Area schools recognized staff members and volunteers as part of their end-of-school-year festivities. Whitesboro ISD named Heather Holle their Teacher of the Year. Employee of the Year was Olympia Fairbrook and the WISD Volunteer of the Year was Jamie Oakley.
Collinsville ISD named Raea Davenport Teacher of the Year at the secondary campus. Davenport is in her 21st year of education, with the last three years spent at CISD. She teaches Algebra 1 and Geometry at the high school level and serves as the UIL mathematics coach for both the junior high and high school. Her students participate in various Saturday academic meets throughout the school year. This year, all three of her UIL math teams advanced to the regional academic competition.
CISD also recognized several staff members for their years of service. Those honored for five years of service to the students of CISD were Marcy Gonzalez, Jacey Matlock, Leann Morgan, Kim Patterson and Jeremy Harpole. Those celebrated for dedicating 10 years to the students of CISD were Dawn Weaver, Amy Dumas and Samantha Bates. Individuals who received service awards for dedicating 20 years to the students of CISD were Kerry Ross, Danny Bates and Lanette Swindle.
S&S High School recognized their 2025 Teachers of the Year, three outstanding educators who go above and beyond each day to inspire, lead and make a difference in the lives of their students. Leslie White was named Elementary Teacher of the Year; Tiffany Ringger was named Middle School Teacher of the Year; and Nolen Hodges was named High School Teacher of the Year.
The district also recognized their bus drivers, the people who (according to the district’s Facebook page) have the most responsibility of anyone in the school district. They arrive early in the mornings ready to transport the most valuable cargo on the road. The district publicly thanked the following folks for safely getting kids to school and back home every day: Tanya Stuckey, DJ Billmier, CeCe Mienholt, Teresa Yeager, Ray Dancer, Jeremy Lyons, Mike Garrett, Kelsey Martin, Brandy Courville, Kelly Fisher, Michael Zinski and Phillip Hill.
