The Morgan County Board of Education recognized multiple students and staff members during its May 11 meeting as part of the end-of-year celebrations.
During the meeting, board members recognized Morgan County Middle School student Hailey Boyd, who was named the state winner in the Horticulture Middle School Record Book. Boyd received her award based on her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project, as required for agriculture students in public schools.
MCMS agriculture teacher Amanda Hartley spoke at the meeting, sharing Boyd’s experience in the FFA program and how she found a passion for floral design after completing a project in sixth grade.
“After learning the basics of floral design in her 6th grade, she quickly discovered a passion and set a goal to build that small project into something bigger,” Hartley said. “By 7th grade, she was already stepping into leadership and organizing and leading a team to create floral arrangements for school events, hosting a community floral design class, and using her work to serve others.”
Hartley noted that Boyd, who is now in eighth grade, has “turned her SAE project into a true entrepreneurial business,” and has made more than 140 floral arrangements for various events. Boyd was previously recognized as a two-time area winner for the FFA region and is the first state winner in the school’s history.
“She has independently worked with clients through meetings, emails, phone calls, and managed everything from pricing to ordering to design decisions,” Hartley said. “She is a perfect example of what students can achieve when they are allowed to ‘learn by doing.’ We are incredibly proud of her for her accomplishments.”
Teachers/support personnel
The board also recognized the MCCS recipients for Teacher of the Year (TOTY) and Support Person of the Year (SPOTY), with each receiving an award plaque. The 2025-26 recipients included:
• MCPS – Kayla Stapp was named TOTY with Chris Harden as SPOTY
• MCES – Kathi Edwards was named TOTY with Kayla Turner as SPOTY
• MCMS – Daniel Ghann was named TOTY with April Turpen as SPOTY
• MCHS – Katie Cobb was named TOTY with Colby Willhite as SPOTY
Retirees
The BOE recognized 22 faculty and staff members who are retiring at the end of the current school year. Retirees received an award plaque and regular-season passes, available for use at any regular-season athletic events in the county.
To begin the retirement honors, Jay Homan acknowledged fellow assistant superintendent Susan Tolbert and MCHS Principal Dr. Melanie Sigler for their contributions to the school system. Homan began by discussing Tolbert’s work with the Teaching and Learning Department.
“What has always stood out to me is that she never limited herself to just her department. Susan was always willing to collaborate, problem solve, and support the entire operation of the school system in any way she could,” Homan said. “She has truly been the definition of a team player and has brought insight, dependability, and a confident spirit to every challenge in every conversation.”
Homan credited Sigler as “exactly what the school needed at the right time,” and emphasized her as a “strong leader” with “a love for the students, and passion for the school.
“She brought strength, experience, high expectations, and a strong commitment to students, staff, and the entire school community,” Homan said. “You could always count on seeing her at events because she genuinely loved being part of the school community. She has been a strong leader, a mentor to others, and someone who consistently worked to move the high school forward in a positive direction.”