The Allen ISD Board of Trustees recently recognized students, staff and community partners at their regular monthly Board meeting held in September.
Special Services Students Create Handmade Gifts for First Responders
The Board recognized students and staff in the Special Services Program for designing and creating buttons and cards to honor City of Allen first responders for First Responders Day on October 28, 2026.
Through real-world experiences like this project, students in the Special Services Program build independence and job-related skills. Each button and card was handcrafted in student workshops and classrooms, giving students an opportunity to put those skills into practice while showing their appreciation for the first responders who serve the Allen community.
The Board of Trustees accepted the handmade gifts during the meeting, and the items will be presented to first responders in October.
Teachers who lead the programs include:
Sohail Marey
Lisa Trees
Adam Wright
25 Allen High School Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists
The Board recognized 25 Allen High School seniors who were named Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.
More than 1.2 million juniors from approximately 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2026 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Approximately 16,000 students nationwide were named Semifinalists, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue in the competition for more than 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million.
Allen High School's 2027 National Merit Semifinalists:
Neha Abin
Oishik Arif
Devaj Shourya Bhogireddi
Edison Chen
Sophia D'Silva
Alexandre Elie-Dit-Cosaque
Lisa Gu
Heike Hughes
Danielle Hwang
Ryan John
Arohi Joshi-Gadre
Yeonwoo Lee
Chuyao Lin
Chloe Minor
Norah Nasim
Nihal Pathuri
Ryder Perez
Zaina Qureshi
Hiruka Ratnayake
Mark Sajdak
Sahil Shah
Isabel Sheng
Satvika Upperla
Lincoln Weger
Lucas Wu
Foundation For Allen Schools Awards More Than $134,000 in Educational Grants
The Board recognized the Foundation For Allen Schools for its continued support of Allen ISD teachers and students through the Foundation's Educational Grant Program. For the 2026-27 school year, the Foundation announced funding for 84 educational grants totaling $134,565.
The grants involve more than 200 teachers and will positively impact thousands of students across Allen ISD. The Educational Grant Program helps educators bring innovative ideas to life through hands-on learning experiences, new technology and campus initiatives designed to encourage student creativity, collaboration and achievement.
Examples of grants funded for the 2026-27 school year include:
Anderson Early Childhood School: “Centergize - Look Outside” - $1,600
Cheatham Elementary School: “Little Bots, Big Brains” - $2,820
Curtis Middle School: “Career Quest: A Future of Possibilities” - $340
Dillard Special Achievement Center: “Eagle Creations” - $1,000
Allen High School: “The Cognitive Lab - Problem Solving Stations” - $1,200
Special Services: “Building Strong Foundations: District-Wide Motor Lab Support for Special Education Students” - $1,000
Since the Educational Grant Program began, the Foundation has awarded more than 2,000 grants totaling $2.3 million to support learning opportunities for Allen ISD students and educators.
Foundation Director Laura Sherwood, Foundation Board President Audrey Reed, and members of the Foundation For Allen Schools Board and team joined the Board of Trustees for a photo and check presentation celebrating this year's grants.