McKinney ISD announced two key leadership updates on Friday, May 5: Glen Oaks Principal Molly Hovan will now serve as MISD Senior Director of Teaching and Learning, and current Glen Oaks Assistant Principal Kristi Andrews will be the new principal of Glen Oaks. Combined, Hovan and Andrews account for 40 years of experience in education and nearly 20 years in campus leadership.

On Friday, April 28, representatives from Valley Creek Elementary, McKinney ISD and the City of McKinney gathered at McKinney ISD Stadium to take an official Guinness Book of World Records measurement in their effort to set a new record for the longest friendship bracelet in the world.

In April, physics students from Boyd, MHS and North gathered at the Collin County Adventure Camp for the 8th Annual Battle of the Blues Physics Olympics to pit their knowledge of science against the other schools in a fun, day-long battle of ingenuity and resourcefulness. This year, the Lions won the overall title, bringing the coveted trophy back to MHS and ending a three year win streak for McKinney North.

Four formidable McKinney ISD 4th and 5th grade math students will be headed to Chicago in May for the National Final of the annual MathCON mathematics competition. In addition, nine other MISD students qualified for the final as alternates.

On Thursday, McKinney ISD announced that Shelly Spaulding will lead its Communications Department as the district’s new Assistant Superintendent of Communications. Spaulding brings 19 years of experience in education and a broad range of expertise to her new position, including six years of administrative leadership at the campus level and two years as an administrator at the district level.

A familiar face is returning to McKinney ISD. Gordon Butler, currently the Chief Executive Officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Austin, will assume the new role of MISD’s Assistant Superintendent of Strategic Processes and Community Engagement. Butler formerly served in MISD as an assistant principal, central office administrator and principal of McKinney High School.

On Monday, April 17, McKinney ISD announced the names of two new assistant superintendents who will serve on the leadership team of Superintendent Shawn Pratt, additions that will fill vital district administration roles. Melanie Raleeh will now serve as the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Student Support, and Dr. Amber Epperson has been named Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning.

On Thursday, April 6, McKinney ISD celebrated its Campus Teachers of the Year and announced Elementary Teacher of the Year Genesis Yougas from Lawson Early Childhood School and Secondary Teacher of the Year Daun Griffen from Scott Johnson Middle School at the annual Teacher of the Year Dinner.

Twenty-six McKinney ISD schools earned CREST Awards this year from the Texas School Counselor Association for excellence in their comprehensive school counseling programs. In addition, Press Elementary, Lawson Early Childhood School and McGowen Elementary earned special Advocacy and Leadership Awards.

For the first time in its athletic history, McKinney ISD has advanced three soccer teams to the Regional Semi-Final of the 6A and 5A UIL soccer playoffs.

On Wednesday, March 22, the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Shawn Pratt superintendent of McKinney ISD. The vote took place during a special public meeting and marked the conclusion of the state-required 21 day waiting period that was observed after Pratt was named the lone finalist for the job.

On March 16-17, plastics engineers from PlastiVan, through a partnership with MISD and the Society of Plastics Engineers, visited Scott Johnson Middle School and Faubion Middle School 6th grade science classes for a day of STEM learning and discovery.