On Saturday, April 30, H-E-B announced statewide winners for the 20th annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards during an awards ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin. During the ceremony, $430,000 in cash awards and grants were awarded to eight educators, two school districts, one early childhood school and a public-school board for being among the best in Texas. The program has awarded more than $12 million in cash and grants to Texas teachers and schools since 2002. 

Doris Kearns Goodwin delivered the keynote address to a ballroom packed with hundreds of educators, community leaders and H-E-B employees. Ms. Goodwin is a presidential historian, international keynote speaker, and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author. Her seventh book, “Leadership In Turbulent Times,” was an instant bestseller and published to critical acclaim in Fall 2018. 

The following winners were selected from a pool of 58 finalists by judges who include former winners, school administrators, and university and community leaders. 

The 2022 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award Winners Are: 

Rising Star
The Rising Star Category recognizes teachers with less than 10 years of experience. Winners received a $5,000 check for themselves and a $5,000 grant for their school. 

• Rising Star Elementary: Joe Garay, Valley Hi Elementary School, Northside ISD 
• Rising Star Secondary: Joe Parthemore, Heritage Middle School, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD 

Leadership
The Leadership Category honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. Winners received a $10,000 check for themselves and a $10,000 grant for their school. 

• Leadership Elementary: Ritu Gandhi, Felix Morales Elementary School, Pasadena ISD 
• Leadership Secondary: Roxanna Moore, Harlingen High School, Harlingen Consolidated ISD 

Lifetime Achievement
The Lifetime Achievement Category salutes teachers with more than 20 years of experience. Winners received $25,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their school. 

• Lifetime Achievement Elementary: Lindsey Noonan, Elgin Elementary School, Elgin ISD 
• Lifetime Achievement Secondary: Leo Vaughns, Jr., Kirkpatrick Middle School, Ft. Worth ISD 

School Principal
Winning principals received $10,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools. 

• Principal Elementary: Ben McCormack, St. Elmo Elementary School, Austin ISD 
• Principal Secondary: Dr. Kimberly Martin, Galena Park High School, Galena Park ISD 

Early Childhood
The winning early childhood facility received a $25,000 grant. 

• Lone Star Early Childhood Center in New Braunfels, Texas 

School Board
The winning public-school board received a $25,000 grant for their district. 

• Allen Independent School District 

Small School District
The winning small school district received a $50,000 grant. 

• Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas 

Large School District
The winning large school district received a $100,000 grant. 

• McAllen Independent School District 

Nominations for the 2023 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards are now open online. 

About the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards 

H-E-B asks customers, Partners (employees) and community members to nominate teachers, principals, districts, early childhood facilities and school boards in Texas. Each nominee is sent an invitation to complete an application online and is asked about their professional experiences, educational philosophies and achievements both in and out of the classroom. 

A team of judges reviews the applications, narrowing the field to semi-finalists. From that pool, five regional judging panels comprised of former winners, administrators, and university and community leaders not affiliated with H-E-B select 40 teacher and principal finalists. Finalists and their schools receive a cash prize of $1,000 to $2,500, depending on category. 

Three separate panels select eight school districts and five early childhood facilities as finalists, awarding $2,500 to $5,000 in cash prizes. Up to five school boards may also be recognized and awarded $5,000 towards the district they serve. Additionally, one or more school boards may receive a special judge’s award totaling up to $25,000. Site visits are conducted to determine winners. 

Teacher and principal finalists are invited to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling more than $400,000. A statewide panel of judges, not affiliated with H-E-B, conducts a personal interview with each finalist to select winners. 

Eight winners — two principals and six teachers — are announced along with two school districts, one large and one small, a public school board and an early childhood facility, at a celebratory dinner. 

Each winning principal—one elementary school and one high school—receives $10,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools. The winning large school district receives a $100,000 cash prize and the winning small school district receives $50,000. The winning early childhood facility receives $25,000 and a school board could be awarded up to $25,000. 

The six winning teachers include one elementary and one secondary teacher in each of three categories: 

The Rising Star Award — honors exceptionally promising teachers with less than 10 years of experience. These winners will each receive a $5,000 check for themselves and a $5,000 grant for their schools. 

The Leadership Award — honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. These winners will each receive a $10,000 check for themselves and a $10,000 grant for their schools. 

The Lifetime Achievement Award — salutes teachers with more than 20 years of experience. These teachers will each receive $25,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools.