Volusia Schools Select Teachers of the Year

Volusia County Schools’ 70 Teachers of the Year were announced and honored in a special outdoor ceremony hosted by VCS, the FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools, The Daytona Tortugas, and presented by AdventHealth, the official healthcare champion of VCS.

Each of Volusia's public schools completes a formal process to select its Teacher of the Year. The winners, chosen by their peers, are nominated to compete for the honor of Volusia County Schools’ 2025 Teacher of the Year, to be announced on January 21. The current Volusia County Teacher of the Year is Vonda H. Morris, who teaches mathematics at Spruce Creek High School.

Morris and 2023 VCS Teacher of the Year Madison Miller were among the VIP speakers at Wednesday evening’s all-star-themed Teacher of the Year reception held at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. School Board Chair Jamie Haynes brought greetings on behalf of the School Board, and Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin praised the Teachers of the Year for exemplifying excellence in teaching. FUTURES President Cory Domayer thanked the many sponsors who make the Teacher of the Year program possible.

The 2025 district Teacher of the Year winner will be announced in January and will be nominated for the state Teacher of the Year program.

The Teachers of the Year and their schools are:

Atlantic High - Rick Bowrosen

Beachside Elementary - Melissa Hoffman-Heller

Blue Lake Elementary - Allison Waters

Campbell Middle - Jasmine M. Taylor

Champion Elementary - Emily Fagerstrom

Chisholm Elementary - Ashley Daughtry

Citrus Grove Elementary - Mary Dunn

Coronado Beach Elementary - Melanie Anne Wendt

Creekside Middle - Tracy L. Sepanic

Cypress Creek Elementary - Linda McLean

DeBary Elementary - LeeAnne Hockenberry

DeLand High - Amy Dempsey

DeLand Middle - Terri Schmidt

Deltona High - Kelley Daly

Deltona Lakes Elementary - Jamie Menard

Deltona Middle - Dwayne J. Chatman

Discovery Elementary - Natasha Guidry

Edgewater Public - Robin Johnson

Enterprise Elementary - Bridget Packey

Forest Lake Elementary - John Zillmann

Freedom Elementary - Elissa Sabatini

Friendship Elementary - Amanda Lee

Galaxy Middle - Lisbeth Velez

George W. Marks Elementary - Gina Marie Walker

Heritage Middle - Evelyn Robinson

Highbanks Learning Center - Carol Langbecker

David C. Hinson, Sr. Middle - Elizabeth Bing

Holly Hill School - Adrienne L. Donald

Horizon Elementary - Jeanne Ramsey

Indian River Elementary - Misty Maman

R.J. Longstreet Elementary - Brittany Shone

Mainland High - Stephen Gold

Manatee Cove Elementary - Michele Lee Benson

Louise S. McInnis Elementary - Jennifer Lambus

New Smyrna Beach High - Jeremy Brock

New Smyrna Beach Middle - Jonathan Brodie

Orange City Elementary - Fran Kennedy

Ormond Beach Elementary - Sandra Bordis

Ormond Beach Middle - Caryn King

Osteen Elementary - Naomi Schneider

Palm Terrace Elementary - CaRhonda A. Jones

Pathways Elementary - Carolyn Pascoe

Pierson Elementary - Kevin Treur

Pine Ridge High - Jennifer Lupica

Pine Trail Elementary - James Vollinger

Port Orange Elementary - Jamie Turner

Pride Elementary - Amanda Dunkins

Read-Pattillo Elementary - Tarell Butler

River Springs Middle School - Jacquelynn Collins

Riverview Learning Center - Heidi Marlow Gors

Seabreeze High - Tanner K. Norvell

Silver Sands Middle - Cindy White Circelli

South Daytona Elementary - Benjamin Johnson

Southwestern Middle - Heidi Campbell

Spirit Elementary - Darlene Tufariello

Spruce Creek Elementary - Shirley A. Anderson

Spruce Creek High - Bethany McClelland

Edith I. Starke Elementary - Dashia R. Haws

Sugar Mill Elementary - Heather A. Turner

Sunrise Elementary - Tara McCarthy-Ward

Sweetwater Elementary - Donna M. Steinmann

T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High - Whitney Sylvia

Timbercrest Elementary - Amanda Marie Collier

Tomoka Elementary - Kristin Robinson

Turie T. Small Elementary - Brandon Wingfield

University High - Dawn L. Drysdale

Volusia Online Learning - Victoria Hamlin

Volusia Pines Elementary - Sarah Asma

Westside Elementary - Ashlee McCowen

Woodward Avenue Elementary - Ashley Cowell