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During the Troup County Board of Education meeting on Thursday night, the board recognized this year’s school-level Teacher of the Year winners.

The top educators were presented with the traditional wooden plaques recognizing their accomplishments. From the 26 school-level winners, an overall TCSS Teacher of the Year will be selected and announced in the spring.

Eleven elementary school teachers, six middle school teachers and six high school teachers (two from each high school), along with a teacher from The Hope Academy, THINC College and Career Academy and the Troup County Career Center, were selected for the honor.

This year’s Teacher of the Year winners include: Taveta Caldwell-Debrow (Berta Weathersbee Elementary), Arlexia Jennings (Callaway Elementary), Kristen LaGree (Clearview Elementary), Larry Murdock (Ethel Kight Elementary), Jill Hembree (Franklin Forest Elementary), Kanada McGill (Hillcrest Elementary), Hollie Palmer (Hogansville Elementary), Alyese Cross (Hollis Hand Elementary), Kathey Sandiford (Long Cane Elementary), Laurie Hester (Rosemont Elementary) Grayson Morrison (West Point Elementary)  MIDDLE SCHOOL Brooke Jackson (Callaway Middle), Deneshia Norman (Callaway Middle), Marilyn Huberdeau (Gardner Newman Middle), Jessica Mobley (Gardner Newman Middle), Melinda Golden (Long Cane Middle), Jodi Vaughn (Long Cane Middle), Serenity Graham (Callaway High), Laura Banks (Callaway High), Rebecca Davis (LaGrange High), Aidan Blackwell (LaGrange High), Tiffany Graham (Troup High), Laura Willimon (Troup High), Tishana Hines The (Hope Academy), Frederick Neubert (THINC College & Career Academy) and Courtney Freels (Troup County Career Center).

In the regular business portion of the meeting, the school board: 

• Approved a recommendation from the superintendent to reestablish The HOPE Academy as a program versus being a school.
• Approved the purchase of K12 Lift Up data analysis tools for $206,667.
• Certified the High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) bundle to comply with House Bill 538.
• Approved the purchase of a Ford F250 utility truck from Fayetteville Ford for the Maintenance Department for $61,728.17.