BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler recently announced the 49 educators who have been named as County Teachers of the Year across the state of North Dakota for 2024.
County Teacher of the Year candidates were nominated in January and February. A total of 356 educators were nominated from all 53 counties; nominated teachers in five of those counties chose not to apply for County Teacher of the Year consideration. In all, there were 496 nominations for the 356 teachers (many were nominated more than once), including 166 nominations from Williams County alone.
Of the 356 teachers who were nominated, 183 applied to be considered for county awards. The applications were then reviewed and scored, and winners from 48 counties were chosen earlier this month.
“Across our state, in rural areas and larger communities alike, our teachers bring their skills, compassion and dedication to their North Dakota classrooms,” said Baesler. “These County Teachers of the Year are examples of educational excellence, who have been recognized as such by their colleagues, their students and their families.”
The 2024 class has 49 award winners from 48 counties. LaMoure County has two County Teacher of the Year winners due to a tie in the program’s scoring metrics.
The 2024 county winners are:
- Adams: Anna Block, Hettinger Public School
- Barnes: Tresa Cruff, Barnes County North
- Benson: Abel Sacatani, Warwick Public School
- Billings: Jennifer O’Brien, Prairie Elementary School
- Bottineau: Casey Mills, Westhope Public School
- Bowman: Amy Burke, Bowman County
- Burke: Whitney Rick, Burke Central
- Burleigh: Kendall Bergrud, Wachter Middle School
- Cass: Deb Pieper, West Fargo High School
- Cavalier: Lane Lindseth, Langdon Area Schools
- Dickey: Anna Kemmer, Southeast Region Career and Technology Center, Oakes
- Divide: Rayme Haggin, Divide County Elementary
- Dunn: Vicki Carney, Killdeer Public School
- Emmons: Kadie Walls, Linton Public School
- Foster: Kristen Hewitt, Carrington High School
- Golden Valley: Chelsey Erdmann, Lincoln Elementary
- Grand Forks: John Stempinski, Valley Middle School
- Grant: Kayla Tatro, Roosevelt Public School, Carson
- Griggs: Kayla Danielson, Griggs County Central
- Hettinger: Eamon Alido, Mott Regent Public School
- Kidder: Danielle Wachter, Kidder County Public School
- LaMoure (2): Cameron Young, Edgeley Public School; Heidi Mathern, Edgeley Public School
- Logan: Christina Gross, Napoleon Public School
- McHenry: Emma Cook, TGU Towner
- McIntosh: Alli Mogen, Wishek Public School
- McKenzie: Tiffany Olson, Fox Hills Elementary
- McLean: Seleena Briones, White Shield School
- Mercer: Katie Isaak, Beulah Elementary School
- Morton: Mary McHugh, Sweet Briar School
- Mountrail: Erica McRae, Parshall High School
- Nelson: Jill Wall, Lakota Elementary School
- Oliver: Lynn Schwalk, Center-Stanton High School
- Pembina: Heather Lafferty, North Border
- Pierce: Ashleigh Blikre, Ely Elementary
- Ramsey: Kelly Anderson, Sweetwater Elementary
- Ransom: Ashley Nudell, Lisbon Public Schools
- Renville: Chaleigh Clark, MLS Mohall
- Richland: Kristi Nordick, Zimmerman Elementary
- Rolette: Brooke Zupan, St. John’s Public School
- Sheridan: Lucas Senske, McClusky-Goodrich High School
- Sioux: Tessa Jahner, Solen High School
- Steele: Denise Carlson, Finley-Sharon Public School
- Stutsman: Charity Dosch, Montpelier Public School
- Traill: Wendy Dafforn, Hatton Eielson School
- Walsh: Trisha Cole, Park River Area School
- Ward: Macie Harris-Nelson, Kenmare Public Schools
- Wells: Angel Opdahl, Central Regional Special Education Unit
- Williams: Kari Hall, Williston High School
The county awards are part of North Dakota’s state Teacher of the Year recognition program. County award recipients are eligible to apply for state Teacher of the Year honors.
North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year for 2025 will be named Sept. 27 at a ceremony in the state Capitol. The teacher who is honored will succeed the incumbent, Sheila Peterson, a physical education teacher at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck. The tenure of the new state Teacher of the Year begins Jan. 1 and ends Dec. 31, 2025.
Anyone who believes a North Dakota teacher is deserving of County Teacher of the Year recognition may nominate her or him, including students, family members, teacher colleagues, or administrators.
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