30 YEARS OF PROJECT KIDS: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION THROUGH COMMUNITY INPUT

WRITTEN BY KEITH TAYLOR, WEBMASTER & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Allen ISD has always depended on the voice of citizens and taxpayers to help craft its construction and renovation plans, and 2024 is no different.

Project Kids is a 30-year-old mission designed for direct citizen input on decisions that will affect students and the community for years to come. In 2024, the citizens’ bond committee consisted of more than 80 students, parents, staff, community, and business members to serve as advisors for the prioritization of capital improvement projects for a possible bond election.

“We depend on Project Kids volunteers to assist us in making important assessments regarding our capital projects,” said Dr. Robin Bullock, Superintendent of Allen ISD.

For district volunteer and parent Tim Bray, a professor at the University of Texas-Dallas, Project Kids represents an important opportunity for his children and the children in the community.

“The most valuable aspect of participating in Project Kids is to see how learning and education have changed over the years,” Dr. Bray said. The father of five has three AHS graduates and two still in school – a junior and a sixth grader.

“Technology alone has undergone incredible change since my first was in kindergarten. Project Kids shows you just how important it is to create new spaces and improved places for new ways of learning.”

For district planners, input from parents such as Tim is invaluable.

“We review our student environment, and classroom needs on a continual basis,” said Assistant Superintendent for Operations Brent Benningfield. “However, Project Kids allows us to hear fresh ideas and alternatives that can improve our strategy and result in facilities tuned to the best results for our students.”

Participants are selected to represent geographic areas across Allen ISD. The selection process included consideration of past volunteer roles, leadership experience, and committee experience in Allen ISD or the greater Allen community.

“We try to recruit community members who have a vested interest in the future of our community,” said Chief Financial Officer Brian Carter. “School finance and facilities construction are complicated issues that require a focused knowledge of how the Legislature and our Trustees can allocated funds for projects. With a motivated volunteer group, we are able to leverage our assets for a superior student outcome.”

Another Project Kids volunteer, Sylvia Gage, said the experience was educational as well as rewarding.

“Project Kids was an outstanding community-wide effort,” Sylvia said. “We were able to visit all the project sites and see for ourselves the needs in the district. We also learned that previous bond projects have always been completed on time and on budget. As a fiscal conservative, learning about this was important to me.”

The Project Kids Committee met six times over a three-month period in preparation for its recommendations on Allen ISD Projects. After presentations from district officials, financial and bond experts and tours of neighboring facilities, the panel discussed and voted on projects resulting in three major propositions for voters.

“The recommendations made by the Project Kids Committee represent an investment in our future by improving the educational environment for our students,” Dr. Bullock said.

To find out more about the district’s 2024 Bond, visit AllenisdBond.com.

For more about district finances, visit FinanceFocus.Allenisd.org