The Little Rock School District celebrated its brightest stars in education during the annual Crystal Awards Gala on Monday night, where top honors were awarded to outstanding teachers and staff members for their exceptional contributions.
Victoria Golden, an elementary teacher at Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy, was named the 2025 LRSD Teacher of the Year, receiving the district’s highest recognition—the Marian G. Lacey Award. Dr. Marian G. Lacey was a well-respected LRSD educator for whom this recognition is named. Ms. Golden will now represent LRSD in vying for the statewide Teacher of the Year title. In addition to the trophy and title, she received a $1,000 cash award, a Dell laptop computer, and a gift card from Knowledge Tree.
Along with school-level honorees, LRSD also recognized exceptional educators at each academic level. This year’s Teacher of the Year level winners are:
Krystie Brumfield, Brady Elementary – Elementary School Teacher of the Year
Carey Shurgar Sellers, Forest Heights STEM Academy – Middle School Teacher of the Year
Rex R. DeLoney, Central High School – High School Teacher of the Year
In a special tribute to the essential support staff who keep schools running smoothly, the District also named its Classified Employee of the Year. Eddie Hunt, a dedicated custodian at McDermott Elementary, received the honor for his exemplary service and commitment. Hunt also received a $1,000 cash award and a gift certificate from Complete Computing.
Classified employees include a wide range of vital roles such as custodians, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, nurses, paraprofessionals, safety and security officers, and administrative support personnel.
The elegant evening event drew a crowd of nearly 700 guests, including educators, families, and community supporters, all gathered to celebrate excellence in public education.
A special thanks goes to the sponsors who made the event possible, many of whom support this signature gala each year:
Presenting Sponsor - First Student
Platinum Sponsor - US Bank
Gold Sponsors - Corebridge and Lewis Architects
Silver Sponsors - Baldwin & Shell, Cromwell Architects, Clark Contractors, EverOn, Nabholz Construction, Polk Stanley Wilcox, Nabholz, WillSub
Patron Sponsors - LRPTA and Hiland Dairy
In-kind Sponsors - Apptegy, Complete Computing/Dell, and Knowledge Tree