North Pike High School's Cedric Collins has been voted the Best Principal in the Enterprise-Journal's 2024 Education Awards, while South Pike Junior High School's Dr. Veronica Christian is Best Assistant Principal and Leola Givens, also of South Pike Junior High, won Best School Secretary for the second straight year.
Visitors to the Enterprise-Journal website made nominations for 29 awards in March, and voted on finalists in each category through April 15. There were three awards each for seven school systems: McComb, Parklane Academy, North Pike, South Pike, Amite County, Amite School Center and Walthall County; and eight awards — for administrators, athletic staff and support staff — in which educators from all systems were combined.
Second-place winners in the administrative categories were Kelli Little of Higgins Middle School in Best Principal, Candace Morris of Higgins for Best Assistant Principal and Cindy Travis of North Pike Lower Elementary School for Best School Secretary.
For athletics, Candace Felder-Hall of South Pike was voted the Best Coach, while Laura Holman of North Pike placed second. Cedric Cain of Amite County was Best Assistant Coach and Brooke Eccles of North Pike was second.
Among support staff, Darlene Harness of North Pike is the Best Lunch Lady for 2024, with Etta Lenoir of Osyka Elementary School in second place. TyCarlos Turner of Amite County was voted Best Bus Driver, with Josh Troxler of North Pike in second. And North Pike nurse Karla Holmes won the Best Support Staff category, while Artisa Felder of the McComb School District was second.
Here's a list of winning teachers, teacher's assistants and parent-volunteers for each of the seven school systems:
McComb: Cynthia Butler of Summit Elementary School won Best Teacher, with Erma Gibson of Higgins second. Trinity Brumfield of Summit Elementary won Best Teacher's Assistant for the second year in a row, while Patricia Bickham was second. LaKeitha Atkinson was Best Parent/Volunteer for the second straight year, and Catrina Long was second.
Parklane: Karen Smith won Best Teacher, with Libby Byrd second. Sarah Beth Pearson won Best Teacher's Assistant, while Amy Weaver was second. Nikki Belote was Best Parent/Volunteer and Kasey Gregg was second.
North Pike: Erin Fortenberry of North Pike High School won Best Teacher, with Beth Clements of North Pike Junior High second. Pam Alexander of the high school was Best Teacher's Assistant for the second straight year, while Valinda Cade was second. Keri Jackson of North Pike Lower Elementary was Best Parent/Volunteer, her second consecutive win, and Miranda McKinley McGhee was second.
South Pike: Brittany Martin of South Pike Junior High School won Best Teacher, while Chervantis Lee from South Pike High School was second. LaTasha McCray of Eva Gordon Lower Elementary was Best Teacher's Assistant, and Pamela Faust, also of Eva Gordon lower, was second. Lendaysa Jackson won Best Parent/Volunteer and Kanisha Bryant of South Pike Junior High was second.
Amite County: KeyAnna Wallace of Amite County Elementary School won Best Teacher, with Tomeka Strowder-Stewart second. TyCarlos Turner was Best Teacher's Assistant, and Cassycel Thigpen was second. Ashley Andrews was Best Parent/Volunteer.
Amite School Center: Maranda Greer won her second straight Best Teacher award, with Lauren Leonard second. Amy Cothern was Best Teacher's Assistant and Kanzaz Bleum was second. Scooter Torrey was Best Parent/Volunteer and Nicki Thompson was second.
Walthall County: Julie Boyd, a Salem kindergarten teacher, won Best Teacher, with Salem third-grade teacher Cynthia McEwen second. Caroline Crawford of Tylertown Primary School was Best Teacher's Assistant, while Terisa Bridges, also of Tylertown Primary, was second. Kaylan Bracey won Best Parent/Volunteer, with Tanya Wilson second.
