Marion band director earns regional teacher of the year honor
MARION, Va. (WJHL) — A Marion Senior High School teacher has been named regional teacher of the year.
The Virginia Department of Education tapped band director Andy Holmes for the 2025 Virginia Regional Teacher of the Year for District 7.
Holmes has been a teacher and mentor at Marion High for two years.
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“Mr. Holmes has transformed the band program into a vibrant part of both Marion Middle School and Marion Senior High School,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons said in a release. “He is creating a culture in which his students are eager to learn and achieve, but more importantly want to support and better each other, creating a true sense of community. I am thrilled to present him with this award today and acknowledge all that he’s done for both schools and his students.”
During his first year at Marion, the school’s marching band earned awards at every marching competition in which they competed, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The band also earned the highest possible rating at Concert Assessment in the spring of 2023, something the band had not done since 2012.
“Mr. Holmes is a remarkable educator who makes a tremendous impact on the students he serves,” Smyth County Public Schools Superintendent Dennis Carter said. “He is instilling a love of music for our band students.”
Holmes and seven other regional teachers of the year are also nominees for the 2025 Mary V. Bicouvaris Virginia Teacher of the Year Award. The winner will be announced later in the spring.
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