Oak Ridge teacher recognized among Missouri’s top 35 Teacher of the Year honorees

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

OAK RIDGE, Mo. (KBSI) – An Oak Ridge High School agriculture teacher is receiving statewide recognition, representing a small Southeast Missouri community among the state’s top 35 Teacher of the Year honorees.

Jessica Fronabarger, a vocational agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Oak Ridge High School, was honored during the Missouri Teacher of the Year Banquet in Columbia on Monday, Oct. 26.

Fronabarger, who was also named a Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year, was recognized for her dedication to students, innovative teaching and contributions to the school community.

For Fronabarger, the recognition holds special meaning because of her lifelong connection to Oak Ridge, a small community of just a few hundred residents.

“It’s a great honor for our small school and our community,” Fronabarger said. “For me, it is an honor to represent the school, the community, and my family as Regional Teacher of the Year, one of 35 in the entire state of Missouri.”

Fronabarger graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 2007 before returning to teach in the same district. She has now spent 11 years educating students in the community where she grew up.

Her recognition began at the regional level, where she and fellow educator were honored as Southeast Regional Teachers of the Year during a local ceremony in August.

The two were later recognized alongside other honorees at Monday’s statewide banquet in Columbia, which celebrated regional teachers, semifinalists, finalists and Missouri’s Teacher of the Year.

Fronabarger said the recognition is about more than her individual accomplishments. It is also an opportunity to make the people who helped shape her career proud.

“Living at Oak Ridge my entire life, I’m from a well-known family, so we’ve kind of had, like, I gotta live up to the name,” Fronabarger said. “And then as I’ve gotten older, it’s kind of elaborated from making the family proud to making my classmates proud, to making my former teachers proud.”

She said that sense of responsibility has continued into her career as an educator, motivating her to make a lasting impact on students, much like her own teachers did for her.

Oak Ridge R-VI Superintendent Dr. Matt Britt said having a teacher recognized at the statewide level is a significant accomplishment for a district of its size.

“It’s an honor for the district. It is something that very few people in the area, very few teachers, will ever get to take part in,” Britt said. “She does a really excellent job with all the students, and it’s just great to see her recognized as one of the top teachers in the area.”

Britt explained that the Teacher of the Year recognition process begins with nominations from community members, fellow teachers or school staff. Nominees complete an application process, with selected educators advancing through regional and statewide recognition.

He said Fronabarger’s recognition also highlights the work happening throughout the district, where teachers, administrators, staff and families contribute to students’ education.

“The teachers here take pride in that. They want to do what’s best for the students in all areas,” Britt said.

Britt added that the district’s close-knit environment and strong community support play an important role in its success.

“We have an excellent staff. We have excellent administrators that help that staff, and even our non-certified staff as well,” Britt said. “Everybody goes into educating students in this community. And this parental support is amazing.”

For Britt, Fronabarger’s statewide recognition carries a message about the opportunities and accomplishments possible in smaller school districts.

“I think this award is just the culmination of showing that a small district has to do great things as well,” Britt said.

According to Oak Ridge R-VI Schools, Fronabarger’s commitment to helping students grow as learners, leaders and future citizens continues to make an impact on the community she has called home throughout her life.