Longtime Belinder Elementary teacher Larry Martin was honored posthumously at this year’s Shawnee Mission School District Teacher of the Year Nominee recognition banquet.

Martin, who taught 2nd grade at the school for nearly 30 years, died in January after a short illness. Just months before his death, he gained national attention for winning the 2018 Jeopardy Teachers Tournament.

Belinder staff decided to recognize Martin this year in lieu of nominating another teacher for consideration in the district’s Teacher of the Year considerations. The district took a moment to highlight his contributions to the community and his students during the banquet at the Center for Academic Achievement on Monday.

Each school in the district gets to nominate two teachers for consideration as the district’s representatives in the Kansas State Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year competitions. This year, SM North language arts instructor Natalie Johnson-Berry is the district’s nominee in the secondary teacher category. Corinth 2nd grade teacher Melissa Molteni is the nominee for the primary teacher category.

The building level nominees for this year are as follows:

• Hocker Grove – Kim Balsinger
• Indian Hills – Rachel Basden
• Indian Woods – DJ Hilding
• Trailridge – Jessica Wilhelm
• Westridge – Kim Lipford
• Shawnee Mission East – Jennifer Davis
• Shawnee Mission North – Natalie Johnson-Berry
• Shawnee Mission Northwest – Tanner Ybarra
• Shawnee Mission South – Andrea Dale
• Shawnee Mission West – Taylor Smith
• Center for Academic Achievement – Connie Gandy
• ApacheIS – Nicole Bennett
• Bluejacket-Flint – Katie Heier
• Briarwood – Susan Cunningham
• Broken Arrow – Jeffery Psota
• Brookridge – Kristy Nerstheimer
• Comanche – Kathleen Rush
• Corinth – Melissa Molteni
• Highlands – Michelle Stopperan
• Lenexa Hills – Alex Helpingstine
• Merriam Park – Rebecca Dallman
• Mill Creek – Meredith Morris
• Nieman – Michael Soto
• Oak Park-Carpenter – Linda LaPietra
• Overland Park – Catherine Handy
• Prairie – Allison Dorau
• Rhein Benninghoven – Patricia Marcus
• Rising Star – Brian Quick
• Roesland – Michelle Tapko
• Rosehill – Kelsey Phillips
• Rushton – Jenna Hanson
• Santa Fe Trail – Laura Herrick
• Shawanoe – Laura Stoafer
• Sunflower – Liz McClain
• Tomahawk – John Kashka
• Trailwood – Tracy Warren
• Westwood View – Angela Harris