During the June 17, 2024, meeting of the DeSoto Independent School District Board of Trustees, trustees approved the appointment of Nicole Lyons as the new principal of Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School.
“We are excited to have an administrator of Lyons’ caliber join the team here in DeSoto ISD,” said DeSoto ISD Chief Academic Officer Stephanie McCloud. “We are excited to see her impact at McCowan Middle School in continuing the excellent work already underway at that campus.”
Lyons brings more than 18 years of educational experience to her leadership at McCowan Middle School. Prior to entering administration, Lyons served as a middle and high school Spanish teacher, college counselor and Dean of College Prep at an area preparatory school where she helped found and develop the Road to College program, a college access support system for scholars and their families. Lyons later transitioned to serve as an assistant principal at Skyline High School, one of the largest magnet high schools in the metroplex and was named the 2020 Administrator of the Year as the result of her impact and leadership before becoming a principal at Harold Lang Middle School where she improved the campus by two letter grades under the Texas Education Agency’s campus accountability rating system.
In addition to her work as a teacher and administrator, Lyons provides professional development and coaching for teachers, school staff and parents guiding the progress of instructional and pedagogical capacity, partnership and collaboration of others through her work.
Lyons is a graduate of Southern Methodist University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology before completing a master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of North Texas in Denton.
About Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School
Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School Fine Arts Academy accepts applicants for rising 6th to 8th-grade scholars looking to advance their creativity. The fine arts school-within-a-school model creates a focused learning environment for creative and arts-interested scholars. Students are exposed to a range of disciplines, like band, choir, visual, and performing arts, designed to support growth and development.
The school’s namesake, Curtistene McCowan, made significant contributions to education advancement locally and nationally. She was the first African-American elected to public office in DeSoto in 1990. As an active participant in the community and DeSoto ISD, students are honored to have her help out at the school.
Students at Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School Fine Arts Academy get the Triple-A Experience. Scholars can join more than one organization that excites them. Students can experience:
- Athletics - Football, Soccer, Track and Field, Volleyball, Basketball, Cross Country, Tennis
- College, Career and Military Access and Exposure
- Computer, Technology, and Engineering Curriculum
- Honors Academics
- Fine Arts - Art, Band, Cheer, Dance
- Junior Cadet Corps
For information about DeSoto ISD’s Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School and other campuses, back-to-school information and enrollment, visit www.DeSotoISD.org or call 972.223.6666.