BEATRICE - A teacher in southeast Nebraska is being recognized for their excellence in education.

The Clabaugh family has presented Dick Stuart of the Beatrice Middle School the Outstanding Educator Award. This makes a handful of consecutive years in which the award has gone to a teacher at the Beatrice Middle School.

"His fellow teacher Ben Essam had this to say: 'He builds great relationships allowing him to reach all types of students," Doris Martin, Executive Director of the Beatrice Educational Foundation said. "He is so instrumental in getting kids to love school, learning, and themselves. 

Stuart was nominated by both fellow teachers and students, one being Beatrice varsity girls basketball coach Jalen Weeks. Stuart serves as a mathematics teacher and a basketball coach for the middle school. He also serves as the girls golf coach at Beatrice High School.

"I'm not a big fan of the state test. I want kids to learn," Stuart said. "Maybe sometimes the state test doesn't tell what they learn from academics. There's a lot kids can learn here in classes. That's what I like and is important to me."

Stuart was awarded a small trophy as well as a check for $1,500.