CCISD Honors 2026 Teachers of the Year at Special Luncheon

Teacher of the Year Event; Mary Purvis & Camia Lowman – Credit: Clear Creek ISD

LEAGUE CITY — Clear Creek Independent School District alongside the Rotary Clubs of League City, Seabrook, and Space Center announced the 2026 Teachers of the Year nominees, finalists, and top two winners at a special luncheon on April 30.

Mary Purvis from Weber Elementary was named the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Camia Lowman from Clear Springs High School was named the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Purvis’ teaching career began in 2019, where she discovered her passion for fostering student voice and engagement. In 2021, she joined Clear Creek ISD and currently teaches English language arts and social studies. Purvis is dedicated to creating a classroom environment where every student feels seen, heard, and empowered.

“Mrs. Purvis earned this recognition because she helps us use our imagination and makes learning -and especially reading- really fun,” said Matthew Stephenson, 5th grader at Weber Elementary.

Lowman, a proud Clear Creek ISD graduate, has dedicated more than a decade to education in CCISD. She teaches anatomy and physiology at Clear Springs High School, where she founded and sponsors the NASA HUNCH Biomedical Engineering program. The program provides students with the opportunity to tackle real-world engineering challenges in collaboration with NASA professionals.

Moreover, Lowman serves as an assistant golf coach, leads the Science UIL Academic Team and supports numerous campus initiatives.

During the ceremony, Clear Springs High School Senior, Julianne Hall, says that Lowman stood out to her as someone who exemplifies what it means to make the classroom a safe and fun environment. “You are quite literally superwoman in everything that you do and you do so much.”

Finalists in the elementary and secondary levels were also recognized during the luncheon—Breanna Jeffcoat from Gilmore Elementary, Tara McArdle from League City Elementary, Brandi Lambert from Clear Creek Intermediate, and Drew Kays from Space Center Intermediate.

Vickie Wright, CCISD 2025 Teacher of the Year and Texas Teacher of the Year, also attended and was recognized for her outstanding work over the past year representing more than 375,000 educators across Texas.

“This luncheon is more than a recognition ceremony, it is a tribute to the long hours, the late nights, the patience, and the heart that each of you pour into your students every single day,” said Superintendent Dr. Karen Engle, who is fortunate to have such passionate educators representing CCISD.

Rotary International is the world’s first service club organization with more than 1.2 million members worldwide who volunteer locally, regionally and internationally. The local Rotaries of the Bay Area have partnered with the district for many years in an effort to recognize and honor excellence in teaching.

The Rotary Clubs awarded $750 to each of the six finalists and then an additional $750 to the Teachers of the Year.

2026 Teachers of the Year (Individual Campus):

Elementary