Congratulating and commending award-winning educators in Kansas.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Adam Thomas

The resolution ceremonial recognizes Kansas educators for national and state honors, highlighting Milken and Kansas Horizon Award recipients without changing laws or funding.

Enrolled on Tuesday, February 17, 2026

#resolutions

Summary of Senate Resolution No. 1726 (2025-2026) – Kansas

Purpose and intent

SR 1726 is a Senate resolution congratulating and commending award-winning educators in Kansas.

The resolution recognizes national and state-level accolades earned by Kansas educators and highlights the value of educational excellence within the state.

Key provisions and changes

Acknowledges the Milken Educator Awards program, which provides financial awards to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other educational professionals who advance excellence in education.

Announces Lexcee Oddo, an educator at Turner Elementary School (Turner USD 202), as Kansas’s recipient of the 2025 Milken Educator Award.

Highlights the Kansas Horizon Award Program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and Capitol Federal, which identifies exemplary first-year teachers statewide.

Announces the roster of 32 Kansas Horizon Award educators for the 2025-2026 cycle, broken down by region:

Region 1: Mayci Armstrong, Alyssa Higbie, Audrey Phelps, Kate Steimel, Phoebe Stottlemire, Tristyn Tow, Claudia Trout, Allison Wickstrum
Region 2: Alyssa Beilfuss, Zaveah Kobza, Alyssa McCue, Eva Noble, Kaysi Overdick, Shayla Rahe, Elizabeth Sturgis, Ashley Swanson
Region 3: Asia Beck, Gregory Bergman, Jordan Dombrowski, Cordelia Hanger, Marissa Horstick, Brittney Jundt, Meadow Richardson, Katlyn Whittley
Region 4: Laura Araiza, Davon Brees, Whitney Brummer, Nolan Crumrine, Abbie Griffith, Lauren Mullen, Sally Pipes, Ashley Shuck

The resolution itself does not alter law or policy; rather, it serves as formal recognition and commendation for the named educators and the programs that recognize educational excellence.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries are the identified award-winning educators and, more broadly, Kansas teachers and educational professionals recognized by the Milken Educator Awards and the Kansas Horizon Award Program.

The recognition is ceremonial, with the Secretary of the Senate directed to send 33 enrolled copies of the resolution to the Commissioner of Education, ensuring official acknowledgment within state education leadership and institutions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Sponsorship: Senator Adam Thomas (co-sponsor) of the resolution.

Action history:

Introduced: February 16, 2026
Adopted without roll call: February 16, 2026
Enrolled: February 17, 2026

The resolution is a formal acknowledgment by the Kansas Senate and does not create new statutory requirements or budgetary allocations.

Notable details

The resolution explicitly lists the Kansas Horizon Award recipients by region for 2026, reflecting Kansas’s ongoing effort to recognize outstanding new teachers.

It references the longevity of the Kansas Horizon Award Program (26 years at the time of the resolution) and the ongoing partnership with KSDE and Capitol Federal.

Overall, SR 1726 acts as a ceremonial tribute to distinguished Kansas educators and the programs that recognize excellence in teaching, rather than as substantive policy changes.