The Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Excellence in Education Award, an annual honor recognizing outstanding employees of the Linton-Stockton School Corporation.

Nominations are open to current and former students, parents, co-workers, and members of the general public. Forms are available in the brochure holder outside the Chamber office or can be downloaded online at https://lintonchamber.org/community-info/excellence-in-education/. All completed forms must be received by 4:30 p.m. on April 1.

Chamber Executive Director Cheryl Hamilton said the award is designed to honor educators and school employees who have made a lasting impact.

“It’s to recognize an employee of the school corporation who has made a difference in someone’s education — whether that’s a student, a parent, or a co-worker,” Hamilton said. “In the case of a staff member who is not an educator, it may be someone who has made the learning environment better or who consistently goes above and beyond to assist students, staff, and parents, and seldom receives recognition.”

Discussions about creating the award began during Chamber board meetings in 2021, as members looked for ways to support school staff morale.

“During COVID, our school staff — and students — had a lot of negativities thrown their way,” Hamilton said. “In many cases, the general public didn’t fully understand the challenges or the parameters our schools had to operate under. The learning conditions were not easy. Every day brought new challenges.”

The first Excellence in Education recipient was recognized in May 2022.

Previous honorees include:

Beth Wernz
D’Lee Sipes
Cheryl Ash
Dr. Kathryn Goad

Each was recognized for their meaningful contributions to students and the school community.

Hamilton encourages anyone who has been impacted by a school employee to submit a nomination.

“It’s a great way to show how meaningful a staff member was to you and how they made a difference,” she said. “Our LSSC staff doesn’t always receive positive encouragement from the public, and this is one way to show recognition.”

She also noted that past nominees who were not selected are eligible to be resubmitted.

“We use a scoring matrix for our judges, and submissions are scored against that matrix,” Hamilton said. “Our scoring is always very close. Sometimes just a point or two determines the recipient.”

Hamilton hopes the award continues to shift the focus toward gratitude and support.

“How often do we see negative comments about our school staff on social media?” she said. “Let’s all spread some good, not the negative.”