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Ector County ISD approves purchases and budget amendment, including $1M facility assessment
Summary
Trustees approved four purchase authorities (insurance renewals, a facilities assessment contract and a J‑1 visa vendor) and passed Budget Amendment No. 4, which adds roughly $650,000 for a facility assessment and reallocates $300,000 to continue police salaries after a grant ended.
The Ector County Independent School District board approved multiple purchase authorities and a budget amendment during its Dec. 16 meeting.
Purchases: Finance staff presented four recommended purchase-authority items under board policy CH. The largest was an Arthur J. Gallagher property and casualty insurance renewal with an estimated 12‑month premium of about $3,141,993; staff said the district piggybacked on Amarillo ISD to obtain roughly $600,000 in savings. The board also reviewed a proposed stop‑loss insurance renewal with Nationwide ($1,722,000), a facilities condition and educational adequacy assessment contract with Parkhill Smith & Cooper (about $1,000,000), and a $100,000 contract with a J‑1 visa sponsor to assist with international teacher recruitment.
Budget amendment: Finance staff presented Budget Amendment No. 4 for the 2025–26 year. The general fund beginning balance was updated to $130,362,497. The amendment requests additional funding for the facilities assessment (an added ~$650,000 above an earlier 2017‑based estimate) and $300,000 in general‑fund support for four police officers whose salaries had previously been covered by a grant that ended. Staff said the additional facility assessment funding reflects current market bids after an RFQ process; the second-place proposal was about $800,000.
Trustee questions and outcome: Trustees pressed staff on why the earlier estimate was low; staff acknowledged the earlier number was based on an outdated estimate and said the RFQ produced the current bids and that the district will negotiate contract scope during billing. A motion to approve the purchases and the budget amendment was moved, seconded and approved; the budget amendment passed with one trustee recorded as abstaining in the meeting transcript.
What’s next: Staff will proceed with contracting steps for the approved vendors, negotiate the facility‑assessment contract as needed, and place subsequent contract awards on future agendas as required by policy.
