With less than 14 days of classroom work remaining for teachers, the Chesterfield County School District and the district's Teacher Forum hosted a banquet honoring retirees and Teachers of the Year.

McBee High School agriculture teacher Pat Earle was selected from the county's 16 Teachers of the Year to represent the district as its top educator. This is the second time Earle has received the award in nine years.

"Anytime your peers honor you for the service you provide, it's always an honor," Earle said.

Earle has taught agriculture at McBee since 1987, when he took over for his retiring father. Since that time, he has also served on many different state and national boards and committees.

Teachers of the Year from other schools are Christine Davis from Pageland Elementary School, Hattie Burns from Chesterfield Ruby Middle, Joni Ainsworth from Edwards Elementary, Donna Pittman from Petersburg Primary, Sandy Perkins from of Long Middle, Vicky Bray from Jefferson Elementary, Beth Brock from Ruby Elementary, Fran Lewis from Cheraw Primary, Laura Robbins from Plainview Elementary, Shannon Outlaw from McBee Elementary, Sharon Freeman from Chesterfield High, Myra Coffey from Central High, Louanne Smith from New Heights Middle, Reta Brock Smith from Cheraw High and Debra Boan from Cheraw Intermediate. Earle serves as Teacher of the Year for McBee High, as well as for the district.

The Teachers of the Year were given a free case of Pepsi's donated by the Pepsi Company. As District Teacher of the Year, Earle also received a $250 check from Pepsi.

Prior to the naming of the Teacher of the Year, the school district and Teacher Forum also honored 17 retirees.

Among those not returning to the classroom in the fall are Karen Wilkerson, Virginia Barfield, Barbara Watson, Zenda Rushing, Kaye Sims, William Adams, Patricia Godbold, Jesse Gaskins, Marvin Swanson, Ken Dinkins, Elizabeth Atkinson, Sharon Davis, Judy Dinkins, Elsie Evans, Sylvia Hurst, Elizabeth Murphy and Julia Robertson.