Teachers from Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, Whale Branch Early College High School and Port Royal Elementary are among five finalists district wide
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Three educators from northern Beaufort County schools are among five finalists for the Beaufort County School District’s 2026-27 District Teacher of the Year.
Kelly Hall, theater teacher at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy; Feronica Hamilton-Pierce, English teacher at Whale Branch Early College High School; and Susan Seckinger, literacy coach at Port Royal Elementary School were selected as finalists for the district wide honor.
They join Michele Eastham, a business teacher at Hilton Head Island High School, and Siobhan McCann, librarian at Okatie Elementary School.
The Beaufort County School District announced the five finalists July 31 during its back-to-school professional development day at Bluffton High School.
“Our Teacher of the Year finalists represent the very best of Beaufort County School District,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “Through their dedication to student achievement, leadership, and service, they inspire excellence in their classrooms and throughout their school communities. We are proud to celebrate the lasting impact they make on students, colleagues, and families every day.”
Each school’s Teacher of the Year was eligible to apply for the district-wide honor. A selection committee reviewed the applications and chose the five finalists.
The finalists will next participate in in-person interviews with a second selection committee, which will choose the 2026-27 Beaufort County School District Teacher of the Year.
The winner is expected to be announced in September and will be eligible to apply for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year program.
For northern Beaufort County, the finalists represent three different school communities and roles, from classroom instruction in theater and English to literacy support across an elementary school.
Hall teaches theater at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy in Beaufort, while Hamilton-Pierce teaches English at Whale Branch Early College High School in Seabrook. Seckinger serves as literacy coach at Port Royal Elementary School.
The district’s Teacher of the Year program recognizes educators for their work with students as well as their leadership and service within their schools and the broader school community.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.