▲ The Wildcat Resource Center in Willis ISD provides clothing and other helpful items to families in need.
WILLIS ISD Willis ISD
Taking care of their own by Merri Rosenberg
County: Montgomery ESC region: 6 Superintendent: Dr. Tim Harkrider 2020 enrollment: 7,813 Number of schools: 11
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ith its well organized displays of shoes, attractive circular carousels of jackets and carefully laid out tables of toiletries, the space could rival a Target or other department store. Bins hold school supplies and backpacks, shelves are lined with tempting toys, and an entire room is devoted to pristine jeweland pastel-tone prom dresses. Welcome to the Wildkat Resource Center (WRC), a program offered by Willis ISD to help families meet their needs for clothing, shoes and supplies when facing financial struggles or other challenges. School district employees and their families can also use the center’s resources. In Willis ISD, a community about 45 miles north of Houston with an enrollment of about 8,400
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BRAGGING RIGHTS 2021-2022 Texas School Business
students, the poverty rate of 60.7% reflects a compelling need to offer families some additional assistance. “If families have fallen on hard times, it’s there to support you, to get you on your feet,” says Willis Superintendent Tim Harkrider. “It’s not a government handout.” Nor is it charity. Besides providing tangible items, such as clothing and toiletries, the WRC is about restoring dignity and respect. “Sometimes people are at the lowest of lows,” says Kindra Schiffner, the district outreach liaison who runs the WRC, which offers shopping by appointment. “The last thing I want is for them to feel like they’re getting trash. I want them to
