FORT MILL, SC — The Fort Mill School District has named its 2025 Teachers and Support Staff of the Year, recognizing outstanding educators and staff members from each school and facility. These honorees were nominated and voted upon by their peers in recognition of their dedication and contributions to students and the school community.
The teachers and support staff selected for this honor will serve as key representatives throughout the 2025-2026 school year, participating in the district’s Teacher and Classified Liaison Committees.
Among the honorees are educators across all grade levels and subject areas, including kindergarten, special education, technology, math, and social studies. The district also recognized dedicated support staff, including school psychologists, instructional assistants, receptionists, and behavior technicians who contribute to student success daily.
2025 Teachers of the Year:
- Martha Jenkinson – Lead Teacher, Banks Trail Middle
- Jessie Haynes – Chorus Teacher, Catawba Ridge High
- Sarah Gilreath – Kindergarten, Doby’s Bridge Elementary
- Ebony Bankhead – 7th Grade Guidance, Forest Creek Middle
- Kim Barkley – Kindergarten, Fort Mill Elementary
- Stewart Ruddy – 12th Grade English, Fort Mill High
- Rebecca Reiter – 7th Grade Math, Fort Mill Middle
- Ebony English – 3rd Grade, Gold Hill Elementary
- Rachael Shriver – Technology, Gold Hill Middle
- Chrishonda Howze – 4th Grade, Kings Town Elementary
- Tyler Griffin – Social Studies, Nation Ford High
- Lauren Robinson – Kindergarten, Orchard Park Elementary
- Ashley Smith – 1st Grade, Pleasant Knoll Elementary
- Hayat Sabah – Special Education, Pleasant Knoll Middle
- Samantha Rigby – 1st Grade, River Trail Elementary
- Heather Morris – Technology, Riverview Elementary
- Courtney Brady – 3rd Grade, Springfield Elementary
- Hannah Ritschel – 7th Grade Math, Springfield Middle
- Michelle Berisford – 3rd Grade, Sugar Creek Elementary
- Sam Kirkley – 5th Grade, Tega Cay Elementary
- Emily Sirico – Special Education, Oak Grove Academy
2025 Support Staff of the Year:
- Christopher Solis – School Psychologist, Banks Trail Middle
- Jamale Foster – Instructional Assistant, Catawba Ridge High
- Suzanne Crider – Receptionist, Doby’s Bridge Elementary
- Carissa Carlson – School Psychologist, Forest Creek Middle
- Cynthia Jelinek – Bookkeeper, Fort Mill Elementary
- Sandra Stankovits – Instructional Assistant, Fort Mill High
- Krysten Lawson – Instructional Assistant, Fort Mill Middle
- Malinda Murphy – Behavior Technician, Gold Hill Elementary
- Johnny Shaw – Instructional Assistant, Gold Hill Middle
- Lindsey Maxwell – School Nurse, Kings Town Elementary
- Stephanie Gray – Receptionist, Nation Ford High
- Allison Pogalz – Behavior Technician, Orchard Park Elementary
- Victoria Dawes – Behavior Technician, Pleasant Knoll Elementary
- Wendy Longwell – Bookkeeper, Pleasant Knoll Middle
- Amber Slovonic – Behavior Interventionist, River Trail Elementary
- Barbara Anderson – Technology Assistant, Riverview Elementary
- Jenni Hawkinson – Behavior Technician, Springfield Elementary
- Kelly Cutrone – Technology Assistant, Springfield Middle
- Casey Wright – Receptionist, Sugar Creek Elementary
- Tracy Green – Receptionist, Tega Cay Elementary
- Melissa McGady – Receptionist, District Office
- Robert Ayers – Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Department
- Vonda Werth – Operations Manager, Student Nutrition
- Mandy Carter – Dispatcher, Transportation
The next step in the selection process involves choosing five honor roll finalists for the Teacher of the Year award, who will be announced later this spring. The district’s overall 2025 Teacher and Support Staff of the Year winners will be named in Fall 2025.
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
