COMMENDING DONNA WARD REPRESENTING THE LAUREL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR BEING SELECTED AS DELAWARE'S EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FOR 2026 AND COMMENDING EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CHARTER NETWORK’S EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Neal & Rep. K. Williams & Rep. Heffernan & Sen. Sturgeon

Reps. Osienski, Bolden, Morrison, Berry, Gorman, Griffith, K. Johnson, Ross Levin, Snyder-Hall, Dukes, Hilovsky, Yearick, Harris; Sens. Huxtable, Sokola, Hansen, Mantzavinos, Cruce, Buckson, Brown, Hocker, Hoffner, Lawson, Lockman, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Pinkney, Poore, Richardson, Seigfried, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 124

COMMENDING DONNA WARD REPRESENTING THE LAUREL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR BEING SELECTED AS DELAWARE'S EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR FOR 2026 AND COMMENDING EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CHARTER NETWORK’S EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR.

WHEREAS, educational support professionals work each day with more than 141,000 children who attend 250 Delaware public schools in 19 school districts and 23 charter schools; and

WHEREAS, educational support professionals strive for excellence in their profession when they know that the community supports them and appreciates their efforts on behalf of our children; and

WHEREAS, the Educational Support Professional of the Year program identifies building and district representatives who embody the best qualities of all Delaware teachers; and

WHEREAS, the Delaware Educational Support Professional of the Year Program recognizes outstanding service by school employees who provide direct or indirect services to students and their families: and

WHEREAS, Donna Ward of Laurel Middle School in the Laurel School District has been named Delaware State Educational Support Professional of the Year for 2026; and

WHEREAS, 18 of the other school districts and the Delaware Charter Network have chosen a 2026 District/Charter Educational Support Professional of the Year, namely:

Appoquinimink School District: Melody Unruh (Bunker Hill Elementary School, Paraprofessional)

Brandywine School District: Patricia Werley (Mount Pleasant Elementary School, Special Education Paraprofessional)

Caesar Rodney School District: Sherron Lewis (Postlethwait Middle School, Paraprofessional)

Cape Henlopen School District: Pamela L. Elliott (Cape Henlopen High School, Paraprofessional)

Capital School District: Dominique Dixon (Booker T. Washington Elementary School, Senior Secretary)

Christina School District: Elizabeth Willis (Transportation Office, Bus Driver)

Delaware Charter School Network: Iliana Gonzalez (Sussex Academy, Food Service Manager)

Delmar School District: Amy Evans (Delmar Middle/High School, Child Nutrition Manager)

Indian River School District: Coleen Paul (Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Administrative Assistant)

Lake Forest School District: Henry C. Wilson IV (WT Chipman Middle School, Instructional Support Paraprofessional)

Milford School District: Melissa Schmidt (Evelyn Morris Early Childhood Center, Paraprofessional Librarian)

New Castle County Vo-Tech School District: (Katie NapolinSt. Georges Technical High School, Instructional Paraprofessional)

POLYTECH School District: Joy Bohn (POLYTECH High School, Paraprofessional Librarian)

Red Clay Consolidated School District: Norine P. Seth (Joseph Johnson Elementary School, Paraprofessional)

Seaford School District: Kira Bryan (Blades Elementary School, Special Education Paraprofessional)

Smyrna School District: Angela Ringgold (Sunnyside Elementary School, Paraprofessional)

Sussex Technical School District: Daphne Kamin (Sussex Technical High School, Paraprofessional)

Woodbridge School District: David W. Taulbee (Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, Constable)

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Members do hereby commend Donna Ward for the well-deserved designation as 2026 Delaware Educational Support Professional of the Year.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that suitably prepared copies of this House Concurrent Resolution be presented to Donna Ward and each of the District/Charter Network Educational Support Professionals of the Year.

SYNOPSIS

This Concurrent Resolution commends the 2026 Delaware Educational Support Professional of the Year, Donna Ward, and all of the District/Charter Network Educational Support Professionals of the Year.