Senator Cornyn

In Odessa, Cornyn Announces $8.8 Million in Relief Funding for Public Schools in the Region So Far

August 31, 2020

ODESSA – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced today at George H.W. Bush New Tech Odessa High School that public schools in the Midland-Odessa region so far have been allocated $8.8 million in federal coronavirus relief resources from Congress. While there, he visited with Odessa students, teachers, and administrators to learn about how they have used federal CARES Act funds to transition to hybrid in-person and remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

To aid public schools during the pandemic, Sen. Cornyn supported the CARES Act, which has provided a total of more than $8.8 million to public schools in Midland and Odessa. Earlier this month, Sen. Cornyn was in Midland to highlight the $61 million the CARES Act has provided for the Permian Basin area so far.

Today he first joined a high school freshmen world geography class, with students attending both in-person and virtually, to help teach a lesson and hear about their experience starting school. Following the class and a discussion with Ector County ISD leadership on schools re-opening, Sen. Cornyn then held a socially-distanced joint press conference.

Thus far, Sen. Cornyn has worked to secure $8.8 million in funding for public schools in the Midland-Odessa area, including:

Ector County ISD: $5,457,631

  • 5,820 iPads for Pre-K through 2nd grade students
  • 6,000 Chromebooks for 3rd through 12th grade students
  • $1.1 million to outfit classrooms with mics to project clear sound to remote learners through teachers’ masks


Participants included:

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

Dr. Scott Muri, Superintendent, ECISD

Gerardo Ramirez, Principal, New Tech Odessa

New Tech Odessa freshmen students