by Geoff Fox
The Morgan County Board of Education recognized their teacher and service personnel of the year, as well as first year teacher and service personnel, at the March 31 meeting.
Harley Myers was named this year’s Teacher of the Year and Caitlin Stotler was named Service Personnel of the Year.
Both Myers and Stotler were presented plaques and rocking chairs donated by Caperton Furniture Works.
Each school in Morgan County was represented in each category except the Service Personnel categories as First Year Service Personnel only had two nominees from Widmyer Elementary and Pleasant View Elementary and Service Personnel didn’t have one from Berkeley Springs High School.
Derek Price from Pleasant View was named First Year Service Personnel of the Year and Cora Keefer was named the Mary Linn Fox Memorial First Year Teacher.
Board President Aaron Close said the awards were a way for the board to celebrate the accomplishments of the teachers and a token of their appreciation.
Board Member Justin Litten presented the First Year Service Personnel Award, which is sponsored by the Service Personnel Association and voted on by the service personnel.
Kayley Harmison from Widmyer Elementary was nominated alongside Price.
Litten presented Price his plaque with Superintendent David Banks hand each a certificate.
Banks would do this for each of the four categories.
Board Member John Rowland then presented the Mary Linn Fox First Year Teacher Award.
The award was named after Mary Linn Fox who taught at Pleasant View for 25 years and passed away on July 8, 2001. The first award in memory of Fox was awarded a little over a month later, on August 23 to Amanda Nicholas Henry.
Rowland said he knew Fox and how well loved she was by the community and children there.
All six schools were represented with first year teachers – Kiana Hess from Pleasant View, Cora Keefer from Widmyer, Renee Robertson from Warm Springs Intermediate, Payton King from Warm Springs Middle School, Elizabeth Letrebnt from Berkeley Springs High School, and Zack Harrold from Paw Paw Schools. Harrold was not in attendance.
Keefer was named the Mary Linn Fox First Year Teacher.
The two awards for Service Personnel and Teacher of the Year were presented next with Board Member Chuck Bergen presenting the Service Personnel award and Board President Aaron Close presenting Teacher of the Year.
Bergen said the Service Personnel Award is presented each year and recognizes outstanding educational support personnel for their contributions to their schools and communities.
The program honors those individuals who have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in the performance of their jobs, earning the respect and admiration of students, teachers, administrators, coworkers, and parents.
Wendy Cowgill from Paw Paw, Dee Martin from Pleasant View, Kim Puffinberger from Widmyer, Caitlin Stotler from Warm Springs Intermediate, and Mary Dunn from Warm Springs Middle were all nominated.
Bergen presented the plaque to Stotler and the two had their picture taken with the chair.
Close was next to present the Teacher of the Year Award.
He said the last few years, the slate of nominees keeps getting better and better.
“We have some of the best teachers across the board in my opinion from the state, but these last few slates, last few years, have just digging at it of who’s going to win,” he said.
This year it was a “tough, tough decision” for these committees, he added.
Close, who is not seeking re-election this year, said if they didn’t win, teachers shouldn’t be discouraged and that they should keep trying to go after the award.
In winning Teacher of the Year, not only do they get a rocking chair made by Caperton Furniture Works, but also receive a certificate for $1,500 for materials, supplies, equipment, and/or attendance at a professional meeting within the continental United States during the 2026-2027 school year.
Each school’s teacher of the year nominee would also receive a certificate to purchase $250 worth of materials and supplies for their classroom.
“So please, keep trying to go after this,” Close said.
The nominees were Clint Cochrum from Paw Paw Elementary, Misty Tusing from Pleasant View, Betsy Smailes from Widmyer, Harley Myers from Warm Sprigs Intermediate, Meghan Powell from Warm Springs Middle, Lauren Mahoney from Berkeley Springs High Schol, and Megan Bennett from Paw Paw High School. Cochrum was not in attendance.
Close presented the Teacher of the Year award to Myers and took a picture with her at the rocking chair.
Banks said he was proud of leading the school system and walking into classrooms and seeing the “great things” going on, not just instructionally, but the relationships built with students and being pleased with the work ethic in those classrooms.
Banks would also agree with Close’s statement about the teachers being the best in the state, but also the country.
