WEAVERVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County Schools announced their 2026 Teacher of the Year last night at a ceremony packed with teachers from across the county.
Darryl Fox, a welding teacher at North Buncombe High School, was named the 2026 winner of the BCS Teacher of the Year trophy.
The award was given out at a ceremony which began at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 10 at Brookstone Church in Weaverville, N.C.
Teachers and administrators were seated at tables all around the cavernous congregation space. The evening began with a meal served by the North Buncombe FCCLA and live music from the Enka High School Orchestra. Following the meal, Martha Tallent, the 2025 BCS Teacher of the Year and a science teacher at Enka Middle School, gave remarks to the room.
“Let us be the teachers that inspire not just for a year, but for a lifetime,” Tallent declared in her speech.
Precursor awards for the evening came next, including the Ruth Henderson Award, an annual award given to a BCS Teacher of the Year who embodies community and altruism. The award was accompanied by a $500 grant for the winner to use for their classroom.
This year, the Ruth Henderson Award was given to Sarah Medsker, the art teacher at W. D. Williams Elementary School in Swannanoa, N.C.
Every Teacher of the Year winner from each school was honored at the ceremony. 2025 winners from the At-Large, Enka, Erwin, North Buncombe, Owen, Reynolds and Roberson school districts presented awards to each of their schools’ teachers, as well as a special recognition for their 2026 district winner.
The seven 2026 school district winners competing for the 2026 BCS Teacher of the Year prize were:
- Zane Weekman, a social studies teacher at Community High School, At-Large district
- Carol Petusky, a science and social studies teacher at Enka Intermediate School, Enka district
- Tori King, a language arts teacher at Clyde A. Erwin Middle School, Erwin district
- Darryl Fox, a welding teacher at North Buncombe High School, North Buncombe district
- Jacob Nester, a horticulture teacher at Charles D. Owen High School, Owen district
- Mary Brantley Wommack, a kindergarten teacher at Fairview Elementary School, Reynolds district
- Calonda McCarter, an exceptional children teacher at Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School, Roberson district
Each teacher was featured in a video which showed off the nominees’ classrooms and teaching styles, as well as interviews with their students and colleagues.
Buncombe County Schools superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson announced the 2026 Teacher of the Year to rapturous applause from the room as a teary-eyed Fox took the stage.
In his speech, Fox emphasized the importance of giving every student an opportunity to leave high school with the skills to succeed, whether they go on to attend college, technical school or join the workforce.
“I’m just amazed to be here and to be represented, like I said on the stage, with the caliber of teachers in this area, and to be honored like this,” Fox said in an interview afterward. “It’s humbling.”
Fox is down-to-earth as a teacher and as the 2026 Teacher of the Year.
“I always tell my kids I’m not a professional educator. I mean, I come from industry. But, again, with that it’s just a huge honor to be recognized by my peers across the county,” Fox said. “I’m passionate about what I do and I think that goes a long way, you know? Just caring for the kids and trying, no matter what it is. The situation in the classroom is different every day.”
Fox was also presented with a $2,000 check by Cherlon Young, a banking officer at Hometrust Bank, and Buncombe County Schools Foundation director Christy Cheek.
For more about Fox, visit sites.google.com/bcsemail.org/darryl-fox/home.
