BCISD's Kelly gets regional honor

Bridge City ISD's Dr. Mike Kelly has been named Texas Education Regional 5 Superintendent of the Year. The designation puts him as the Southeast Texas nominee for the state honor.

The state has 20 Education Service Centers with Region 5 serving six counties with 34 school districts and two charter schools. Each region's honorees will qualify for a statewide honor.

Bridge City's individual campus teachers of the year are Heather Ivey for the elementary school, Michelle Laperolerie for the intermediate school, Lauren Bellard for the middle school, and Renee Luedders for the high school.

Laperolerie is the district's nominee for Region 5 elementary teacher of the year and Luedders is the nominee for secondary teacher of the year.

Kelly began as superintendent in 2021 during the Covid 19 pandemic. He has led the district to a successful bond election for numerous construction projects including a new middle school. He has nearly 25 years in Texas education, beginning as an English teacher and coach. He has also worked as a school bus driver, assistant principal, and principal.

Earlier in the year, high school engineering teacher Daniel Auchenbach was given the Wayne A. Reaud Excellence in Education Award. The private foundation honors teachers in the region each year gives cash awards.

As the district finished the 2023-24 academic year, the retirees are Donna LaTurner, Deborah Reed, Leslie Anderson, Rebecca Stump, Melanie Woodruff, and Janet Brown.