Bossier Parish School Board honors 2025–26 principals, teachers and new-teacher award winners

The Bossier Parish School Board used its Sept. 4 meeting to recognize principals, teachers and new-teacher award winners for the 2025–26 school year.

Terry Howe, director of human resources, presented the principal-of-the-year awards, naming Kathy Turner (Platt Elementary) as elementary principal of the year, Jennifer Burris (Benton Intermediate) as middle school principal of the year and Whitney Clark (Benton High) as high school principal of the year. Burris was also highlighted as the 2026 Louisiana Middle School Principal of the Year; communications staff read a state senate resolution from Sen. J. Adam Bass honoring that recognition.

Jill Valentine, vice president of marketing for Bossier Federal Credit Union, spoke as a sponsor and noted the credit union’s long partnership with Bossier Schools. Noel staff and communications personnel presented district teacher-of-the-year winners in elementary, middle and high school bands and recognized school-level teachers of the year and new-teacher honorees; district winners included Jennifer Allen (district elementary teacher of the year), Crystal Wood (district middle school teacher of the year) and Rachel Bryant (district high school teacher of the year). Several named honorees were unable to attend the meeting.

Superintendent Jason Rowland and board members offered congratulatory remarks. No board votes or formal actions were required for the recognitions; the presentation included a description of the district’s forthcoming stakeholder report and highlights from the 2024–25 school year, including enrollment figures, graduate counts, scholarship totals and other statistics presented by communications staff.

The recognitions segment included many named school-level winners across elementary, middle and high schools; the board encouraged attendees, including students participating in a BYO program, to remain for the business portion of the meeting.