GROVETOWN, Ga. () – The Columbia County School District recognized its finalists for the 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year on Tuesday.

Here are the following 2025-2026 Top Five Finalists:

• Lauren O’Neil of Cedar Ridge Elementary School
• Kirsten Matthis of Evans High School
• Jona Gaskin of Westmont Elementary School
• Nancy Morris of Columbia Middle School
• Tiffany Tanner of Parkway Elementary School

CCSD will announce the winner at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown.

According to CCSD, every school’s Teacher of the Year, including the top five finalists, will be recognized and awarded a variety of gifts.

The educator who is named Teacher of the Year will go on to represent the Columbia County School District at the state level.

The banquet will be livestreamed starting at 6:30 p.m. here.