Hello! My name is Stephanie O’Dell, and I proudly serve on the McKinney ISD School Board. Each month, after our Board meeting, we provide our community with a brief summary of events and items covered during the meeting.
See video: https://youtu.be/iqfr0Db3lgM?si=kK7yqXxXaz2gcQtp
We started the meeting by canvassing the recent election.
Current Vice President Amy Dankel declared the following results:
• Place 1 - Larry Jagours received 1,101 votes which is 100% of the votes.
• Place 2 - Kenneth Ussery received 2,282 votes which is 62.48% of the votes.
• Palace 3 - Corey Homer received 1,925 votes which is 68.24% of the votes.
• Place 7 - Harvey Oaxaca received 9,430 votes which is 100% of the votes.
Judge Paul Raleeh administered the oath of office and swore in the four board members.
We then moved to celebrations and recognitions.
We honored our “Every Student, Every Day” award-winners.
This month’s students are:
• Richard McTague from Glen Oaks Elementary
• and Knox Grande from Bennett Elementary
We recognized the winners of the Gifted and Talented Stock Market game.
We honored our students who took home awards from the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival.
Then we recognized the very first cohort of participants of the Aspiring Assistant Principal Pathway.
We also recognized a few of our Fine Arts accomplishments.
• First up, we honored our “Youth Art Month” winner and our state VASE qualifiers.
• Then we celebrated our UIL State Instrumental Ensemble Competition participants.
Next we celebrated the six McKinney ISD Seniors who have been named National Merit Scholars.
Then we moved into our Career and Technical Education groups that represented McKinney ISD at the State level.
Congratulations to--
• The McKinney High School Yearbook and Journalism program
• The Future Farmers of America program, also known as FFA
• Health Occupations Students of America, also known as HOSA
• Distributive Education Clubs of America, also known as DECA
• Texas Association of Future Educators, also known as TAFE
• and Technology Student Association, also known as TSA
We then moved into recognizing our spring state qualifiers and athletic scholarship recipients.
Superintendent Pratt then made three new administrative announcements.
• Cyndy Bice was named the new principal of Slaughter Elementary.
• Kristin Ellis was named the new principal of McClure Elementary.
• and Grace Roberts was named the new principal of Wilmeth Elementary.
Congratulations to our administrators!
We held public comment and then moved into the closed session.
After the closed session, we moved into the presentation portion of the meeting.
A budget update was provided by Dr. Dennis Womack, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations. Texas school district budgets are based on estimates and assumptions, including factors like: property values, tax rates, student attendance rates, and student characteristics and programs. It’s important for our community to know funding equals attendance. The amount of Texas public school funding a district is allowed to keep is driven by student attendance. It is NOT driven by local property values and the amount our community pays in taxes. Additionally, it is important for our community to know that the district is in a deficit budget due to a variety of factors, including: stagnant state funding, record inflation, underfunded state mandates, decreased federal funding in multiple programs, remaining competitive on salaries especially in our hardest to fill areas, growth in special education services, and stagnant student enrollment.
Marlene Harbeson, our Chief Financial Officer, provided information on the proposed homestead exemption, McKinney ISD tax rate, and a draft budget. It is important to note that the legislative session is still going on, so it is difficult to predict our budget until the legislative session ends.
Next the Board approved the consent agenda and then moved to the discussion/action portion of the meeting.
Aretha Jackson, Senior Director of Legal Affairs, provided local policy update 124. The Board accepted the updates as presented.
The Board then approved the monthly written reports.
The Board reviewed upcoming events, and we are excited to celebrate our McKinney ISD graduates on May 23!
Those are the highlights from this month’s meeting. Thank you for watching, and we look forward to bringing you the highlights from our next regularly scheduled board meeting on June 23 at 6 PM.
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Rebekah Lessner from McKinney Boyd High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/4Lk2ZHH02wA
Rebekah is a senior on the Broncos track team. She received Track Freshman of the Year and Track Sprinter of the Year as a sophomore. She was the Girls Top Point scorer and member of the Student Athletic Leadership Council.
Rebekah is a member of the National Honors Society, has taken 12 AP classes, and is a National Merit finalist. She has a 4.96 GPA and is ranked 8th in her class.
Rebekah attends First United Methodist Church Mckinney. She works as a Lifeguard and Swim instructor and enjoys volunteering.
Next year, Rebekah plans to attend a liberal arts university to study Pre-Law.
That’s Rebekah Lessner from McKinney Boyd High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
2024-2025 McKinney North Top 10 Students!
With graduation quickly approaching, McKinney ISD leaders joined Superintendent Shawn Pratt and Principal Justin Penio at McKinney North High School this morning to honor and celebrate the 2024-2025 McKinney North Top 10 Students! These outstanding students have worked relentlessly to achieve this goal, committing themselves to the highest level of academic excellence throughout their four years of high school. Well done!
"We realize how hard you've worked," said Pratt as he spoke to the group this morning. "You make McKinney ISD and McKinney North a better place because of all that you have done."
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 McKinney North High School Top 10!
1. Ife Adeyemi
2. Mahati Madugula
3. Galilea De La Garza
4. Cali Tyler
5. Matthew Harber
6. Gracyn Reddick
7. Jegan Anand
8. Brandon De Vun
9. Katelin Kenealey
10. Marie Janine Villa
MISD looks forward to celebrating the Top 10 Students at McKinney High School next Friday! (5/16/25)
Kind Minds, Big Hearts Parade at Vega Elementary
As National Autism Acceptance Month wrapped up last month, students at Vega Elementary came up with an amazing idea: let’s celebrate unique friendships and kindness on our campus - with a PARADE!
See video: https://youtu.be/RLZPxZqFREI
The autistic population, alongside supporting friends and staff, walked the main hallway of Vega, handing out fun items and celebrating neurodiversity in their community.
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is Ari Montano.
See video: https://youtu.be/F_pCjFDX39Q
Ari is a senior at McKinney Boyd High School where she is in AP Studio Art: Drawing.
Ari currently maintains a 3.49 GPA, and she has received the Academic Achievement Award for the 24-25 school year.
In her free time, Ari is a member of the Heavy Metal Crocheting Club, and she works at Crumbl Cookies. She also helps professional artist, LynDale Lewis, with painting murals and designs at All Art Designs.
After graduation, Ari plans to go into Cosmetology for hair specifically, and she would also like to study to become a tattoo artist.
That’s Ari Montano, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
McKinney ISD Preschool registration is open for the 2025-2026 school year!
MISD tuition-based preschools are available at Bennett Elementary, Malvern Elementary, Eddins Elementary, Wolford Elementary and Johnson Elementary.
MISD offers a preschool experience for children 3 years – prekindergarten (children who are younger than 5 years on September 1).
—Hours of Operation are 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
—School hours are 7:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m. with extended care available from 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
—Students are required to attend 7:45 a.m.- 2:45 p.m. The MISD Preschool is not a drop-in program. The program follows the MISD school year calendar.
The centers are licensed by the Department of Family and Protective Services and are inspected regularly.
Please contact Jennifer Harris by phone at 469-302-2304 or by email at jharris@mckinneyisd.net, for additional information regarding registration.
This week (May 5-9) is Teacher Appreciation Week! Please take a moment in the next few days to let your child’s teacher know how much he or she means to you!
Teachers illuminate paths of knowledge, guiding students toward limitless possibilities. From morning greetings and classroom discussions to after-school support and thoughtful feedback, teachers shine their light on every aspect of student growth and development. Each day, they spark curiosity, kindle creativity and brighten the future for every student in their care.
To all of our MISD teachers, we offer our heartfelt thanks for your steadfast commitment to our students. You are amazing!
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Cadence Washington from McKinney High School.
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See video: https://youtu.be/5UN-eXdQrqU?si=piU_YOIGfD0a9IyL
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Cadence is a senior on the Lions varsity track team, and she has received the award for Team MVP. Cadence is a 3-time team captain, and she received the District Champion honor her Freshman year.
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Cadence has taken multiple AP courses.
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She volunteers with her school, and she feeds the homeless.
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Next year, Cadence plans to continue her track career in college and to study Dermatology.
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That’s Cadence Washington from McKinney High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
School board member, Lynn Sperry, was scheduled to visit the Walker Elementary campus this past January in honor of School Board Recognition month, but she had to reschedule for this spring. The teachers and students from Walker made it worth the wait!
See video: https://youtu.be/g8rAkcHTKuQ?si=GWfnjhpLISaI5t5s
Mrs. Sperry was treated to a tour from principal, Michelle Baumann, and she was a special guest of honor at the school-wide assembly.
McKinney ISD celebrated the McKinney Boyd High School 2024-2025 Top 10 Students on Friday, May 2, as Superintendent Shawn Pratt joined Boyd Principal Dr. David Hodum in welcoming parents and MISD officials to a special breakfast in honor of these remarkable students.
"We just want to tell you congratulations and to thank you for everything you've done," Pratt said during his remarks. "To be in the Top 10 in a school this large is a huge accomplishment, and I know you've got even greater things in front of you."
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 McKinney Boyd High School Top 10!
1. Richard Jeong
2. Ayaan Mustafa
3. Logan Schwab
4. Mason Wakefield
5. Andrew Frost
6. Tyler Honea
7. William Chiang
8. Rebekah Lessner
9. Alexis Green
10. James Horton
MISD looks forward to celebrating the Top 10 Students at McKinney North on Friday, May 9, and the Top 10 at McKinney High School on Friday, May 16!
The wild weather of the last few days held off as MISD held its 18th Annual Special Olympics Track & Field Meet at Ron Poe Stadium today. The district hosted participants from Allen, Sherman, Coppell and of course MISD's own McKinney Mavericks team!
The Special Olympics track meet is always one of the best days of the school year, and a host of MISD staff and student volunteers came together to make it a fantastic day for the athletes! Thank you to all of the sponsors and volunteers who made it all happen!
(And, thank you to Buzz Photos for providing additional photos!)
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is Emerson Anderson.
See video: https://youtu.be/JkN-vM4lsTU
Emerson is a senior at McKinney High School where she is a 4-year member of the Theatre program. She is a Texas Thespians National Qualifier and Thespian of the Year. She also earned Outstanding Direction with Dallas Broadway.
Emerson is an International Thespians Society 4-year active member. She served as ITS Chair for 2 years, and she is involved in student directing and varsity productions.
Emerson ranks in the top 10% of her class with a 4.398 GPA, and she has received the Academic Excellence Award for the past 3 years.
In her free time, Emerson works at Tropical Smoothie, and she volunteers with the MHS PTO and First United Methodist Church.
After graduation, Emerson plans to attend Texas State University to major in Theatre Education with a desire to teach high school theatre.
That’s Emerson Anderson, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
Each year, MISD Superintendent Shawn Pratt selects just one MISD student to receive the Superintendent Scholarship in the amount of $3,000 that will cover 2 years of study at Collin College.
The district is happy to announce that this year's recipient is McKinney Boyd High School senior Isabella Hrncir!
Congratulations, Isabella!
And, thank you to the Collin College Foundation who provides the scholarship each year through a generous donation!
Pictured: (l-r) Deputy Superintendent Melanie Raleeh, Superintendent Shawn Pratt, Boyd senior Isabella Hrncir, Boyd AVID teacher Leslie D'Annibale and Boyd Principal Dr. David Hodum
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Brandon De Vun from McKinney North High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/Bq3SVv_KFFo?si=vDsuyZu6fag4MMKa
Brandon is a Senior on the Bulldogs Track team.
Brandon is a part of the current school record holding 4x100 relay team with a time of 41.15 seconds. He is a 2024 State Qualifier in the 4x100 relay and Regional Qualifier in the 100 meters.
Brandon has a 4.88 GPA and is ranked 8th in his class. He is an AP student and has received Academic All-District.
Brandon is a member of the McKinney North Interact Club. He volunteers with the McKinney Parks Foundation and works at Five Guys.
Next year, Brandon plans to attend the Naval Academy.
That’s Brandon De Vun from McKinney North High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
Welcome to another episode of the McKinney ISD Podcast.
Podcast link: https://youtu.be/0ZQ8OoiAHKA?si=cQIbcgOrtg8YaZhl
Today we are talking with our current school board president, Philip Hassler. We will learn more about Mr. Hassler as he discusses his work and family background as well as his experiences with the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees. Tune in!
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is Aubrey Kelly.
See video: https://youtu.be/kVLmTwno7wM
Aubrey is a senior at McKinney High School where she is a 4-year member of the choir program. She has been a member of the varsity choir for 3 years and a 2-year member of Harmony Jazz Ensemble. Aubrey has earned Superior Ranking at Solo & Ensemble, and she is a member of the 2024/2025 Texas All-State Treble Choir. She has served as the student board president for the choir program and as a section leader in varsity choir for two years.
Aubrey currently maintains a 4.58 GPA, and she has taken 12 AP courses.
She has earned Academic excellence chords, and she is a member of Headhunters.
In her free time, Aubrey works as a kennel technician at Country Creek Animal Hospital.
After graduation, Aubrey will attend Texas A&M for Biomedical Science on a pre-vet track with plans to pursue a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.
That’s Aubrey Kelly, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
Hello! My name is Stephanie O’Dell, and I proudly serve on the McKinney ISD School Board. Each month, after our Board meeting, we provide our community with a brief summary of events and items covered during the meeting.
See video: https://youtu.be/LZryyaydo4Y?si=El58YG_E_iIOrZnS
We started the meeting with celebrations and recognitions.
We honored our McKinney ISD Paraprofessionals of the Month.
This month’s winners are: Alana Abbene from Lawson Early Childhood School and Rachel LeBlanc from Cockrill Middle School.
Superintendent Pratt honored his Superintendent Student Advisory Committee seniors for their service on his committee for the last two years. From McKinney Boyd High School, we recognized: Amaya Allen, Nicholas Wesloski & Carol Zhang. From McKinney High School, we recognized: Jordan Awad, Jimmy McGowan & Charlotte Plaster. From McKinney North High School, we recognized: Legend Bryant, Kailee Critchfield & Joaquin Vargas.
We celebrated this year’s McKinney ISD Leadership Academy cohort members.
In today’s dynamic educational landscape, building a pipeline of strong leaders is more critical than ever. McKinney ISD is proud to offer the McKinney ISD Leadership Academy and seven additional leadership pathways that proceed from the academy. To provide you with some background knowledge, the McKinney ISD Leadership Academy was established five years ago 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 capacities. Since its inception, we’ve had incredible leaders come through the academy and move toward their next step in their leadership journey. This year we were lucky enough to have 29 leaders who are accomplishing great things in McKinney ISD.
We honored the McKinney High School Marquettes for earning the title of National Grand Champions.
We celebrated the McKinney Boyd High School Bailadoras for earning the title of National Grand Champions as well.
We recognized the McKinney High School “Music for All” National Festival Honor Wind Ensemble.
Lara Wine shared an update on Project Graduation. McKinney’s Project Graduation is an overnight, alcohol and drug free celebration for graduating seniors from all three McKinney ISD high schools! The goal is to keep graduating seniors safe. They’re seeking volunteers and help to make this event a success. You can find more information on McKinney’s Project graduation website.
WFAA, in conjunction with McKinney ISD Communications and McKinney North High School Administration, recently ran a story about four McKinney North seniors who have all received military academy appointees. We are proud of these students and were excited to recognize them at the Board meeting.
They are: Reed Hisle, who will attend the U.S Military Academy West Point, Jack Flannery, who will attend the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy, Joaquin Vargas, who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy and Brandon De Vun, who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy.
Next, we held public comment and then moved into the presentation portion of the meeting.
Dr. Shelly Spaulding, Assistant Superintendent, presented on McKinney ISD being named to the 2024 Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll list, distinguishing us as one of the top-performing school districts in Texas. This recognition is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our educators, students, and community to academic excellence and equity. Additionally, we had two schools named to the honor roll list: Scott Johnson Middle School and Slaughter Elementary. Congratulations to these two schools, their administrators, teachers, students, and community. These schools exemplify the district’s commitment to academic excellence and serve as models for effective educational practices.
The Board received a continuing education report from Philip Hassler, McKinney ISD Board President, as required by the Texas Education Code.
Next the Board approved the consent agenda and then moved to the discussion and action portion of the meeting.
The Board then approved the monthly written reports.
Before the meeting ended, Superintendent Pratt honored McKinney ISD School Board President, Philip Hassler, for his time and service to our Board. He presented him with a gift from McKinney ISD. We are grateful for his leadership and service to McKinney ISD, and we will miss him. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
Those are the highlights from this month’s meeting. Thank you for watching, and we look forward to bringing you the highlights from our next regularly scheduled board meeting on May 12th at 6 PM.
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Elijah Kovatch from McKinney Boyd High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/3aUK0BfryYQ?si=5XmtaOHV7Yn3bLQD
Elijah is a senior on the Broncos track team. He is a member of the Broncos Texas Relay 4x400 meter relay qualifier team.
Elijah is an AP student with a 3.67 GPA, and he has received the Academic Excellence award.
Elijah is a member of Burner Nation Track and Field Club.
Next year, Elijah plans to attend the University of Oklahoma to receive a degree in Construction Science.
That’s Elijah Kovatch from McKinney Boyd High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
Congratulations to Dr. Shelly Spaulding, McKinney ISD Assistant Superintendent of Public Relations, Communications and Support Services on being named to the second annual class of McKinney's Women of Inspiration, presented by Star Local Media and the McKinney Courier-Gazette!
The Women of Inspiration award aims to showcase McKinney's exceptional women who transform our community through advocacy, business innovation, thought leadership, and unwavering determination. This year's honorees represent a rich tapestry of professions and passions that reflect McKinney's vibrant community. These women have shaped our city through their dedication to service, entrepreneurial spirit, and visionary leadership.
Congratulations to Dr. Spaulding and the McKinney Class of 2025 Women of Inspiration!
Read the full Star Local Media interview with Dr. Shelly Spaulding here: https://starlocalmedia.com/woi/dr-shelly-spaulding---mckinney-isd/article_0327939a-010f-11f0-afdb-b7ebf9c1f236.html
Congratulations to Bennett student Aniyah Joyner whose poem "Different Things" won 1st Place in the 2nd grade category of the Mockingbird Poetry Society's 54th Annual Collin County Poetry Contest! Her poem has been published in the Mockingbird Poetry Society's book of winning poems for 2025!
Well done, Aniyah!
The Mockingbird Poetry Society of McKinney is the local chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas.
