(KNZA)-Three area educators will be recognized as Kansas Teacher of the Year nominees during a ceremony Sunday in Topeka.

According to a release from the Kansas State Department of Education, the mission of the Kansas Teachers of the Year program is to build and utilize a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the improvement of schools, student performance and the teaching profession.

This year, 120 educators from across the state were nominated for the Kansas Teacher of the Year distinction. Nominations are made in each of the state's four congressional districts.

Among the nominees in Region 2 are Atchison High School science teacher Sarah Tschauder, Jackson Heights High School English teacher Jeff Folger and Horton Elementary School 3rd grade teacher Denise Thorpe.

Four ceremonies will take place April 6-7 to recognize teachers nominated for the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year program. The announcement of semifinalists and finalists will be made at the ceremonies. 

The State Department of Education appoints regional selection committees responsible for reviewing the nomination forms and selecting three elementary teachers and three secondary teachers designated as semifinalists. Two regional finalists, one elementary teacher and one secondary teacher, are chosen from among these six teachers. Regional selection committees are comprised of education administrators and teachers. The Kansas Teacher of the Year is selected from among the state's eight regional finalists.

The 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year regional finalists will gather in Wichita on September 28th for the announcement of the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year.