McKinney ISD -

While students enjoyed an extended weekend, on Monday, February 16, McKinney ISD teachers and administrators came together at Boyd, MHS and North for the 2026 McKinney ISD Winter Conference, a day of professional learning focused on instructional best practices, data-informed decision making, curriculum updates and meaningful assessment strategies. Throughout the day, teachers took part in nearly 300 collaborative workshops and learning opportunities designed to grow classroom instruction and elevate student outcomes, each session supporting McKinney ISD's shared commitment to meeting the needs of all learners and promoting student achievement and growth.

We are McKinney ISD!

Thank you to all of our presenters and session leaders for your expertise and leadership and for helping make the 2026 Winter Conference a success!

McKinney ISD School Board Summary for the February 16th Meeting

See video: https://youtu.be/j2ZvkHDvmco

Hello! My name is Kenneth Ussery, and I serve as a McKinney ISD School Board Trustee. Each month, after our Board meeting, we provide our community with a brief summary of events and items covered during the meeting.

The meeting was called to order with the announcement of a quorum, followed by an invocation and pledges led by board member Stephanie O’Dell.

The Board recognized students and staff for notable accomplishments, including: our McKinney ISD School Resource Officers and Armed Security Officers. We appreciate our SROs and ASOs for the vital work they do to keep our schools safe.

Next we handed out the We Are McKinney ISD superintendent’s award. Congratulations to Andrea Bartolomeo from Vega Elementary and Raul Perez from Scott Johnson Middle School

Then we handed out the Every Student, Every Day awards. Congratulations to Wyatt Merritt from Wolford Elementary and Stella Iniguez from Walker Elementary.

And we gave out the “Heart of the Team” award. Congratulations to Kim King from McClure Elementary and Lindsey Rousselin from the DAEP.

We then recognized the schools who won the Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas award, better known as the CREST award. This award is sponsored by the Texas School Counselor Association, and it recognizes outstanding school counseling programs across the state and serves as a tool for continuous growth and advocacy.

Next we honored the McKinney ISD Counselor of the Year: congratulations to Angela Stevenson from Frazier Elementary.

Then we recognized our 10 McKinney ISD students who were selected as Texas Music Educators Association All-State participants.

Next we recognized the Texas Thespians national qualifiers and the McKiney North Drama Dawgs return to the state mainstage for an astounding 3rd year in a row with their production of Noises Off.

McKinney ISD was named a Premier Community for Theatre Education thanks to the work of our McKinney ISD theatre teachers.

We also recognized our UIL State Cheer winners. Congratulations to the McKinney Boyd High School cheer team and to the McKinney North High School cheer team.

And our final recognition of the night was the Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll, district and honor roll schools. We are proud that McKinney ISD was named an honor roll school district and the following schools were named honor roll schools: Minshew Elementary, Wolford Elementary, Faubion Middle School and Scott Johnson Middle School.

Following the recognitions, public comment was heard on agenda and non-agenda items, and the Board then entered closed session.

After reconvening, the Board heard a public hearing on the TAPR report and college, career and military readiness by Jennifer Akins.

Additionally, the Board heard a strategic plan update on Pillar 5 - Communications from Dr. Shelly Spaulding.

The Board then reviewed the consent agenda and moved into the discussion & action portion of the meeting where we first approved the consent agenda. We considered and took action to approve Superintendent Pratt’s contract. We are thankful for the work Superintendent Pratt and his team have done over the past 3 years.

The Trustees then reviewed monthly written reports, including donations under $5,000, and also bond, energy, construction, transportation, human resources, and PK-12 Math and Science reports.

Upcoming district events include our regularly scheduled board meeting on March 23rd at 6 PM at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center.
The meeting was adjourned following these items of business.

Those are the highlights from this month’s meeting. Thank you for your interest in McKinney ISD and the great work that is happening within our district!

Art from the Heart: A Beautiful Tradition Continues

Last Friday, February 13th, Finch Elementary 3rd and 4th graders shared their creativity and compassion with our friends at Medical City McKinney.

In what has become a cherished annual tradition, Finch Student Council representatives joined the morning announcements to officially present hand-painted "heart masterpieces" to the hospital staff. These paintings have since been delivered to patients at Medical City McKinney to brighten their rooms and lift their spirits.

The McKinney Boyd High School Black Student Union presented "The Culture Shines: BSU Talent Showcase 2026" on Friday, February 13, in the McKinney Boyd auditorium in honor of Black History Month—to not only spotlight talented students but also to celebrate black art forms such as jazz, spoken word and hip hop. The show was hosted by not one, but two "Steve Harveys" and all of the featured performers absolutely delivered on the talent promised in the show's title!

Featured performers:

McKinney Boyd High School Jazz Band
K’Mya Elyce Trask and Jayden Mays — "Lift Every Voice"
Harmoni Vernon and Kainesochi Chukwuelue — Original Poem
James Williams — Cello performance
Ashley Nidey — "Lean on Me"
Collin Jones — Piano, Original piece
Ian Sawnson and Juda Sempebwa — Rap performance
Jaelynn Coleman and Kristin Roach — "Steve Harvey"

This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Kevin Monday from McKinney North High School.

See video: https://youtu.be/aHTAWp2JITA

Kevin is a freshman, and he is a member of the Bulldog varsity soccer team. Kevin has already made a big impact on the team as he earned the “Player of the Game” award in the matchup against Denison High School.

In the classroom, Kevin takes AP Human Geography, and he is an A Honor Roll student.

Outside of school, Kevin volunteers at One Community Church, and he helps care for his younger brothers at home.
He also plays soccer for the FC Dallas Elite Clubs National League.

Congratulations to Kevin Monday from McKinney North High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.

School Resource Officer Appreciation Day — Sunday, February 25

Sunday, February 15, is School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation Day! McKinney ISD would like to thank our SROs and Armed Security Officers (ASOs) for the vital work they do to keep our schools safe and build connections between law enforcement and students. These officers serve in a unique role as informal mentors, law educators and law enforcement officers to support students and school staff. They are valued and essential members of our McKinney ISD community and we offer heartfelt thanks for the
work they do.

There will be no school on Monday, February 16, 2026. That day is designated as a student holiday/teacher work day on the McKinney ISD calendar. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 17. We hope that you have a great weekend!

The 2025-2026 McKinney ISD Community Action Network (CAN) gathered at Vega Elementary on Wednesday, Feb. 11, for the third of four sessions designed to give parents and community members an in-depth look at the vision, goals and operations of McKinney ISD.

The morning kicked off with Vega student leaders welcoming and ushering their guests into the library where Asst. Superintendent Dr. Shelly Spaulding and Deputy Superintendent Melanie Raleeh offered updates on the current happenings in McKinney ISD. (Superintendent Shawn Pratt was unable to attend.) This session's featured topics covered Student Wellness, Safety and Security and District Operations, presented by Director of Counseling Errin French, Sr. Director of Safety and Security Rusty May and Chief Operations Officer Greg Suttle, respectively. As always, the presentations were enlightening and prompted productive Q&A and dialogue between district leadership and the McKinney CAN participants.

Vega Principal Mike Forsyth introduced Asst. Principal Wendy Cottam and provided an overview of Vega Elementary's programs and school culture before inviting the participants on a tour of the school where they visited classrooms, talked with staff and met some of the great students of Vega Elementary.

In short, it was another great morning for McKinney CAN!

Thank you to Principal Mike Forsyth and the staff and students of Vega Elementary for your hospitality!

This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is Gage Edwards from McKinney North High School where he plays violin in the orchestra.

See video: https://youtu.be/_Lu2SC6jYXc

Gage is a 4-year member of the orchestra, and he serves as Head of Logistics. He received 3 superior ratings on solos and 2 superior ratings on ensembles, and he qualified for All-Region in 2023 and 2024.

Gage currently ranks 26th in his class with a 4.54 GPA, and he has taken 8 AP classes where he scored 5 on four of those class exams. Gage is an AP Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction, and he has achieved Academic All-District 3 times.

Gage serves as team captain for the McKinney North boys swim team, and he volunteers with Special Olympic events, the FAC classroom at McClure Elementary and the orchestra programs at Cockrill, Faubion and Scott Johnson Middle Schools.

After graduation, Gage plans to attend either Texas Tech, OU or UT Austin for an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Music Education.
He plans to earn a doctorate in Biochemistry and work in a lab setting while teaching violin in his free time.

That’s Gage Edwards, from McKinney North High School, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.

In 2025, the Texas Legislature designated February 10 as Crossing Guard Appreciation Day to celebrate these everyday heroes who keep children safe on their way to and from school, rain or shine. They not only help students safely cross the street, but their presence also serves to make drivers aware of pedestrian traffic before and after school. They are integral members of the school community and help younger children learn safe practices for bicycling and walking near roadways. Thank you to our McKinney ISD school crossing guards!

Minshew Elementary hosted Career Day on Friday, February 6, in honor of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month!

The day kicked off with classroom visits from community members who shared insights about their careers and the opportunities in their respective fields! Students rotated through hands-on STEM stations around campus and completed “Future Me” interest surveys to explore possible career paths.

It was an inspiring day of learning and career exploration for Minshew students!

This week's Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is junior Malia Sanders from McKinney North High School.

See video: https://youtu.be/7S-M3Ba9iig

Malia is a varsity basketball player for the Lady Bulldogs, and she also plays club basketball.

Malia is a member of the Alliance of Elite Youth Leadership, and she currently ranks 73rd in her class with a 4.0 GPA. Malia tackles a heavy load of AP and Dual Credit courses, and she is a multi-year Academic Award winner.

She serves as a CTE Ambassador for Fashion Marketing and Sports Entertainment, and she stays active in the One Community Church of McKinney.

That’s Malia Sanders from McKinney North High School our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.

Congratulations to the NCA National Champion Cockrill Middle School Cheerleaders and coaches Shelli Wandersee and Miranda Matte! They placed first in the Game Day JH/MS - Large Finals category at the NCA Nationals in Fort Worth on January 23.

Cockrill hosted a reception for the team on Friday morning—complete with a hot air balloon—to present the team with their Championship jackets and to celebrate this remarkable accomplishment!

Well done!

School Board Recognition – Stephanie O’Dell at Valley Creek Elementary

See video: https://youtu.be/8IlRXtl9D88

Coffee talk, a garden tour plus a parade AND assembly attended by the entire school brought out all the feels for McKinney ISD School Board Member, Stephanie O’Dell.

In appreciation of the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees, Valley Creek Elementary was honored to celebrate Mrs. O’Dell this past week as school board appreciation month wrapped up. Principal Dr. Ebonee King led the campus-wide event with special help from the Valley Creek PTA.

Wear red for National Go Red Day on Friday, February 6!

The nation goes red in February. From landmarks to online communities, neighborhoods to news anchors, this annual groundswell unites millions of people for a common goal: saving more women’s lives. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Wear red to be seen, to be counted, to be heard and to make an impact. Together, we are stronger than heart disease and stroke.

The McKinney ISD Leadership Academy recently met for meeting three of four. This leadership development session was focused on professional growth, collaboration, and reflective practice.

Participants first heard from Darla Jackson from Human Resources, who shared practical tools and strategies for effective interviewing and resume development.

Then the session provided time for participants to reflect on and strengthen their individual leadership skills. Through discussion and collaboration, the group explored how working with others who share similar strengths and challenges supports leadership growth, reinforces the importance of teamwork, and emphasizes valuing all perspectives. The session ended with Holly Rogers leading the participants through a reflective painting activity that serves as a reminder to lead with your strengths and utilize your team and their strengths as well.

We appreciate the thoughtful engagement of our participants and look forward to continuing this leadership development journey across McKinney ISD.

The McKinney ISD Leadership Academy was established to identify, recruit, and equip educators with a variety of levels of specializations and broad knowledge, skills, and experiences that prepare participants for leadership positions in both school and district leadership. The academy was started in the 2019-2020 school year as a way to build a pipeline of leaders within McKinney ISD. The academy has now had six cohorts of leaders participate in the year long pathway with more than 75% of the participants growing into their next level of leadership. Additionally, seven leadership pathways have been added to help grow leaders within our district.

For more information about our leadership academy and leadership pathways, please reach out to Dr. Shelly Spaulding, Melanie Raleeh, or Holly Rogers.