(L-R) MISD Sr. Dir. of Career and Technical Education Todd Young, MISD Partners in Education Specialist Nancy Cowlishaw, Cirrus Aircraft Executive Director Jonah Santom, MISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel and Aviation Teacher Todd Curtis at McKinney National Airport on Wed., March 2, 2022.

McKinney, Texas – In a brightly lit hangar at the McKinney National Airport on Wednesday morning, Cirrus Aircraft Executive Director Jonah Santom stood before a group of McKinney ISD aviation students and district representatives and presented them with a check for $25,000. The gesture represented his company’s commitment and excitement about the McKinney ISD Aviation program.

Todd Young, MISD Senior Director of Career and Technical Education, said that MISD will use the money primarily to continue funding the program’s airplane build projects. Over the past five years, MISD students have built two single engine aircraft and are currently working on their third. They have also completed two other plane build projects that were abandoned by another school district.

In addition to the monetary support, the ongoing partnership with Cirrus will provide opportunities for more mentors, internships and visits to the Cirrus facility at McKinney National Airport.

“We appreciate the donation so much and Cirrus’ support of the McKinney Aviation program,” said Young. “Our students are highly motivated to join the airline industry in a variety of ways, and Cirrus is helping bridge the gap.”

MISD remains one of about four public school districts in Texas that offers aviation courses for students aspiring to be pilots or aviation mechanics. The district began offering aviation classes in 2011 with an initial enrollment of just over 40 students. Within two years the program grew to more than 200 students and has maintained that enrollment consistently from year to year.

The four-year preparatory program enables high school students at all MISD campuses to study the history of aviation, careers in aviation, participate in hands-on projects, build and fly model aircraft, earn a student pilot license, work on aircraft and learn more about the many options available in the aviation industry.

From the program’s inception, industry connections such as this Cirrus partnership have played a crucial role in the success of the MISD Aviation program.

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