Orange Beach City Schools educators were recognized for academic achievements during the Orange Beach Board of Education’s regular meeting Sept. 10, with the district awarding a total of $79,700 in incentives.

The evening highlighted educators whose students posted some of the highest academic assessment results in Alabama, as well as teachers who helped students succeed on Advanced Placement exams, a news release said.

The board first recognized educators whose students ranked among the top five statewide in proficiency on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, or ACAP. The results placed Orange Beach students among the state’s highest performers and recognized the educators’ contributions to their academic success.

Educators whose students ranked first statewide were Janna Bradford and Nikki Walker for fourth grade math, Walker for fourth grade science, Kristen Rayborn and Caitlin Lawrence for fifth grade math and Brooke Neal for eighth grade science.

Second-place statewide recognition went to Kelly Dorsett and Lindsay Hanes for fourth grade English language arts, Kimberly Waldrop for sixth grade ELA and Lora Haghighi and Robert Moorer for sixth grade math.

Third-place recognition went to Tiffany Hampton and Lander Murphy for third grade ELA and Liz Dore and Callie Morgan for fifth grade ELA.

The board also recognized academic achievements at Orange Beach Middle & High School. During the 2025-26 school year, Orange Beach students completed 515 AP exams, with 64% earning a qualifying score of 3 or higher.

The AP educators recognized were Chesley Sullivan for biology, Drew Castillow for calculus and pre-calculus, Morgan Soutullo for chemistry and environmental science, Kim McBee for English composition, Ben Slaton for macroeconomics and government, Jodi Perkins for seminar, Rhonda Prater for Spanish, Lawrence Cochran for statistics and Austin Bragg for U.S. history.

The evening concluded with recognition for Orange Beach Elementary School, which ranked fourth among all elementary schools in Alabama.

“Tonight is a reflection of what can happen when you have exceptional teachers, dedicated students, and a board that is willing to invest in both,” said Superintendent Randy Wilkes in the news release. “I am incredibly grateful to our board for recognizing and rewarding the hard work of our educators, and I am even more grateful to the teachers who show up every day committed to helping our students reach their full potential. These accomplishments belong to our entire school community, and we are proud to celebrate them together.”

The statewide ranking reflected the combined efforts of OBES educators and staff to create an environment in which students are challenged and supported to succeed. In recognition of the achievement, every Orange Beach Elementary School employee will receive a $350 incentive.