Permian Strategic Partnership invests $10M towards Ector County ISD CTE building

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The Permian Strategic Partnership today announced a $10 million investment in the Ector County Independent School District’s Career Technical Education center. Together with Ector County’s successful school bond and land donated by GROW Odessa, the investment will help fund the construction of the state-of-the-art building and expand current course offerings.

“The PSP believes in the power of education to transform lives and communities,” says Tracee Bentley, President and CEO of PSP. “By equipping students with the skills and knowledge to thrive in today’s competitive job market, we are not only supporting their future success but also contributing to the economic vitality of our region. We are committed to supporting ECISD and Dr. Muri in their ongoing fundraising efforts to ensure the successful completion of this project.”

The CTE program at ECISD provides students with a wide range of pathways, preparing them for successful careers in 30 high-demand, high-wage fields. The new CTE facility is scheduled to open in 2027 enabling ECISD to offer even more specialized training and state-of-the-art resources. The enhanced campus will feature cutting-edge technology and equipment, providing students with hands-on experience in fields such as energy, healthcare, welding, automotive collision, and culinary arts.

“This generous contribution from the Permian Strategic Partnership will have a lasting impact on our students and our community,” stated ECISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri. “The CTE building will offer world class opportunities for our students to gain the practical skills and certifications that will set them on a path to success.”

However, to fulfill all of the district’s goals for the new center, ECISD said it hopes to secure an additional $13 million in funding to enhance the facility beyond the current design.

“So in this particular facility, we pulled together a design team, a group of individuals that are dreaming and thinking about the facility. And so as they planned that space, the dollar amount and the space is very large. And so it necessitated some additional contributions, some additional dollars beyond what was allocated in the budget. And we knew that the Permian Strategic Partnership was going to be a great partner in that. So we anticipated, we didn’t know what the dollar amount was. So we’re excited today to receive $10 million, but we still have an additional gap and we’re extremely confident over the next couple of months that we’ll close that gap.”

Bentley said investing in such a project is essential for the successful future of the Basin with its ever growing need for skilled workers.

“Having pathways for students, not only in oil and gas, that’s very important to us, but also in healthcare and education. Because as we all know, we have a shortage in each of those areas too for our region. So having the ability to grow our own is going to be absolutely essential,” she said.

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