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Parents and teachers urge McKinney ISD to preserve Communities In Schools supports as budget cuts loom
Summary
At the April 21 McKinney ISD board meeting, parents, teachers and volunteers urged the district to maintain or replace services provided by Communities In Schools after a district communication indicated the CIS contract would not continue; speakers requested greater transparency, fundraising and a stakeholder committee to develop alternatives.
April 21, 2025 — Speakers at the McKinney Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting pressed the district to sustain services provided by Communities In Schools (CIS) after several speakers said the district had decided not to renew the CIS contract for the coming school year.
Katie Nash, a parent and former MISD teacher, told trustees CIS provides “lifelines” for Title I campuses and cited program figures: “16 site coordinators, over 1,600 students served directly, nearly 96,000 individual services provided just last year.” Nash asked the board to form “a committee that involves parents, educators, and community to explore funding alternatives and reimagine how we support these students together.”
The requests recurred throughout public comment. Lauren Simpson, a parent who said she had spoken with district staff, emphasized CIS staff maintain student confidentiality and urged the district to explore private donations, shared coordinators or other funding options. Lila Devare, a McKinney ISD teacher with 18 years in Title I classrooms, asked for more transparency about the district’s budget decisions and for a venue where teachers and support staff can offer feedback beyond a mass district email.
Volunteers described how CIS staff coordinate local resources. Andy Blakely, who volunteers at Berks Elementary, described a campus resource “closet” organized and distributed through a CIS liaison and argued that “Dignity is key and needs to be in place whatever supports look like for the future.” He told the board that community groups and parents are willing to help coordinate donations and volunteer support but that district leadership needs to provide a plan.
Several speakers urged the board to begin organized community outreach now — to churches, service clubs and businesses — if the CIS contract will not continue. Commenters also asked the district to clarify which campuses and services would be affected and whether a partial or phased approach could preserve core supports for students identified as most vulnerable.
The board did not take formal action on the CIS contract during the meeting. Public comment concluded and the board moved on to presentations and other agenda items. Trustees did not announce a vote or formal direction on CIS at the April 21 meeting.
Speakers’ calls for a committee, coordinated fundraising and clearer, earlier communication reflect repeated themes from parents, teachers and volunteers at the meeting. Several attendees asked the district how community members could help while seeking confirmation of what, specifically, the district intends for CIS services in 2025–26.
