Newton County Schools will name its first "Hero of the Year" at a ceremony Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. at the Porter Performing Arts Auditorium, Dr. Bradley, a Newton County Schools representative, announced in a recorded message.

The recognition is part of a broader effort at the district to highlight staff contributions, including an expanded Teacher of the Year program and, for the first time, honors for Counselor of the Year and Support Professional of the Year. "Those are really the people that make our district work," Dr. Bradley said of the classified employees who are eligible for the hero awards.

District officials said the hero award finalists include Cheryl Clark, Kimberly Dirdwood and Chandra Mitchell. Dr. Bradley said winners will include representatives from every school and every division in the district, "28 in total." The finalists had already been announced when the recording was made.

The announcement invited the public to attend the April 1 event; no ticketing, admission, or additional event details were specified in the recording. The recording closed with an invitation: "We'll see you then."