From staff reports
Some Beaufort County School District teachers and staff were surprised and treated with flowers, balloons, and other goodies Friday, May 10, as Board of Education members and district administrators made surprise visits to their classrooms and work areas to announce the 2024-25 Teachers of the Year and Support Staff of the Year for each school.
“This is an amazing opportunity to celebrate our best and brightest teacher and staff leaders,” BCSD Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “Winning awards like Teacher of the Year or Support Staff of the Year is a testament to their incredible impact and unwavering commitment to education, and future generations. Today, we thank them for all they do.”
Teachers of the Year are selected by their peers according to criteria established by the schools, the South Carolina Department of Education and the district’s Teacher Forum. Teachers honored will be eligible for District Teacher of the Year honors next fall.
Support staff honorees are selected by school staff and can include social workers, school nurses, bookkeepers, office managers, teacher assistants, school secretaries, and technology and data specialists. Staff honored will be eligible for District Support Staff Person of the Year.
The 2024-2025 Beaufort County Teachers of the Year and Support Staff of the Year:
| School | Teacher of the Year | Support Staff of the Year |
| Battery Creek High | John Rutherford | Gabrielle Heath |
| Beaufort Elementary | Marianne Blake | Joanna May |
| Beaufort High | Seth Konoza | Helen Heyward-Smoaks |
| Beaufort Middle | Kayla Felix | Thomas Orr |
| Beaufort-Jasper ACE | Joe Johnson | Vanesa Ruiz |
| Bluffton Elementary, ECC | Laura Vanhorn | Linda Jenkins |
| Bluffton High | Michelle Mostiler | Keisha Burns |
| Bluffton Middle | Victoria Raza | Laura Vanhouten |
| Broad River Elementary | Michelle Johnston | Darene Scott |
| Coosa Elementary | Cherie Mack | LaTron Holmes |
| H. E. McCracken Middle | Christopher Johnson | Desiree Ryan |
| Hilton Head ECC | Anna Rehse | April Blackman |
| Hilton Head Elementary (IB) | Jill “Miranda” Fernandez | Susan “Susie” Dolan |
| Hilton Head Island Creative Arts, Daufuskie Island | Melanie Willis | Alaina Johnson |
| Hilton Head Island High | Jeremy Willard | Nina Cortese |
| Hilton Head Island Middle | Timothy Huesing | Luymar MoraEstrada |
| Joseph Shanklin Elementary | Melissale Rivera Juarbe | Paola Znbinden |
| Lady’s Island Elementary | Cinderella Shaw | Shirley Sanders |
| Lady’s Island Middle | Dr. Karen Parker | Christina Kim |
| May River High School | Kimberly Schmidt | Jennifer Jones-Brown |
| M. C. Riley Elementary/ECC | Roxxan O’Connor | Valerie Elliot |
| Mossy Oaks Elementary | Amber Clark | Julie Prussia |
| Okatie Elementary | Virgina Hallex (Outzts) | Karen Sirico |
| Port Royal Elementary | Grace Heise | Holly Mehrer |
| Pritchardville Elementary | Summer Williamson | Joe Rowe |
| Red Cedar Elementary | Kathleen Ellis | Rene Lukasavage |
| River Ridge Academy | Kimberly Rios | Brandi Siatkowski |
| Robert Smalls Leadership Academy | Sydney Harner | Rauel Cardenas-Hernandez |
| St. Helena Elementary, ELC | Shirley Close | Jacqueline Brown-Fields |
| Whale Branch E.C. High | Jessica Russel | J-Gala Albany |
| Whale Branch El., Davis ECC | Julianne Cooper | Jane Lowry |
| Whale Branch Middle | Lynn Garrett | Bernard Reid |
| Adult Education Transportation District Office Office of Early Childhood Education | Lois Lewis | Creighton Weir Keven Leavell Megan Boyle Mary Beth Christinsen |
