McKinney ISD changes name of institution

"It's not a center. It's a school."

That's been the opinion of Paige Hanks ever since she became principal of Herman Lawson Early Childhood Center when it opened in 2009.

On Tuesday night, the McKinney ISD school board voted to change the name to Herman Lawson Early Childhood School.

That may seem trivial to some, but to Hanks, school administrators and others, it is an important change.

Hanks said she met with school administrators in June to discuss curriculum for the upcoming school year. She said she was surprised when Deputy Superintendent Mary Clark asked, "Why is it called a center instead of a school?"

"I have wondered that for a long time," Hanks replied.

She said she was thrilled when administrators began to seriously consider asking the school board to change the name.

"I literally got tears in my eyes because I was so excited," she said.

"The reason this is so important is that people need to know that this is not a child day care center," she said. "This is a school in which we lay a lifelong foundation for learning for our students that will last them through high school, college and beyond."

Hanks also noted that an after-school child care program is not offered at the school.

Children up through age 4 may attend the public school at no cost if they meet certain criteria. To qualify, the child must be from a home below the poverty level, a home in which English is not the primary language, have a disability or qualify for special education.

"Several of them qualify in more than one category," Hanks said.

She said a work order has already been turned in to change the signage at the top of the entrance to the school, on a sign on the school campus and on the wall inside the school.

She said that McKinney ISD schools got new phone numbers this year, and that there will be no problem in ordering new letterheads for the school.

The Herman Lawson Early Childhood School is home to Early Head Start, Head Start and a program for children with disabilities. The school is located at 500 Dowell St., beside Slaughter Elementary School in McKinney. About 600 students attend the school, but there is room for many more, Hanks said.

Before becoming principal at Lawson, Hanks was assistant principal at Wolford Elementary School and principal at Bennett Elementary School. She has been in McKinney ISD for 11 years, and worked at a private school in Florida before coming to McKinney.

The school is named for Herman Lawson, who served as principal at Finch Elementary School for nine years and finished his career as McKinney ISD director of student services. In that role, he instituted the first McKinney ISD computerized attendance program. He also spent time as a bus driver, visiting teacher and textbook custodian during his tenure with the school district.

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