From Marfa Public Radio:
When the last oil boom in the Permian Basin screeched to a halt in 2014, something unexpected happened — families stuck around.
Now, with production ramping up again, all corners of the community are feeling the effects of population growth. Including area public schools, where record enrollment is putting a strain on an already low-performing district. In Odessa, school administrators and teachers and parents are asking the question: where are we going to put all of these kids?
To folks outside the region, Permian High School is best known as home to the Panthers, the football team that inspired the book, movie, and TV show, “Friday Night Lights.” But locally, Valerie Hammit’s precalculus class may be setting a new record. There are 63 kids in it.