Pocahontas County Schools

🎉Congratulations to our own Haley Cummins for being selected as a top five finalist for West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year! 🎉 We are so proud of Mrs. Cummins' dedication to our students! Below is the press release from WVDE on this amazing accomplishment. Please join is in congratulating Mrs. Cummins!!! 👏👏👏

WV Dept. of Ed. Announces 2026 School Service Personnel of the Year Finalists

Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is pleased to announce five finalists for the 2026 West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year (SPOY) award. Finalists are chosen from classroom aides, bus operators, cafeteria workers, custodians, maintenance workers, office workers and other school service personnel for outstanding contributions to their school and community.

The West Virginia Board of Education established this annual award in 2020 as a parallel program to the Teacher of the Year (TOY) program. Since then, counties have included SPOYs as a part of their annual employee recognition activities.

"Service personnel are essential to the success of our students and our schools. They often serve in a number of roles to make sure students are cared for and thrive in the school setting,” said State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt. “As a school administrator, I saw firsthand the selfless individuals who ensured students received a high-quality educational experience. I am thankful for this program because it showcases how important our service personnel are to public education in West Virginia."

The 2026 TOY finalists will be named in the coming weeks.

The WVDE will honor all SPOY and TOY finalists and name the 2026 winners during a ceremony at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

Learn more by visiting the West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year page on the WVDE website.