Avon Teacher Named 2026 South Dakota Teacher of the Year

Northeast Radio SD News – Fort Pierre, SD - Becky Haenfler, a middle school English Language Arts teacher from the Avon School District, has been named the 2026 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. South Dakota Secretary of Education Joseph Graves announced the award at a banquet held in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.

Graves commented on Haenfler’s reputation and teaching approach. “Becky Haenfler has a wonderful reputation at Avon School District as being an engaging educator whose teaching style gets kids excited about reading,” Graves said. “She is committed to making sure all of her students have the supports they need to read novels that challenge and inspire them, and that experience turns them into lifelong readers. The DOE team that visited her classroom last spring was overwhelmed by the culture of enthusiasm and seriousness of purpose demonstrated by her students.”

Haenfler, a graduate of the University of South Dakota, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts degree as a Reading Specialist. She has been teaching for 19 years and currently teaches fifth through seventh grade. She works in the same classroom she attended as a child at the Avon School District. Her teaching focuses on using novels to design lessons that help students make meaningful connections to the real world.

As the recipient of the award, Haenfler will receive a $5,000 grant from the West River Foundation and a $2,000 honorarium from the South Dakota Board of Regents to present professional development seminars. The South Dakota Retailers Association and the South Dakota Education Association provide additional prizes.

Haenfler will represent the state as a candidate for the 2026 National Teacher of the Year award, which is the oldest national honors program for teaching excellence. The winner will be announced next spring at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.