CITY&SCHOOLS
News fromMcKinney, Collin College & McKinney ISD
COMPILED BY BROOKLYNN COOPER
CITY HIGHLIGHTS MCKINNEY ISD April 15 and 25 will be bad weather makeup days for the two days of closures due to the February winter storm. These two days will be normal instructional days for all students. While some school districts have additional instructional minutes built into their schedule to use in place of bad weather days, MISD does not, so two full makeup days must be used. The state has not made waivers available for these two days. MCKINNEY ISD On Feb. 3, the University Interscholastic League announced its realignment, which determines districts for Texas high school athletics competitions for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. Both McKinney and McKinney Boyd high schools will remain in 6A, for schools with more than 2,225 students. McKinney North High School will now compete in the Division 1 5A district, for schools with 1,300-2,224 students. The district includes, Forney, Lancaster, Lu in and Tyler. MCKINNEY Australian-based artist Guido van Helten has been chosen by the city to transform the concrete silos and grain elevator in downtown McKinney. Van Helten’s series of paintings on silos across the country have gained global recognition, according to a Feb. 15 news release from the city. Restoration work on the silos is underway to prepare for the painting. The project will be funded through a combination of grants, private investment, the McKinney Public Art Fund and the city’s hotel occupancy tax. The Texas Commission on the Arts approved a $90,000 grant for the project in September. Van Helten is scheduled to visit McKinney this spring to learn more about the community before working on the mural.
City Council previews self-driving vehicle project MCKINNEY Feonix Mobility Rising, a nonpro t focused on health and transportation equity, asked McKinney City Council during a Feb. 1 work session for support on a program that would provide necessities to residents. The program, informally called the Wellness Wagon, would deploy two self-driving vehicles to deliver fresh food and non-narcotic medications to McKinney’s under- served population. The North Central Texas Council of Governments is collaborating with Feonix on the project. The Wellness Wagon would serve those living in poverty, people with disabilities and senior citizens. McKinney has more than 13,000 people living at or below the federal poverty level, according to the presentation. In addition to deliveries, the Wellness Wagon would be designed as a telehealth resource. Vehicles would have designated parking locations—for example, a patient’s res- idence or in the parking lot of a senior center—for patients to virtually visit with health care providers. The Wellness Wagon is expected to receive $4.9 million in federal funding, according to the presentation. An additional $250,000 would come from local organizations
Feonix Mobility Rising provides transportation solutions in nine states and is primarily operated by volunteer drivers and local health organizations. (Courtesy Feonix Mobility Rising)
suggested by the city. This would be Feonix’s rst initiative involving autono- mous vehicles, said Jessy Tackett, Feonix Mobility Rising’s communications director. Executive Director Valerie Le er said there is almost “a year of paperwork” before vehicles could hit the road. The next step would be seeking a formal resolution of support from the city, which will come at a future council meeting.
Colleges receive joint grantmoney COLLIN COLLEGE The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has awarded Collin College and Ranger College a $314,279 grant. The Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education—or TRUE—grant is part of $26 million in funding for public junior col- leges, state colleges and technical colleges to support students aected by COVID-19, according to the board. Schools may use the funds to create, expand or redesign short-term, postsecond- ary workforce credentials in high demand occupational areas. “We are pleased to be able to collaborate with Ranger College on this grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,” Collin College District President Neil Matkin said in a news release. “The grant will allow us to share our educational resources and oer members of both communities free training and opportunities for certi cation in critical networking and infor- mation systems security elds.”
Election for alcohol sales could arrive inNovember MCKINNEY The McKinney Cham- ber of Commerce submitted about 23,000 veri ed petition signatures to the city secretary’s o ce on Jan. 18 in support of expanding alcohol sales to include ne wine and package liquor stores. The chamber prefaced the submis- sion with a news conference explain- ing the process of circulating the petition. The initial plan was to turn in the signatures by Jan. 15, which would have allowed a May election if enough signatures were veri ed. The city is in the process of verifying the signatures, about 22,000 of which are needed for the measure to make it on the Novem- ber ballot. If the petition is veri ied, the council will call for the election at its March 1 meeting. Lisa Hermes, CEO and president of the McKinney Chamber of Com- merce, said that while it would have been nice to have the election earlier in the year, she expects a higher voter turnout because of the number of races happening in November.
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Alcohol sale petition signatures arrived at City Hall on Jan. 18. (Brooklynn Cooper/Community Impact Newspaper)
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ALCOHOL SALES If voters favor the law change, stores such as Spec’s and Total Wine could legally come to McKinney. NOV. 18, 2021: McKinney residents and chamber representatives launch the petition. MARCH 1, 2022: If the petition is veri ed, the city will call for a November election. NOVEMBER 2022: The election takes place. SOURCE: MCKINNEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
McKinney City Council Meets at 6 p.m. Feb. 21, March 1 www.mckinneytexas.org McKinney ISD board of trustees MEETINGSWE COVER Collin County Commissioners Court Meets at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 21, Feb. 28 www.collincountytx.gov Collin College board of trustees Meets at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 www.collin.edu Meets at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 www.mckinneyisd.net
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MCKINNEY EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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