(March 20, 2026) – We are excited to announce a new partnership with QDOBA Mexican Eats of Gulfport this year to celebrate and recognize the outstanding work of our employees across the district! We call it the “Connect.Empower.Thrive Recognition Award” – inspired by our district motto.

Today, HCSD Superintendent William Bentz and our other district leaders visited Orange Grove Elementary to surprise a dedicated member of our transportation team — bus driver Christy Harris! Ms. Harris has been driving the bus in HCSD for over ten years. She mainly transports students at Orange Grove Elementary and Harrison Central Elementary. However, Ms. Harris is also a substitute driver, and she is always willing to take on extra routes when needed. What’s even more impressive about Ms. Harris is that she has maintained perfect attendance for many years! She also assists with washing our school buses during the summer months.

As the district honoree, Ms. Harris received a certificate of recognition, a $100 QDOBA restaurant gift card, a swag bag filled with a T-shirt, an avocado stress ball, and a drink koozie.

We are grateful to QDOBA owners Ben Kaufman and his wife, Kat, for their generosity and for helping us recognize the incredible contributions made by our staff! We look forward to celebrating more team members who exemplify dedication, professionalism, and a strong commitment to supporting our students and schools while modeling our values to Connect. Empower. Thrive!