FRANKLIN—The Teachers of the Year for Franklin City Public Schools have a combined 55 years of teaching experience and one even taught a current Franklin High School administrator.

They were honored Thursday night at a reception prior to the school board’s monthly meeting.

The divisionwide Teacher of the Year is Jennifer Barry. She is a preschool teacher at S.P. Morton Elementary School who has been teaching for 10 years.

“I was very excited, very overwhelmed and very honored,” Barry said. “It’s an honor to be selected by your peers.”

Teachers of the Year candidates are nominated and selected at the school level by colleagues, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rick Clemons said. The process gets more “intricate” from there as the selected teachers are graded on a points scale upon the completion of essays and an interview, Clemons said.

The overall Teacher of the Year is selected a panel of judges consisting of winners from the previous year, Clemons said.

Barry is married to Jason Barry and has two children, Blake and Brooke.

Franklin High Teacher of the Year Michelle Barlow has spent the past four years teaching junior-level English. Her resume also includes a stint with Southampton High School and some time as a General Education Development and adult education teacher at Sussex State Prison No. 1.

Barlow said she enjoys the community atmosphere Franklin and its school system offer.

“It’s small and you can build relationships with colleagues and students,” Barlow said.

Barlow is married to Michael Barlow and has two children, Rhett and Vanessa.

Patricia Rabil, the Teacher of the Year at J.P. King Middle School, has been with the division since 1980 and has watched many of her students progress through the school system, including Travis Felts, the current assistant principal at FHS.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know children and watching them grow up,” she said.

Rabil currently works as the lead teacher and the gifted resource teacher at the middle school. As lead teacher, she works to mentor and tutor fellow teachers. She said she was honored to receive the accolades from her peers.

Rabil is married to David Rabil and has two adult children, David Jr. and Vaughan.