BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota has a new class of County Teachers of the Year.

State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler says teachers in 40 North Dakota counties are being honored as County Teachers of the Year for 2021.

Baesler says the County Teacher of the Year program is part of an effort to bring more recognition to teachers and celebrate the teaching profession.

All of the 40 teachers will be eligible for consideration as North Dakota’s State Teacher of the Year. That honor will be given this fall.

North Dakota has 53 counties. Fourteen counties did not have anyone nominated as a County Teacher of the Year. Baesler says the goal is to have a teacher nominated for County Teacher of the Year in all of North Dakota’s counties.

The 40 County Teachers of the Year for 2021 are:

Barnes: Matthew Nielson, Valley City Public Schools

Benson: Mary Broe, Oberon Elementary

Billings: Jennifer O’Brien, Prairie Elementary, Fairfield

Bottineau: Ally Liebelt, Westhope Public School

Bowman: Amy Burke, Bowman County School, Bowman

Burleigh: Erica Quale, Wachter Middle School, Bismarck

Cass: Jessica Magnuson, Carl Ben Eielson Middle School, Fargo

Cavalier: Kim Schneider, Langdon Area Elementary School

Dickey: Liz Schieler, Oakes High School

Dunn: Janis Harris, Killdeer Public School

Emmons: Elizabeth Volk, Strasburg Public School

Foster: Connie Hafner, Carrington Public School

Golden Valley: Lori Rising, Lincoln Elementary, Beach

Grand Forks: Shari Jerde, Grand Forks Community High School

Grant: Sharon Klein, Grant County High School, Elgin

Griggs: Mary Jo Grover, Griggs County Central, Cooperstown

Hettinger: Brenda Meier, Mott/Regent Public School, Mott

Logan: Myla Buckeye, Gackle-Streeter Public School, Gackle

McIntosh: Jessica Schmidt, Ashley Public School

McKenzie: Torrey Larson, East Fairview School

McLean: Teresa Pleinis, Underwood Public School

Mercer: Jacqueline Karges, Hazen Elementary School

Morton: Bobbi Schaff, Hebron Public School

Mountrail: Jacob Hellman, Stanley Elementary School

Nelson: Sarah Johnson, Dakota Prairie School, Petersburg

Pembina: Ashley Johnson, North Border Public School, Pembina

Ramsey: Maari Hanson, Devils Lake Central Middle School

Ransom: Kari Webb, Lisbon Public Schools

Richland: Noel Eckroth, Wahpeton Public Schools

Sargent: Eric Olson, North Sargent Public School, Gwinner

Sioux: Jalisa Cruz, Selfridge Elementary

Stark: Carla Schaeffer, Dickinson Middle School

Steele: Tracy Larson, Finley-Sharon Public School, Finley

Stutsman: Kelly Bauer, William S. Gussner Elementary, Jamestown

Towner: Hannah Alto, North Star Public School, Cando

Traill: Brittany Guttormson, Hillsboro High School

Walsh: Marcus Tucker, Valley-Edinburg High School, Edinburg

Ward: Heather Ell, John Hoeven Elementary, Minot

Wells: Bret Dockter, Harvey Elementary School

Williams: Eric Rooke, Williston High School