Wednesday, state district court Judge John Dietz announced a new six-week school finance trial that will begin in January of 2014. As this trial drags on, and Texas school districts continually screech that they are in desperate need of more funding, one district is pitching in to help fund a luxury apartment complex.

On Tuesday, Ector County ISD approved putting $3.25 million of funding into a $27 million, luxury apartment complex project in downtown Odessa. This was approved with a 6-1 vote at the ECISD board meeting, under the pretense that it will “attract and retain teachers.”

“Odessa Lofts” will be located near Medical Center Hospital, and was originally reported to be target to Texas Tech students studying at TTU Health Sciences Center, who had recently had trouble finding housing in the area. Now, ECISD has decided to pitch in, and at least 75 of the approximately 234-units will be guaranteed to ECISD teachers.

Apparently, rental rates in the area have recently increased because of the oil boom in the Permian Basin. However, the one “no-vote” of the board, Trustee Doyle Woodall, pointed out that while that is an unfortunate situation, somewhere around 3,000 apartments are going up in the area in the next four months and ECISD should not rush into this decision.

While this all sounds very compassionate and kindhearted of the district to help teachers find “affordable” housing, where is this $3.25 million the school district is using to help fund luxury apartments coming from? Oh, that’s right. Tax dollars!

So, all those who pay taxes in ECISD are now helping to fund luxury living for at least 75 teachers. All the while, districts, teachers, educrats, and the like across the state are claiming that public education is severely underfunded. As Odessa radio personality and government watchdog Jason Moore pointed out: “Wouldn’t we all like to improve our homes at others’ expense?”

 

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