Celebrating the Heart of LaRue County Schools
LaRue County Schools is officially opening the FRED Award nomination season, inviting staff members across the district to recognize colleagues whose daily work quietly but powerfully shapes the lives of students.
The FRED Award, an honor rooted deeply in the culture of LaRue County Schools, celebrates support staff members who consistently go above and beyond to serve others. These are the people who make a positive difference each day, lead with heart, turn ordinary moments into meaningful ones, and set an example through service rather than title.
Nominations for this year’s FRED Award are now open, and staff members are encouraged to reflect on the coworkers who embody these values in hallways, offices, classrooms, cafeterias, and behind the scenes throughout the district.
The award draws its inspiration from the statewide FRED Award program administered by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA), which honors support staff who represent the “heart and soul” of public education. The program is inspired by The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn and focuses on individuals whose influence often extends far beyond their job description. Each year, districts across the Commonwealth submit local honorees, with finalists advancing to statewide recognition.
LaRue County Schools has a proud history within the FRED Award program. In recent years, district nominees have been recognized at the state level, including Marsha Duncan, Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, who was named a statewide finalist in 2025. Her recognition highlighted the kind of compassion, leadership, and servant-minded dedication that the FRED Award seeks to elevate.
Locally, the FRED Award season aligns with another important celebration of excellence: the ExCEL Award. Together, these honors form a meaningful rhythm in the school year, one that intentionally pauses to recognize the people who sustain the district’s mission through care, commitment, and consistency.
While the ExCEL Award shines a light on instructional excellence, the FRED Award ensures that the broader community of support staff is seen, valued, and celebrated. This shared season of recognition reinforces a simple truth: it takes every role, every relationship, and every act of service to create environments where students can thrive.
Staff members interested in submitting a FRED Award nomination will receive additional details through district communication channels. As the season begins, LaRue County Schools invites its community to look closely, notice deeply, and celebrate the often-unseen work that makes an extraordinary difference every day.
