Team KSD Awards

We encourage all Kearney School District employees to nominate their colleagues for our 2026 Team KSD Awards! This includes our school and district Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year honorees. Nominations must be submitted by Sunday, Feb. 1.

Teacher of the Year Award nominees may include:

• Classroom Teachers

• School Counselors

• Special Needs Teachers

• Librarians

• Art Teachers

• Instructional Coaches

• Music Teachers

• PE Teachers

LINK: 2026 Teacher of the Year Award Nomination Form

Support Staff of the Year Award nominees may include:

• Assistant Principals

• Administrative Staff

• Nurses

• Custodians

• Resource Officers

• Kids Club Staff

• Paraprofessionals

• Grounds & Maintenance

• Social Workers

• Process Coordinators

• Lunch Room & Recess Aids

• KSD IT Staff (non-contractors)

• Accompanists

• Parent Educators

• Puppy Pound Staff

• Athletic Trainers

• Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, COTA

LINK: 2026 Support Staff of the Year Award Nomination Form

You will need to be logged into your KSD employee Google account in order to access the nomination forms.

All Team KSD Awards nominees should exemplify the world-class teaching and learning and support work that happens every school day in our classrooms and campuses. Teacher of the Year nominees should be prepared to meet the criteria and expectations for the Missouri Teacher of the Year program. All nominees are expected to meet the following criteria:

• Committed to Kearney School District’s vision, mission, values and strategic goals

• Outstanding professional accomplishments and contributions

• Classroom/workplace expertise 

• Supports all students

• Collaborates with co-workers, students and families

• Fosters a culture of respect and success in their school

• Engages with the community outside their classroom and school

• Leads effectively

• Pursues professional development

• Expressive and engaging

• Prepared to participate in public events on behalf of the school and KSD

Individuals who have received Team KSD Awards in 2023, 2024 or 2025 are ineligible for this year’s recognitions.

The information collected by these nominations will be used to evaluate and select Team KSD Award recipients for each school and the district. The plan is to announce the names of the honorees on or around Monday, Feb. 9. 

Our 2026 honorees will be recognized during the Team KSD Awards & Retiree Reception. They will also be submitted for recognition during the 2026 Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Awards Banquet.

Thank you for taking the time to help celebrate our talented team!