Frisco ISD eNewsletter: June 18, 2026
In this Issue: 2026-27 Balanced Budget, Book Bus Schedule, Summer Camps
The Class of 2027 graduation schedule is now available. 🎓
View ceremony dates and start planning for an unforgettable year ahead. We can't wait to celebrate the accomplishments and milestones of the next graduating class.
Congratulations to three Frisco ISD teams who attended and earned funding for their start-ups at the Texas High School Ideas Challenge! Hosted by the Texas A&M McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship, the competition encourages high school students to explore entrepreneurship and develop the ability to identify and implement new business ideas. Frisco ISD was well-represented at the annual contest: Of the 40 finalist groups selected from over 500 entries, 24 were from FISD. Learn more about the Ideas Challenge.
3rd Place Overall, 1st Place Crowdfunding and $5,000 total: OceanBionics (Centennial) - Nandini Vegesana, Parvathi Halliyur, Tanishi Singh and Taarini Singhal
3rd Place Crowdfunding and $1,000: Auto-Tug (Centennial) - Tanmay Kandi, Pranav Varma and Nikhil Kalakada
Honorable Mention Overall and $1,000: WearKind Adaptive Clothing (Memorial) - Niveah Gandhi
The garden at Boals Elementary School has been named a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation! The campus and teacher Elizabeth Uecker hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration for the refreshed, newly certified garden last month. Through partnerships with the Frisco Garden Club, Frisco Education Foundation, Christina's Stone and Garden Center, Thrivent, Gardenwise solutions, Boals PTA, teachers, and FISD Environmental Services, Boals has grown something special that will benefit students for years to come. Way to go!
Six brilliant FISD middle schoolers earned international recognition and cash prizes in the recent World of 8 Billion video contest. In the Wetlands category, Pioneer Heritage’s Sanjit Kodumuri won first place for his video on coastal restoration and wetlands preservation. He participated under the guidance of teacher Iman Lyons. In the same category, a team of eighth graders from Nelson Middle School — Eric Yan, Arjun Reddy, Karthik Tummala and Viaan Bachalakuri — earned second place for their video exploring paludiculture, the practice of rewetting peatlands for sustainable agricultural use. Their team participated under the guidance of teacher Kristen Holan. Congratulations!
Frisco ISD celebrates Biruk Teferi, an AVID student at Hunt Middle School last year and rising Frisco High School freshman, who has been selected as a featured speaker for AVID Summer Institute 2026. Biruk will share a story that reflects the impact AVID has had on students’ confidence, skill development and future-readiness. Principal Victoria Williams said Hunt is proud to see their AVID community represented on a national stage and grateful for the educators and peers who helped shape this journey. Biruk is the first FISD student ever chosen for such an honor, and will present at the group’s San Antonio conference. Congratulations, Biruk!
Gunstream and Corbell fifth graders recently took part in an academic challenge at Southern Methodist University and took four of the top 10 finalist spots! Kylen Granson, a tight end for the Tennessee Titans and former Frisco ISD student, hosted the KG’s Kids Hall of Fame Comprehension Challenge, which promotes literacy through tournament-style competition. Fun fact: Granson is one of Corbell principal Jena Salomon’s former students! Congratulations to the following students on their success in the championship round:
1st Place - Eshan Chandorkar, Gunstream
2nd Place - Rakshitt Rajesh, Gunstream
4th Place - Kyra Bhardwaj, Corbell
8th Place - Marin Davis, Corbell Elementary
Sarah Horowitz, a science teacher at Pioneer Heritage Middle School, has been recognized for her dedication and impact by the Dallas Regional Science Fair! Horowitz has worked in education for 20 years, 10 in Frisco ISD, and she teaches eighth grade science and sponsors the PHMS Science Fair Club. More than 100 teachers were considered for the 2026 Teacher Awards honoring science teachers who inspire curiosity and foster discovery among students. Recipients were honored at an awards banquet at Southern Methodist University. Congratulations, Ms. Horowitz!
Hunt Middle School's Best Buddies chapter earned three major awards at the recent Best Buddies Friendship Walk! Mariah Scott was named Advisor of the Year; Mackenzie Chaney and Alexander Maher were chosen as Buddy Pair of the Year; and Hunt received Top Chapter! Hunt is the only middle school in North Texas to win the honor, recognizing dedication to the mission of Best Buddies — spreading a message of friendship and inclusion. Hunt Best Buddies is also led by advisors Rachelle Blazio and Lora Hess. Congrats, Huskies!
Congratulations to Frisco ISD high school art students and teachers on an incredible showing at the state Visual Art Scholastic Event in April! Of the 68 pieces Frisco ISD sent to the state competition, nine students won Gold Seals and 60 earned medals. Students earning Gold Seals represent the top 0.5% of the total entries and the top 5% of state-qualifying pieces. Wow! See a slideshow of the Gold Seal and medal winners.
Congratulations to the theater program at Centennial High School on advancing to Texas UIL One-Act Play as one of the top eight programs in the state! Frisco ISD is regularly represented at the annual high school theater state competition, and this year is no different as Centennial competes for glory with its show, A Company of Wayward Saints. Advancing from the Region level last month, Centennial will compete against seven other 5A schools on May 19 in Austin. Break a leg, Centennial! Find a full list of results from Region.
Frisco ISD will be cheering on Lawler Middle School's Jigna Sriram and Clark Middle School's Nikita Dinesh at the fourth annual state Junior Citizen Bee competition!
Join us in celebrating these outstanding students, along with all of our Region 10 winners from across Frisco ISD middle schools: https://ow.ly/rHhk50YS4ec
Join us in celebrating these outstanding students, along with all of our Region 10 winners from across Frisco ISD middle schools: https://ow.ly/rHhk50YS4ec
Katrina Sacurom, fifth grade teacher at Shawnee Trail Elementary, was featured in an Education Week project on “The State of Teaching” and an accompanying documentary. As part of the series, Sacurom shared her perspective on being a Gen Z teacher in her early career, joining young educators from across the country in several reports on teacher morale, expectations and what drives them. Also featured in the series was Sacurom’s after-school journalism crew, where students learn future-ready skills as they produce work for the entire school community to enjoy. Check out the story!
The incredible theater programs and students of Frisco ISD have once again been honored with nominations in the annual Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards. Nominees are invited to an awards ceremony May 2, which includes both performance and production categories. Frisco ISD’s theater programs are a model of excellence, in large part because of its student opportunity model that ensures more students have a chance to participate and lead in extracurriculars. See a full list of FISD’s Broadway Dallas nominees. Break a leg!
Congratulations to Emerson High School teacher Khadeeja Miandara on receiving a 2025 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award! Miandara, who teaches English IV and AP Seminar, was honored by Humanities Texas at a ceremony at Emerson, including tributes from current and former students. As part of the award, Miandara received $5,000, and Emerson received $1,000 to purchase humanities-based instructional materials. Over 900 teachers from across Texas were nominated for the awards, which recognize excellence in teaching the humanities in Texas schools.
Two more outstanding Frisco ISD teachers have been recognized as Teachers of the Month by CoServ! The company joined FC Dallas to award Shelby Campbell of Rogers Elementary, and partnered with the Frisco Roughriders to recognize Ashtyn Cowell of Sem Elementary. They were each surprised with a check presentation, goodie bags and tickets to an upcoming game. Campbell, a fourth grade math and science teacher, has been in education for five years, all of them at Rogers. She also serves as a team leader, PTA liaison and mentor to first-year teachers. Cowell has been an educator for nine years, eight of them at Sem, and helps lead the school’s student council. Congratulations, Shelby and Ashtyn!
Due to inclement weather expected this afternoon and evening, Frisco ISD is modifying outdoor after-school and evening activities scheduled for Tuesday, April 28.
For details regarding your specific activity, please watch for communication from your coach or sponsor.
For information about weather-related disruptions and to ensure you are signed up to receive alerts from Frisco ISD, visit https://ow.ly/7aIr50Y1oVg
Big congratulations to Liberty High School’s Kylie Gore for winning the Frisco ISD Book Bus CTE Design Contest! Keep an eye out to see her design come to life on the bus. 📚🚌
Also around Frisco ISD …
Samyukth Ayyar, a junior at Independence High School, has been awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal.
Memorial High School student Amuthan Soundar placed first overall in the Individual Global Issues Problem Solving Middle Division at the recent Texas Future Problem Solving state competition. Lebanon Trail’s Matthew Gheno, Joseph McGibbon and Rusheel Koneru and Liberty’s Noah Quintana placed second in state overall for the Team Global Issues Problem Solving Senior Division. They move on to qualifying the International Competition for Future Problem Solving.
A team of third and fourth graders from Taylor Elementary School are headed to the Destination Imagination Global Finals this May after their strong finish at the Texas Lone Star Finals. Congratulations to Raagini Ramnath, Sophia Philip, Ansh Salgar, Avin Mahesh and Nihira Rangrej!
Mithra Chidambaram, a fifth grader at Curtsinger Elementary, recently wrote and illustrated her first fiction novel, "Keepers of the Elemental Realm: Finding Home.”
Congratulations to the theater programs at Centennial, Lebanon Trail and Panther Creek high schools on advancing to Region in One-Act Play! All three programs competed at the recent Area level, and all now move on to Region in either 4A (Panther Creek, on April 24) or 5A (Centennial and Lebanon Trail, on April 23). The Region level is the last qualifying contest before the state One-Act Play competition in May — break a leg, students! Find a full list of Region One-Act Play Results.
