View the 2017 Annual Report

On behalf of the Plano ISD leadership team and Board of Trustees, we are pleased to bring you our 2017 Annual Report. We invite you to unfold the pages of this report—a comprehensive catalog of student and staff accomplishments and a reflection of our district’s strong, supportive community of parents, volunteers and corporate and civic leaders.

A strong school system is a cornerstone of a vibrant community, and in Plano ISD we are proud of our community connections. We believe successful learning is best achieved through engagement and collaborative partnerships, extending to all reaches of the community. An excellent example of this principle was seen this summer when the district partnered with the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program and Capital One to pilot the Teacher Externship Program, providing unique professional learning opportunities for Plano ISD teachers in cooperation with local partners in business and industry. Teachers gained access to learning that reached beyond the traditional classroom, working side-by-side with knowledgeable and skilled industry employees to form partnerships of shared expertise, build meaningful community relationships and provide valuable insights for classroom and workplace application.

Our classroom-to-community connection continues to unfold through two district programs now in their second year. Community and corporate donors have stepped up in support of the Plano ISD Education Foundation’s CORE Store, which allows teachers to shop for school supplies for their students at no cost. Enrollment in the district’s RSVP (Retired Seniors Valued in Plano) Program continues to grow and over the past year, members participated in a number of district- and student-led activities, in addition to fine arts programs and sporting events.

With a commitment to equity being a major district goal, this past year saw an expansion of Plano ISD’s full-day pre-k program. Launched during the 2016-17 school year at our three Early Childhood Schools and five elementary campuses, the program grew to include six additional elementary campuses for the 2017-18 school year. This income-based program provides free, full-day pre-kindergarten instruction to young learners, allowing them an early educational start and increasing their potential to succeed during the school years that follow.

Working on behalf of the community this legislative year, the Plano ISD Board of Trustees made a successful impact during the 85th Texas Legislative Session. With school funding and transparency in taxation being two of the board’s top legislative priorities, Plano ISD trustees led a grassroots advocacy initiative related to transparency in taxation called “Taxparency.” Through this effort, the school board collaborated with other Texas public school districts to keep our constituencies informed about how their tax dollars are being spent, including how recaptured funds have benefited the state’s general revenue fund rather than school districts’ operating budgets. As a result of our board’s legislative testimony, community outreach, social media implementation and multiple media interviews, Taxparency was addressed in bills proposed by both the House (HB1890) and the Senate (SB1407).

The ultimate purpose of these efforts is to support the district’s mission to provide an excellent education for each student. This report provides an update for our community on a number of student, staff and district accomplishments representative of the strong link between our schools and the greater Plano ISD community. On behalf of the administration and school board, we invite you to explore our 2017 Annual Report. We look forward to continuing to build strong connections in support of student success in the coming year, and celebrating Plano ISD’s strong schools and strong students.

Sara M. Bonser
Interim Superintendent of Schools

Missy Bender, President
Plano ISD Board of Trustees