Kyla Mote, Black Elementary School principal, signs an Adopt-a-School partnership agreement after the school announced its official partnership with Keller Williams The Woodlands Realty and Houston Home Team Realty on Sept. 21. Looking on are Lily McMahan of Keller Williams The Woodlands Realty, left, and James Rowlett, Houston Home Team Realty team leader.
Sept. 28, 2023—Representatives from Keller Williams The Woodlands Realty and Houston Home Team Realty visited the staff at Black Elementary School on Sept. 21 to officially announce their Adopt-a-School partnership with the campus.
CFISD’s Adopt-a-School program pairs schools with community organizations and business partners to utilize resources of the community to strengthen and enrich the quality of education for students.
James Rowlett, Houston Home Team Realty team leader, is a longtime volunteer and advocate for Black. The adoption makes the partnership formal for the office and Rowlett, who also helped Black secure a comfort dog for its campus.
“I live right in the neighborhood next door so if we’re going to give back to the community and donate, it should be teachers and the school,” Rowlett said. “Sometimes with donating, you don’t see where your money is going. I know exactly where our donations go here. It goes to the teachers and staff, and that’s what we’re pushing for.”
James Rowlett, Houston Home Team Realty team leader; Kyla Mote, Black Elementary School principal; and Lily McMahan of Keller Williams The Woodlands Realty hold commemorative Adopt-a-School certificates and pose with school and CFISD representatives after the campus and community partners announced on Sept. 21 they entered an adoption partnership.
Lily McMahan of Keller Williams The Woodlands Realty is a former CFISD educator who wanted to step up and support a local school. She picked Black specifically as her grandchildren are zoned to and will eventually attend the elementary campus.
“Cy-Fair ISD has done so much for me and I just want to give back,” McMahan said. “My children all went through CFISD and had these wonderful experiences. As a former staff member, I did as well. So it’s bittersweet that I have to move on to something different but I don’t want to lose my connection to CFISD.”
Kyla Mote, Black Elementary principal, expressed her gratitude for Rowlett, McMahan and both realty offices for their commitment to helping play an integral part in the education process.
James Rowlett, Houston Home Team Realty team leader, poses with Lenny, Black Elementary School’s comfort dog. Rowlett was among two community partners who announced an official Adopt-a-School partnership with the campus on Sept. 21. He is a longtime supporter of Black and helped the school secure Lenny.
“We are so thankful for our community Adopt-a-School partners,” she said. “Learning that these two amazing people and organizations wanted to support our staff and students added excitement but also a sense of pride and warmth to our hearts. Knowing that we have such supportive community members who believe in our mission and are committed to our success is truly inspiring.”
For more information on the Adopt-a-School program, contact Dawn Tryon, director of community engagement, at 281-894-3950 or dawn.tryon@cfisd.net.
