Image courtesy of Mountain Brook Schools
Mountain Brook Schools recently announced its 2025-26 Performance Award winners, recognizing teachers and staff members across the district for excellence in education and service.
The district’s highest teaching honor, the Ann Pritchard Award for Teaching Excellence, was awarded to Paul Hnizdil, a ninth-grade history teacher at Mountain Brook Junior High. Hnizdil has worked in Mountain Brook Schools for 24 years. The award honors longtime Board of Education member Ann Pritchard and represents the top recognition within the district’s Professional Incentives Program.
The Margaret Spencer Ragland Award was presented to Sammye Davis, literacy coach at Brookwood Forest Elementary School. Davis has worked at Brookwood Forest for 19 years. The award recognizes professional staff members for contributions that go above and beyond normal responsibilities and is sponsored by the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation.
The Promise of Excellence Award, which honors educators with five or fewer years of teaching experience, was awarded to Gracee Mae Carroll of Crestline Elementary School. Carroll has taught at Crestline for two years.
The district also recognized Paula Tschida with the Jerome Lewis Excellence Award, the highest honor presented to support employees through the Professional Incentives Program. Tschida serves as a custodian at Mountain Brook Junior High and has worked there for eight years. The award honors the memory of longtime Crestline Elementary custodian Jerome Lewis.
Additional Performance Award winners for the 2025-26 school year included:
- Beverly Adams — Brookwood Forest Elementary
- Rachel Lazzaroni — Cherokee Bend Elementary
- Abby Bontrager — Cherokee Bend Elementary
- Miriam Sokol — Cherokee Bend Elementary
- Kathryn Hill — Crestline Elementary
- Mica Nichols — Mountain Brook Elementary
- Lindsey Haynes — Mountain Brook Elementary
- Kate Adams — Mountain Brook Junior High
- Betsy Keller — Mountain Brook Junior High
- Mattie Gardner — Mountain Brook High School
- David Mandt — Mountain Brook High School
The district also recognized:
- Jamie Jones — Mountain Brook Elementary
- Sarah Leffel — Brookwood Forest Elementary
Mountain Brook Schools officials said the annual awards program highlights employees who demonstrate exceptional commitment, professionalism and service throughout the district.
