickoff - 7pm

Watch Online (no audio) - https://www.bronchosportsnetwork.com/broadcasts
Radio 97 Gold - https://www.97gold.com/friday-night-light/

"🍕 The secret’s out! ECISD now offers pizza daily at most schools, and students can’t get enough!

The Secret is out!
We offer pizza every day as a second option for most of our elementary, middle, and high schools.

Why we are excited about doing this:

Students LOVE the pizza. Our internal data shows that participation is at its highest when they are offered. That's a big deal when we consider that over 70% of students will be living at or below the poverty line in the Permian Basin and that an estimated 20% of children in Texas will experience hunger and food insecurity at some point in their lives.
We always want to encourage kids to eat, especially if eating at school is their primary or only source of food.

The pizzas are delicious and nutritious. All pizza items served at ECISD are low in saturated fats, total fats, and sodium. They are also made with whole grains; the cheese is fortified with Vitamin D and Calcium.

Finally, we will always offer a second entrée option that students enjoy, and that fits our required National School Lunch Program guidelines.

Reminder: Ector County ISD schools and offices will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 2. They will reopen on Tuesday, September 3.

For the 10th year in a row, ECISD Fine Arts has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation.

This prestigious award is given to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students. It is a comprehensive look at the music program, from funding, graduation requirements, and music class participation to instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Congratulations to the dedicated teachers, staff, and students whose passion and hard work continue to make this music program exceptional year after year!

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS 🏈🏐🎾🏃‍♂️

Tuesday, August 27, 2024
* OHS Varsity Tennis: vs. Ft. Stockton at 4:00 PM (Away)
* Middle School Cross Country: ECISD XC Opener at Sunset
* 7th Grade Girls: 4:30 PM
* 7th Grade Boys: 4:50 PM
* 8th Grade Girls: 5:10 PM
* 8th Grade Boys: 5:30 PM
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
* OHS JV-Red Football: vs. Amarillo at 4:00 PM (Away)
* OHS JV-White Football: vs. Amarillo at 4:00 PM (Away)
* OHS Freshman Football: vs. Amarillo at 4:00 PM at Ratliff Stadium
Thursday, August 29, 2024
* OHS Varsity Football: vs. Amarillo at 7:00 PM at Ratliff Stadium
* PHS JV-Black Football: vs. Midland High at 6:30 PM (Away)
* PHS JV-White Football: vs. Midland High at 5:00 PM (Away)
* PHS Freshman-Black Football: vs. Midland High at 6:30 PM at Ratliff South
* PHS Freshman-White Football: vs. Midland High at 5:00 PM at Ratliff South
* 7th & 8th Grade Volleyball:
* Nimitz vs. Abell: 5:30 PM (B Team) / 6:30 PM (A Team) at Nimitz
* Bowie vs. Alamo: 5:30 PM (B Team) / 6:30 PM (A Team) at Alamo
* Wilson & Young vs. Goddard: 5:30 PM (B Team) / 6:30 PM (A Team) at Goddard
* Bonham vs. San Jacinto: 5:30 PM (B Team) / 6:30 PM (A Team) at Bonham
* Crockett vs. Ector: 5:30 PM (B Team) / 6:30 PM (A Team) at Ector
Friday, August 30, 2024
* PHS Varsity Football: vs. Plano at 7:00 PM at Ratliff Stadium
* OHS Varsity Volleyball: Competes in El Paso Tournament (TBA)
* PHS Varsity Volleyball: Hill Country Invitational in Kerrville/Fredericksburg (TBA)
Saturday, August 31, 2024
* PHS Varsity Volleyball: Hill Country Invitational continues in Kerrville/Fredericksburg (TBA)
* OHS Cross Country: Crane Invitational (TBA)
* UTPB Football: vs. WNMU at 6:00 PM at Ratliff Stadium


Photo by TB Photography

Ector County ISD has become the 9th District in Texas to Receive the prestigious CoSN Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal!

This achievement highlights how dedicated ECISD is to keeping student data safe. The district has been nationally recognized for its strong privacy practices in five key areas: Leadership, Business, Data Security, Professional Development, and Classroom. “This seal is the result of three years of dedicated work by our staff,” said Kellie Wilks, ECISD's Chief Technology Officer. The TLE Seal, the only privacy framework created specifically for schools, showcases the Technology team’s commitment to maintaining the online safety and security of both student and staff information. Well done and congratulations, ECISD Technology team!

Read more about this achievement here: https://www.cosn.org/cosn-news/texas-school-district-awarded-cosn-trusted-learning-environment-seal-for-student-data-privacy-practices/

A full agenda for tonight's school board meeting. Trustees received updates on Bond 2023 projects, the opening of schools this week (enrollment is up), and the state accountability system. You will find a complete recap of the agenda on our website - https://www.ectorcountyisd.org/ - under District News.

At today’s board meeting, we had several special presentations celebrating excellence across ECISD.

The meeting began with pledges led by two awesome students from San Jacinto Elementary, followed by an invocation from Pastor Ernest Florez of Casa De Mi Padre Odessa.

We proudly recognized Ryan Merritt, Executive Director of CTE, for receiving the ATAT Area II Outstanding Administrator award, highlighting his leadership and the $7.5M renovation of the ECISD Ag Farm.

Hays STEAM Academy and Reagan Elementary were honored for their inclusion in the ERP Honor Roll, while our Fine Arts program was celebrated for earning NAMM’s Best Communities for Music Education award for the 10th consecutive year.

Additionally, ECISD was recognized with the Texas Art Educators Association’s District of Distinction award and the Trusted Learning Environment Seal from CoSN for our commitment to student data privacy and online safety. ECISD is just the 9th school in Texas to earn this highly-esteemed distinction.

Our team continues to strive for excellence everyday!

Big congratulations to two stars who graduated from UTPB & SFA this weekend!
Crystal Day earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. Crystal is part of the Athletic Department serving as an Athletic Director. And let’s give a warm welcome to Jashon Pogue, who just graduated with a BBA in Marketing and is the newest member of our Communications team. We’re so proud of you both!

Tonight, our Ector County ISD Board of Trustees held a special meeting during which they approved a voluntary retirement agreement with Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri, and approved Dr. Keeley Boyer to serve as interim superintendent. To read more details from the meeting please go to https://www.ectorcountyisd.org and see the story under District News.

Parents and guardians, we need your help to ensure a safe learning environment for all of our students. 💉 Please make sure your child is up-to-date with all state-required immunizations. Below are clinics that you can go to for vaccines. Keeping up with vaccinations means healthier kids and stronger, safer communities for everyone.

Visit our Nursing Department webpage for information on the the minimum Texas immunization requirements: https://www.ectorcountyisd.org/departments/nursing/immunization-requirements

First day of school. ✅
We hope everyone had an awesome .

Please look for the signs and watch for the lights.

School starts tomorrow, so traffic on the roads is going to increase; school zone speed limits are back in force; and buses will be running routes and making stops.

Let's all slow down and be safe! We are wishing all of our staff, students and families a great start to the new year.

If your children ride a bus to and from schools, please know our ECISD Transportation Department has been working very hard this summer to improve the process of requesting a bus and then receiving the notification once it is set up.

As we head into this opening week of school, there is now a streamlined, efficient way for parents to register their children for school and request transportation services—all online through the Focus Parent Portal.

Here are the steps:

1. Online Registration: through the Focus Parent Portal - click here https://ecisd.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/

2. Transportation Requests: No more long lines or in-person visits to the transportation office needed. By simply clicking "Yes" for transportation during the registration process on your computer, parents can request bus services for their children. Follow the steps in the link below (Cell phone view may look different)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Oj0_91gcr5BvZiWh2V0MULUwUyUWh6Wn/view?usp=sharing

3. Quick Confirmation: Within 1-2 business days, and often sooner, parents will receive an email detailing whether or not their child is eligible for transportation according to district policy . If eligible, the email will include details of the of their child's pick-up and drop-off times.

Important Notes for Parents
Regular Email Monitoring: It is essential that parents regularly check the email address provided on the Parent Portal. This is the primary means by which you will receive information regarding your child's transportation eligibility and schedule.

Avoid In-Person Visits: Visiting the transportation office in person will not expedite the process of securing transportation for your child. The most efficient and effective way to request transportation is through the Parent Portal. This online method ensures that your request is processed quickly and accurately.

Patience During the First Week: We kindly ask parents to be patient and flexible during the first week of school as the Transportation Department continues to work diligently to provide the safest and most efficient transportation possible.

Support Available: If you have additional questions, please call the transportation department at 432-456-5791 between the hours of 8 AM and 4 PM.

Message from Dr. Scott Muri:

Serving the children, staff, and community of Ector County ISD is one of the greatest experiences of my life! Nothing compares to the joy and excitement that the process of learning creates. It is absolutely magical!

As I complete 36 years of service in public education, I have taken time to carefully reflect upon my journey, and I have decided that it is time to close this chapter and begin anew. I will be meeting with the Board of Trustees next week to discuss my retirement as Superintendent of Ector County ISD.

The past five years have truly been the most amazing of my career! You are exceptional and have made incredible progress on behalf of the children we serve. I couldn’t be more proud of Team ECISD! Thank you for embracing me as a member of this community and as your Superintendent. I am forever grateful.

Next week, I will provide more details. For now, please get some rest, enjoy your weekend, and celebrate the !

Just three more sleeps until the the school year is here. Our has been busy polishing, planning, and preparing for your return. We are excited to see you in class next week!

There's still time to complete your student’s registration at ECISD! ⬇️

Ease the first-day rush by registering online before school starts on Monday. If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to call your child’s school.

Click the link to our website and get started now! https://www.ectorcountyisd.org/parents-students/online-registration-2023-2024

Yesterday, kicked off the 2024-25 school year with an inspiring Convocation! 🎉 Our community came together to share stories and celebrate the positive impact our district has on students, families, and the entire community. With the new school year starting in less than a week, we’re excited for what’s ahead. Check out these uplifting moments from the event! 📸