The board of trustees approved the appointment of Shawn Pratt as the district's new superintendent during a special meeting March 22. The appointment comes after the state-mandated 21-day waiting period after Pratt was named the sole finalist in February.
“Throughout the interview process it became crystal clear that Mr. Pratt is the perfect person to serve as our next great leader to care for our McKinney ISD students,” Board President Amy Dankel said in a district news release.” He truly has a heart for all of the students in our city, and he is sincerely committed to each student thriving in our school system. His focus on safety, academics and teacher retention is in perfect alignment with our board, staff, parents and community, and we are grateful to call him our next superintendent.”
The appointment came after the former Superintendent Rick McDaniel announced his retirement Dec. 2 after eight years in the position.
Pratt was born and raised in Plano, where he attended Plano Senior High School.
Pratt’s career in education spans 30 years, all of it in McKinney ISD, according to district officials. He began his career in 1993. When McKinney North High School opened in 2000, Pratt was named head football coach and campus athletic coordinator. In 2009, he was promoted to MISD director of athletics.
In 2020, Pratt was named assistant superintendent, where his role encompassed athletics, fine arts, health services, and the district’s safety and security department.
“McKinney ISD is a great place, and I am humbled to lead in this role with all of these outstanding educators that are here today,” Pratt said. “They are what makes it outstanding, and it’s always been a special place with a family atmosphere, and we’re going to make sure that we protect that and keep it, and take care of our outstanding students and staff.”
