At an awards breakfast on Wednesday, Ben Light was named the Pulaski County Special School District Teacher of the Year.

Light, above, is the band director at Robinson High School and has been with the district since 2014.

It was noted that when Light took over the band program, student involvement went from under 20 to more than 250 in grades Sixth through Senior.

Light was out of 27 other school-level winners in the district and will now represent PCSSD in the 2024 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. 

School-level winners

• BAKER ELEMENTARY: Natalie Casavechia

• CATO ELEMENTARY: Katie Shuptrine

• CHENAL ELEMENTARY: LaCynthia Virden

• COLLEGE STATION ELEMENTARY: Courtney Thomas

• CRYSTAL HILL ELEMENTARY: LaTonya Gillmore

• DAISY BATES ELEMENTARY: Darice Nesmith

• HARRIS ELEMENTARY: Kenya Brown

• LANDMARK ELEMENTARY: Latasha Kimbrough-Tate

• LAWSON ELEMENTARY: Ashley Davis

• OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY: Jarred White

• OAKBROOKE ELEMENTARY: DeAnn White

• PINE FOREST ELEMENTARY: Laura Sergeant

• ROBINSON ELEMENTARY: LaCresha Davie

• SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY: Whitney Bohannon

• SYLVAN HILLS ELEMENTARY: Courtney Pigg

• WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON ELEMENTARY: Maija Jones

• MAUMELLE MIDDLE: Diego Lozano

• MILLS MIDDLE: Charde Wilson

• ROBINSON MIDDLE: Wendy Kohler

• SYLVAN HILLS MIDDLE: Carli Cooper

• SYLVAN HILLS JUNIOR HIGH: Hunter Plante

• MAUMELLE HIGH: Vernetta Sanders

• MILLS UNIVERSITY STUDIES HIGH: LaKesha Foote

• ROBINSON HIGH: Ben Light (District winner)

• SYLVAN HILLS HIGH: Melissa Duncan

• CENTER OF INNOVATION: Terisa Liberty

• DRIVEN VIRTUAL ACADEMY: Lisa Romero

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