The West Virginia Department of Education has named its finalists for the 2026 School Service Personnel of the Year.
The SPOY award honors essential workers within the halls of state schools that are not teachers or principals. Classroom aides, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, office workers, maintenance workers and others get nominated each year.
The finalists this year are as follows:
- Ivy Alonso — Johnson Elementary School (Harrison County)
- Haley Cummins — Marlinton Middle School (Pocahontas County)
- Kristi Damron — Scott Teays Elementary School (Putnam County)
- Brandon Kelley — Washington District Elementary School (Upshur County)
- Keith Wright — John Marshall High School (Marshall County)
Alonso is a special education aide at Johnson Elementary School in Harrison County. She works with students with non-verbal students and other students with special needs. She’s often seen with a red backpack filled with calming tools that can help each student.
Cummins is also a special education aide who also serves as a bus aide at Marlinton Middle School in Pocahontas County. Cummins is credited with developing a school-wide positive behavioral interventions and support system at Marlinton Middle.
Damron is the financial secretary at Scott Teays Elementary in Putnam County. She had helped the school earn good audit reviews year in and year out and is known for great organizational skills.
Kelley is a custodian at Washington District Elementary School in Upshur County. He is known for his work ethic in keeping the school clean every day but also participates in the Superintendent’s Advisory Council and the Staff Development Council.
Wright is a custodian at John Marshall High School in Marshall County. On top of keeping a clean school for high schoolers, Wright assists with building maintenance and trains new workers on equipment and school procedures. He known to have great attention to detail.
The WVDE will reveal the finalists for the Teacher of the Year award in the coming weeks. Both the SPOY and TOY will be announced on Tuesday, September 9, at the state Culture Center in Charleston.