State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced nine California Classified School Employees of the Year for 2025 — a group that includes a head custodian, a nutrition operations supervisor and a painter from Orange County.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Orange County has been represented by at least one statewide honoree. In total, 13 of the last 45 recipients recognized through the state’s annual program have served at schools and districts in Orange County.
Kurtland Lucas, a head custodian from the Garden Grove Unified School District, won the award for top classified employee in the Custodial and Maintenance Services category. Melissa Erman, a nutrition operations supervisor from the Huntington Beach Union High School District, was awarded in the Food and Nutrition Services category. Representing the Skilled Trades Services category, Gina Matz was recognized for her exemplary work as a painter in the Fullerton School District.
“It’s truly remarkable to see that a third of this year’s statewide honorees are from Orange County,” Dr. Stefan Bean, the county superintendent of schools, said Tuesday. “This recognition reflects the extraordinary dedication and impact of our classified staff, who play such a vital role in creating safe, welcoming and supportive learning environments for students. We’re proud of these outstanding employees and look forward to celebrating them — and all classified staff — during Classified School Employee Week.”
The Classified School Employees of the Year program, established in 2008 by the California Department of Education, honors nine outstanding classified employees annually in the areas of clerical and administrative services, custodial and maintenance services, food and nutrition services, health and student services, paraprofessional services, security services, skilled trades services, technical services, and transportation services.
This year’s recipients were chosen from 135 nominations statewide, with each employee evaluated on criteria such as work performance, leadership, commitment and involvement with their campus and local community.
A significant impact
“Our classified employees are the ones who make sure that kids have healthy meals, who keep our campuses clean and safe, and who lend a sympathetic ear to students during some of the most difficult times in their lives,” State Superintendent Thurmond said in a statement. “It’s an incredible honor to spotlight these outstanding employees, and the significant impact they make on our students, schools, districts, and their communities.”
“They make a huge difference, and our students will remember them for years to come,” he added. “Congratulations on your hard work, dedication, and time supporting and investing in our students. These employees deserve this incredible honor, and I’m proud to celebrate them with this statewide recognition.”
This year’s other honorees are Maria “Lisa” Lopez, a school community advisor at César Chávez Middle School in the Oceanside Unified School District; Amrita Vu, a lead therapist at Los Gatos High School in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District; Gerardo Buenrostro, a paraeducator at Barbara Worth Junior High School in the Brawley Elementary School District; Pamela Larsen, a school security staff member at Jefferson Middle School in the San Gabriel Unified School District; Bryan Cooper, a theater production specialist at Folsom High School in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District; and Jane Pina, a special education bus attendant with the Washington Unified School District Transportation Department.
Additional honors
All nine 2025 honorees will be recognized at a statewide luncheon hosted by Superintendent Thurmond in Sacramento on May 22.
In addition, Lucas from Garden Grove has been nominated for the national Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award, along with Lopez of Oceanside Unified. The RISE Award, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, celebrates classified school employees whose work contributes to safe and supportive learning environments and advances student achievement.
The Classified School Employees of the Year program is presented in partnership with the California School Employees Association. The state will recognize all classified staff during California’s Classified School Employee Week, which will be celebrated May 18 through May 24.
Here are Orange County’s own California Classified School Employees of the Year, with a look at their backgrounds and local contributions courtesy of the CDE:
Kurtland Lucas, Head Custodian, Crosby Elementary School
Garden Grove Unified School District, 45 years of service
Kurtland Lucas has worked for the Garden Grove Unified School District for 45 years, and seven of those years have been at Crosby Elementary. As head custodian, Lucas consistently goes above and beyond to ensure district facilities are maintained to the highest standards, creating a clean and welcoming environment for staff and students. He arrives at work an hour before his scheduled shift begins to ensure school facilities are ready for the day. His early start ensures that Crosby Elementary is spotless and everything is in place, allowing for a smooth start to the day for everyone. Lucas takes great pride in his work, particularly in maintaining the cafeteria floors to a pristine standard. His attention to detail and commitment to cleanliness ensure that the cafeteria remains an inviting, safe, and sanitary space for students and staff.
Melissa Erman, Nutrition Operations Supervisor, Food and Nutrition Services Department
Huntington Beach Union High School District, 7 years of service
Since becoming the operations supervisor at Huntington Beach Union High School District, Melissa Erman has been adamant about participating and being involved with school nutrition associations to keep up with ever-changing trends, policies, and other operators whom she leans on for answers and support. Over the past few years, Erman has not only attended state and national conferences, but also has been involved in training sessions where she educated other nutrition services operators on some of the best practices at Huntington Beach Union High School District, allowing others to potentially use the shared knowledge to better their districts. She spends quality time with these operators, helping them learn their roles and making sure they fully understand what is expected and what to do.
Gina Matz, Painter
Fullerton School District, 18 years of service
While visiting school sites as a painter, Gina Matz is very cautious and attentive to student safety as she navigates campuses. When arriving at each site, she informs the site office personnel of her presence and what her task at hand will be for the visit. It is important to Matz that she communicates to each site the purpose of her visit while making sure all concerns are appropriately addressed. Matz also brings a smile and positive attitude everywhere she goes. Students are excited to see her, and she serves as a role model for them. In an industry dominated by men, Matz will outwork, outhustle, and outlast all her colleagues, serving as an example to not only female students but all students. She exemplifies that traditional gender or body-size stereotypes of what it looks like to be a successful trades worker are being challenged in the Fullerton School District.
More information about the program is available on the California Department of Education website.