Officials from McKinney and Frisco ISDs highlighted student successes and talked about current challenges at a State of Education event. 

The McKinney Chamber of Commerce hosted the event Sept. 16, where a panel including MISD Superintendent Shawn Pratt and FISD Superintendent Todd Fouche discussed workforce development, accountability ratings and school finance. 

At a glance: Although all three MISD high schools received an A rating from the Texas Education Agency for the 2025-26 school year, Pratt said that is not the only way to define student success.

“We can't ignore it, but it truly is a one-day test,” he said. “We believe that we have students that demonstrate success in a lot of other ways.”

Also of note: One of the indicators of success both MISD and FISD are focusing on is college, career and military readiness.

“I am much more concerned about the students who leave our schools coming out and being ready to be employees in your organizations than I am if they got an A on a test or not,” Fouche said.

Interested in news from businesses and restaurants in the McKinney area? Check out 11 businesses now open, coming soon and other updates in central and East McKinney, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

1. Sam’s Rugs: The business offers a variety of rugs for sale including antique rugs and rugs from Iran, Turkey, India and more. The shop also buys and trades rugs, and offers professional rug washing and repair services, according to an Instagram post from the business.

• Opened in late August

• 213 N. Kentucky St., McKinney

2. The Cipher Lounge: The business offers two immersive escape room experiences as well as a cocktail lounge, the release states. The Cipher Lounge’s signature cocktail menu includes drinks like Rose of Margo, which is made with vodka, passion fruit and raspberry, per its website.

• Opened Aug. 12

• 101 S. Chestnut St., McKinney

3. XO GiGi: The business offers art supplies, artisan goods, books, cards, gifts and more,  founder Gabrielle Parton said. XO GiGi also offers art classes and workshops for individuals of all skill levels, and features art from local artists in its gallery.

• Opened Aug. 26

• 216 N. Tennessee St., McKinney

McKinney saw 252 homes sold during August, with the most homes sold in the 75071 ZIP code. The city’s median home sale price was $507,000 with an average of 69 days on the market.

The specifics: Check out this real estate data for McKinney, comparing data from August 2025 to August 2026 in categories such as:

• Number of homes sold by ZIP code

• Median home sales price by ZIP code

• Average days on the market by ZIP code

• Number of new listings by ZIP code

• Number of homes under contract by ZIP code

• Homes sold by price point

A senior housing development will be constructed along US 380 and Plano East High School is under renovation. Check out some of the latest construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

1. Lake Forest Senior Living in McKinney: A 222-unit senior living development will be constructed in McKinney, per a TDLR filing. The project will include three apartment buildings, with one building to have a clubhouse. The site is also planned to have four garage buildings. McKinney City Council approved a zoning request for the project at a meeting May 19, per previous reporting.

• Location: 4656 W. University Drive, McKinney

• Estimated timeline: March 1, 2027-Nov. 1, 2028

• Estimated cost: $63 million

2. Plano East Senior High School renovations: Two new 15,000 square-foot corridors will be under construction for Plano East Senior High School to connect renovated areas with the rest of the school, per a TDLR filing. The school received renovations funded by Plano ISD’s 2022 bond, according to previous reporting, which included two new gyms and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and restroom repairs.

• Location: 3000 Los Rios Blvd., Plano

• Estimated timeline: March 1, 2027-Jan. 1, 2028

• Estimated cost: $14.5 million

Hunt Sports Development has partnered with Peak Curated Development and Venu Holding Corporation to develop a mixed-use district on the east side of Toyota Stadium and Soccer Center in Frisco.

What we know: The first phase of the planned project will feature an approximately 290-room boutique hotel and more than 40,000 square feet of convention, event and meeting space.

The mixed-use development’s “highly flexible” convention center will feature more than 25,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom that can be converted into a music hall or live entertainment venue with capacity for up to 3,000 people.

The mixed-use district accounts for more than $1 billion in private investment and could funnel visitors and revenue into Frisco’s Rail District and support small businesses, city officials previously said.

The development is slated for groundbreaking in 2027.