Warner inducted into Hall of Fame, Teacher of the Year named

Sallisaw Public Schools held its inaugural Stars & Legacies event on April 30, honoring dedicated employees with 15 or more years of service and recognizing outstanding staff across all experience levels.

The event, hosted at the Overstreet Farmhouse, featured dinner and the presentation of service awards alongside several special recognitions.

Building Teachers of the Year were announced for each campus. Those honored were Sara Brackett (Sallisaw High School), Matt Lamb (Sallisaw Middle School), Miranda Savage (Eastside) and Kathy Crase (Liberty). Crase was also named the 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Bryan Warner

The district also celebrated its first Support Employee of the Year, Brent Callahan.

Kim Girdner, president of the Sallisaw Education Foundation, recognized the 2025 Foundation Grant recipients.

A highlight of the evening was the induction of 1995 Sallisaw graduate and Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Bryan Warner into the Sallisaw Public Schools Hall of Fame. Warner was honored for his strong advocacy in Cherokee cultural and language preservation, workforce training, and personal and family wellness.

Sallisaw Public Schools appreciates the sponsors who helped make the event possible: Armstrong Bank, Agent-Mallory-Martin Funeral Homes, Frank Sullivan III, Justin McGrew and Phil Green. The schools appreciates volunteers Debbie Phillips, Nan Stites, Perrie Beth Weedon, FFA, FCCLA and BPA.

This year’s inaugural Stars & Legacies event marks the beginning of a new tradition celebrating the exceptional staff of Sallisaw Public Schools.