The Mother/Son Dance is just a few days away! Get your tickets today!
Click here: https://mckinneyisd.reg.eleyo.com/course/113/2024-2025-special-events/mother-son-dance#dance
Saturday February 1, 2025
McKinney High School Cafeteria
1400 Wilson Creek Pkwy
McKinney, TX. 75069
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Mother/Son Dance Tickets — $24.00 per person
Pictures available by 5804 Photography. Pre-order on ticket webpage.
Finch Elementary Celebrates 100 years!
Principal Erika Echegaray and the staff and students of Finch Elementary hosted a full house of guests on Tuesday, January 28, to celebrate 100 years of serving MISD students and families. MISD Board of Trustees President Philip Hassler, Secretary Harvey Oaxaca, Larry Jagours, Stephanie O'Dell and Lynn Sperry were on hand as well as five former Finch principals: Betty Poe (1991-1998), Sandra Barber (1999-2003), Becky Cross (1998-1999), Margaret Pace (2003-2006) and Becky Hoffman (2011-2016).
They were also joined by former staff and students who returned to Finch to commemorate the milestone. The celebration included the MHS drumline, performances by the MHS Harmony and Finch choirs, student presentations portraying former Finch principal and Eddins Elementary namesake C.T. Eddins and school namesake Fanny Finch as well as remarks from Echegaray and Hassler.
The celebration ceremony was followed by a reception in the library and a tour of the building.
Fanny Finch (1866-1941) was a remarkable, longtime McKinney educator who became the first woman to serve on a school board in Texas. Her influence and leadership brought libraries, restrooms and playgrounds to the city's schools, and in 1924, the school board, in response to a petition from the community, changed the name of South Ward Elementary to Fanny Finch Elementary. 100 years later, Finch's legacy lives on in the school that still bears her name!
Here's to another 100 years of Finch Elementary!
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is senior Madeleine Brubaker from McKinney High School.
See video: https://tinyurl.com/4kbw9w6m
Madeleine is an artist in the AP Art: Design course, and she has earned 3 regional medals and 2 state medals at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event.
She placed 2nd in the Art Club of McKinney contest for her watercolor and scratchboard work, and she received 2 Honorable Mentions in Scholastic Arts & Writing.
Madeleine currently has a 3.95 GPA and ranks 22nd in her class.
She received College Board Recognition for a STEMM Service project, and she has earned her Academic Recognition Cords.
Madeleine was awarded for Outstanding Achievements in Latin, Art and Social Studies, and she received 2nd & 3rd place for the National Latin Exam her freshmen and sophomore years.
In her free time, Madeleine participates in Stemist Club and Visual Arts of Prosper. She is a party host at the Apex Center, and she enjoys using her free time to create art.
After graduation, Madeleine will attend Oklahoma State University to major in Interior Design and minor in Studio Art.
That’s Madeleine Brubaker, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
In honor of School Board Appreciation Month, we shine the spotlight on Lynn Sperry!
Lynn Sperry is passionate about serving the students and staff of McKinney ISD as well as the community at large; that devotion has led her to invest more than 40 years on the MISD Board of Trustees and to serve in a wide range of roles beyond the district.
She served 12 years as director of the Texas Association of School Boards and received the designation of Master Trustee from TASB in 2000. More recently, from 2020-2022, she was president of the North Texas Area Association of School Boards.
The list of local boards and foundations beyond MISD that Sperry has been a part of is lengthy and includes the McKinney Education Foundation, Baylor Scott and White, Avenues Counseling Center, Crape Myrtle Trails, and Serenity High.
In 1997, she was named the Kim Hoffman Volunteer of the Year for McKinney, along with her husband Neil, and in 2006, Sperry received the Carey Cox Award for The Outstanding McKinney Citizen.
Her presence in MISD has proved to be generational; her children attended MISD schools, and now her grandchildren are following suit.
Thank you, Lynn Sperry, for your many years of service to MISD and the community!
Be sure to check out Lynn's full bio and video feature at https://www.mckinneyisd.net/o/misd/page/lynn-sperry
School Board Appreciation Month — Stephanie O'Dell at Press Elementary!
In honor of School Board Appreciation Month, Principal Rachel Corbin and the staff and students of Press Elementary celebrated board member Stephanie O'Dell on Friday, January 17! They kicked off the visit with a quick tour and choir performance by the Press Pride Performers and then moved into the library for lunch, Q&A and presentations from students representing each grade level.
They talked about O'Dell's responsibilities as a board member and her motivation to serve, and students had the opportunity to share some of their artwork, sewing projects and creative writing work. To O'Dell's further delight, they presented her with a new book that would be added to the library in her honor.
The time at Press wrapped up with a boisterous send off in the front foyer.
"I am so impressed with each and every student," O'Dell said afterward. "They were all so well spoken and truly loved being at school. Both of the kids that I sat next to at lunch want to come to school every day. They said, 'I love coming to school. I love learning. I love making friends,' and it shows the value of public education in the state of Texas. Press Elementary...everyone's doing such a great job. These kids are fabulous, and they're learning every single day."
In honor of School Board Appreciation Month, we shine the spotlight on Larry Jagours!
Born and raised in McKinney, Larry Jagours considers himself "a true McKinneyite." Indeed, his educational journey from the former E.S. Doty School to his graduation from McKinney High School is interwoven in significant ways with the history of McKinney ISD and the broader community.
Jagours went on to build a career in education that spanned 29 years, investing 16 of them here in MISD as a special education teacher and, later, as a substitute. Now a retired minister, Jagours continues to serve the MISD community through his work on the Board of Trustees.
“It is an extreme honor and privilege to be elected to the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees,” said Jagours, “to further the vision of academic excellence with all members in making McKinney ISD the premier school district in Collin County, if not within the State of Texas.”
Thank you, Larry Jagours for your service and dedication to the students of McKinney ISD!
Be sure to check out Larry Jagours' full bio and video feature on his MISD profile page!
https://www.mckinneyisd.net/o/misd/page/larry-jagours
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Parker Brown from McKinney Boyd High School.
See video: https://tinyurl.com/52hfe3t6
Parker is a Senior on the Broncos Basketball team.
He has lettered on Varsity for 2 years.
Parker is a National Merit Scholar and received Academic All-State his Junior year.
Parker is a member of the Don’t Litter Club and the McKinney Boyd Black Student Union.
Parker participates in the McKinney Divertimento Orchestra, National Black MBA Association Leaders of Tomorrow Program, and Jack and Jill of America.
He has attended the Roc Nation Summer Music and Technology Academy.
That’s Parker Brown from McKinney Boyd High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
In honor of School Board Appreciation Month, we shine the spotlight on Board Secretary Harvey Oaxaca!
Francisco Javier “Harvey” Oaxaca is certainly no stranger to McKinney ISD, having spent the past 23 years of his 40 years in education serving as a campus and Central Office administrator for the district.
Over the years, Oaxaca's heart to serve those within the district and in the broader McKinney community eventually led him to the MISD Board of Trustees where he currently serves as board secretary. It's a responsibility that he does not take lightly.
“It is an honor and a special privilege to represent the students, staff and community on the MISD Board,” said Oaxaca. “Their faith, trust and support gave me this historic opportunity, and that support motivates me to work hard every day for the stakeholders of the district. I will not betray this trust. I feel strongly that my educational administration experience will help me bring a unique insight and input to the board that will help all seven of us work collaboratively to focus on what is best for our students—today, tomorrow and in the future!”
Thank you, Harvey Oaxaca, for your leadership and dedication to serving others!
Be sure to check out Harvey Oaxaca's full bio and video feature on his MISD profile page! https://www.mckinneyisd.net/o/misd/page/harvey-oaxaca
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024–2025 MISD Spelling Bee! This year's contest was held in the Faubion Auditorium last week, and these talented winners will now move on to the Collin County Spelling Bee scheduled for February 6, at Walnut Grove High School in Prosper.
Well done!
1st — Ansh Chandak – Cockrill Middle School – 7th grade
2nd — Prateik Punati – Scott Johnson Middle School – 7th grade
3rd — Luke Baehner – Eddins Elementary – 5th grade
4th — Claire Rhee – Reuben Johnson Elementary – 5th grade
5th — Amaryllis Tyler – Dowell Middle School – 7th grade
6th — Brynn Lynch – Glen Oaks Elementary – 5th grade
During the month of January we take the time and the opportunity to appreciate our school board and thank them for their service to our district.
See video: https://tinyurl.com/5yfsv6en
Thank you, Philip Hassler, Amy Dankel, Larry Jagours, Chad Green, Lynn Sperry, Stephanie O'Dell and Harvey Oaxaca.
In honor of School Board Appreciation Month, we shine the spotlight on Chad Green!
Chad Green is a proud Texan and Texas A&M grad (Class of 2000) who has been involved with education for more than 20 years in business development at CTB: McGraw-Hill, NWEA, and The Princeton Review. Green has also served on STEM advisory boards for districts across the state, including Cedar Hill ISD, Desoto ISD and Richardson ISD.
He co-founded Five Star Innovation, which partners with school districts and the military to bring powerful STEM competitions to Texas, with more than 40,000 students impacted. He’s committed to serving McKinney ISD and helping make it the premier district in Collin County.
Thank you, Chad Green, for your service and leadership in our district!
Be sure to check out Green's full bio on his MISD profile page: https://www.mckinneyisd.net/o/misd/page/chad-green
School Board Appreciation Month — Amy Dankel at Wilmeth Elementary!
Wilmeth Elementary celebrated school board member Amy Dankel with a special day of gratitude and appreciation. The morning began with a meet-and-greet breakfast hosted by the campus office and PTO. Student council members shared thank-you letters, and student organizations expressed why they love being part of MISD, followed by the presentation of an appreciation gift.
The celebration continued with a school-wide parade and a campus tour where Mrs. Dankel and Principal Ellis visited classrooms to connect with students. Thank you, Mrs. Dankel, for your dedication and impact on our schools and community!
McKinney ISD School Board Summary for the January 21st Meeting
See video: https://youtu.be/KgoHt3GdqrQ?si=q147pOaAXLpeaj7I
Hello, my name is Philip Hassler, and I proudly serve as the McKinney ISD School Board President. Each month, after our board meeting, we provide our community with a brief summary of events and items covered during the meeting.
We started the meeting with celebrations and recognitions.
We honored our “We Are McKinney” Superintendent Award winners. Each month we recognize one elementary staff member and one secondary staff member for going above and beyond to live out our vision of “Every Student, Every Day”.
This month we celebrated:
• Madison Marr from McKinney North High School
• and Josey Wells from Scott Johnson Middle School
Sheila Due, and board members from the McKinney Education Foundation, celebrated their largest teacher grant donation and delivery yet! This year, they presented a check for $125,863.95 in teacher grants to Superintendent Pratt for our teachers and staff.
We celebrated our McKinney North High School volleyball team and their coaches, Libby Rodriguez and Angelica Kelley, who made McKinney North school history as they became the 5A State Runner-Ups in volleyball.
We wrapped up our celebrations by honoring our School Board members as part of School Board Appreciation Month. Thank you to Karla Schumacher for creating a great video to honor our board.
Next, Superintendent Pratt announced two administrative hires:
• Mike Medlin was named the Director of Childcare Programs
• and Stu Johnson was named the new McKinney Boyd High School football coach.
Next we moved into the Presentations portion of the meeting.
Dr. Womack, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations, Stephen McGlivrey, Chief Information Officer, and Greg Suttle, Chief Operations Officer provided a strategic plan update on Pillar 6: Finance and Facilities.
Becky Jackson, Director of Data and Analytics, gave us an update on the middle of year MAP Assessment update. The purpose of Winter MAP is to reflect on first semester progress and plan for second semester instructional adjustments.
Next the board approved the consent agenda and then moved to the discussion & action portion of the meeting.
During this portion of the meeting the board discussed the superintendent’s contract. The board moved to approve the superintendent’s contract.
Dr. Shelly Spaulding, Assistant Superintendent, proposed the 2025-2026 school start times. The Board approved the new start times:
• Elementary School will start at 8:10am and end at 3:20pm
• Middle School will start at 8:50am and end at 4:00pm
• High School will start at 7:20am and end at 2:40pm
• and Lawson Early Childhood School will start at 7:40am and end at 2:50pm
Deputy Superintendent Melanie Raleeh, Senior Director of Administrative Services Dr. Michael Winters and Senior Director of Legal Affairs Aretha Jackson shared a new initiative called Choose McKinney ISD.
Choose McKinney ISD allows families the flexibility to enroll their children in McKinney ISD schools, even if they reside outside the district’s boundaries. Choose McKinney ISD is available to those entering kindergarten through 8th grade who reside within McKinney ISD (intradistrict), students who reside outside of McKinney ISD (interdistrict), and those seeking to participate in specific programs within McKinney ISD. Please see our website for more details.
The McKinney ISD 2025-2026 School Board meeting dates were proposed and approved.
Alana Chisum, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, proposed an update to a local policy surrounding compensation and retirement benefits. The board approved the updates.
The final item under discussion & action was to call for a Board of Trustee election on May 3rd, 2025.
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 February 24th at 6 PM.
MISD Welcomes New Director of Childcare Mike Medlin
McKinney ISD announced at its January Board of Trustees meeting that it has hired Mike Medlin as its new director of childcare programs. Medlin brings 29 years in education to the position.
The hiring of Medlin follows the recent retirement of previous childcare director Amy Dawson. Medlin comes to MISD from Royse City ISD where he has served for the past 10 years as director of childcare services. During his tenure, Medlin led RISD’s extended day program and launched an employee childcare program in the form of the Bulldog Learning Center.
Now, Medlin will direct an MISD department that offers a broad array of programs and services that includes five preschool sites, Club 360 after school care, MISD summer enrichment camps and a summer childcare program, holiday care and MISD employee childcare. In addition, the MISD Childcare Department is responsible each year for the always well-attended Father Daughter and Mother Son Dances.
“McKinney ISD’s childcare programs have been a leader and model for school districts in the metroplex and the state,” said Medlin. “I look forward to maintaining the high standards of McKinney ISD programs, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for every child.”
Prior to his time in RISD, Medlin served in Irving ISD and Frisco ISD, first as a P.E. teacher and as a site manager of an after school program. He has been married to his wife Amber for 23 years, and they have two children, Alex (21) and Lily (16).
“Vincent Van Gogh said, ‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together,’” said Medlin. “Learning communities are successful when they are comprised of people willing to do ‘the small things’ by promoting the safety, development and growth of children.”
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is Jaelyn Hill.
See video: https://youtu.be/pDyFByuOYyM?si=RSHlJ5UKYv6w3a0G
Jaelyn is a senior at McKinney North High School where she is in the AP Art: 2D Design course in the Visual Arts Program.
She scored a 4 the past 2 years at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event, and she scored a 4 on her AP 2D Art and Design Portfolio.
She participated in the 3rd Congressional District Art Competition.
Jaelyn currently has a 3.6 GPA, and she is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Jaelyn participates in the HOSA Program and the Practicum in Health Science.
She volunteers at ManeGait Therapeutic Horse Therapy, and she enjoys riding at Caspian Equest.
After graduation, Jaelyn plans to attend college locally for the first year or two and then transfer to Texas A&M University to earn a degree in Large Animal Veterinarian Medicine.
That’s Jaelyn Hill, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
In honor of School Board Appreciation Month, we shine the spotlight on Board Vice President Amy Dankel!
With nearly 14 years on the board, Dankel holds the second longest tenure among her fellow trustees and currently serves as board vice president. She came to McKinney in 1997 and served the last 10 years of her 22 year career in education at Finch Elementary and Eddins Elementary. She and her husband Roger have two children, Nick and Stephanie, who graduated from McKinney North High School and McKinney Boyd High School respectively and have gone on to great success in college and career.
Dankel cites a deep sense of responsibility to give back to a school system and community that has given so much to her and to her family as her primary motivation for serving on the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees.
Thank you, Amy Dankel, for your service and leadership in our district!
Be sure to check out Amy Dankel's full bio and video feature on her MISD profile page! https://www.mckinneyisd.net/o/misd/page/amy-dankel
MISD is pleased to welcome Evelyn Guerra to the district's business department where she will serve as director of accounting!
Evelyn has 20 years of experience in school and governmental finance. She began her career in Arlington ISD where she was a part of the internal audit department. She went on to work at Highland Park ISD and later joined Garland ISD where she served as the assistant director of finance.
She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington. She earned her Texas CPA license in 2010 and was recently awarded the Registered Texas School Business Administrator (RTSBA) certification from the Texas Association of School Business Officials.
“It is an honor to be selected for this position," Guerra said. "I look forward to serving the District’s accounting needs and building on the partnerships with the McKinney ISD community.”
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Millicent Logsdon from McKinney High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/j_tYQ8xjARc?si=tsB-qtWkB_WjC-Z6
Millicent is a junior on the Lionettes basketball team, and she is also a member of the Lions tennis team.
Millicent has taken 4 AP classes and is a member of the National Honors Society.
Millicent performs with the varsity choir and the varsity jazz ensemble, and she also serves as the Choir Historian. Millicent is a member of YoungLife and her church's youth group. She is also the Worship Leader at FBC McKinney.
That’s Millicent Logsdon from McKinney High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
Philip Hassler Visits McClure Elementary
“He has the best personality, and he engages with our kids,” raves McClure Elementary principal, Jennifer Harrison, about school board president, Philip Hassler.
See video: https://tinyurl.com/5as2uksx
During January all members of the McKinney ISD school board are being welcomed to various campuses across the district as we celebrate school board appreciation month.
Mr. Hassler enjoyed a lovely visit with the students and staff at McClure as he weaved in and out of classrooms, experiencing life as a McClure Marshall for the morning.
School Board Appreciation Month - Chad Green at Lawson Early Childhood School!
MISD Board member Chad Green received a grand reception at Lawson Early Childhood School on Thursday from the district's youngest learners! Principal Susie Towber invited Green to visit their campus in honor of School Board Appreciation Month to give him a first hand look at the remarkable staff, programs and students of the school that in 2020 earned the highly prestigious H-E-B Excellence in Education Award.
Towber whisked Green into the library where he was greeted by students who learned a little about Green's work on the board, recited their Lawson house creeds and shared what they love most about Lawson. Then, Library Media Specialist Summer Lindsay led another class through a remarkably engaging and absolutely timely reading of "Over and Under the Snow."
Next, Towber led the way to various classrooms and the school's STEAM lab and showed Green their sensory pathway and movement room. She took him to the school's simulated supermarket room where students were given specific jobs and tasks to complete. At every turn, students throughout Lawson were engaged in focused, purposeful learning aimed at preparing them to launch successfully into kindergarten and beyond.
To see Lawson in action is to be impressed with what they do and to grasp that H-E-B got it right when they presented them with the Excellence in Education Award.
Towber expressed her thanks to Green and the board for the investment they have made in Lawson over the years.
Green was highly complimentary of the work that he saw in action at Lawson.
"I was incredibly impressed with all the teachers and all the kids at Lawson," Green said. "The teachers are engaging the kids. There's nobody left behind here, and all the kids are engaged. They're finger painting. They're working on science projects. They're building things. They are learning English and Spanish. I love it. These guys are going to have a great year, and I love what I am seeing."
