‘Devastating loss.’ KY county’s 2020 Teacher of the Year dies of COVID complications.

Valarie Honeycutt Spears
·2 min read
Amanda Nutt

A Caverna Independent High School teacher has died of complications from COVID-19, district officials announced Wednesday

“We at the Caverna Independent School District, have suffered a devastating loss, and we are sad to inform you that one of our beloved faculty members, Amanda Nutt, has died as a result of complications from Covid 19,” a district Facebook post said.

“We have spoken with Ms. Nutt’s family and have passed along the love and support from all the staff and students in our school district,” the district post said.

The Hart County Chamber of Commerce awarded Nutt the Hart County Teacher of the Year award at the Caverna Independent Board meeting on June 11, 2020.

“I chose to become a teacher in order to give students what I didn’t have when I was in school. I wanted to be the teacher that I needed when I was younger and I strive to be the teacher that incorporates fun and active learning in the classroom,” she said on a Go Teach Kentucky website.

Toni Konz Tatman, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education, said Nutt’s love for her students and passion for teaching was undeniable.

“As a GoTeachKy ambassador, she was helping the Kentucky Department of Education recruit the next generation of Kentucky educators to remedy the critical teacher shortage currently affecting every state in America,” said Tatman. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends and her students and colleagues in the Caverna Independent School district.”

Nutt also received an Excellence in Teaching Award from Campbellsville University in 2021.

Tatman said as the number of Kentuckians with COVID-19 rises, unfortunately the state is likely to see “more of these tragic losses in our education community. “

“We continue to encourage people to get vaccinated and wear masks indoors and in our schools, as we know these are the primary ways to lessen the impact of this highly contagious virus,” Tatman said.

Nutt’s vaccination status was not immediately available.

Several Kentucky school employees have died of COVID during a recent surge in cases, including two staff members at Lee County Elementary at Beattyville.

Several other Kentucky school staff members have been seriously ill from COVID.

Ky. school endures death of 2nd staffer from coronavirus. 2 more hospitalized