Juana Rhili, a first-grade teacher at Guilford Elementary, was named Guilford County Schools Teacher of the Year in a downpour of confetti and balloons Wednesday at the Tanger Center.

Eastern High’s Darrell Harris was named Principal of the Year.

During the 2025 Celebration of Excellence for teachers and staff, schools Superintendent Whitney Oakley also announced gifts totaling $2.5 million to start an advanced manufacturing and engineering signature career academy to be housed at Southeast High School. The funding includes $850,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $500,000, from the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, $500,000 from GMA First Point Foundation, $415,000 from Driving Possibilities, a Toyota initiative, and $250,000 from the Golden Leaf Foundation.

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