Yorktown Independent School District Secondary School’s teacher Valton Acree is a finalist in the 2026 HEB Excellence in Education Awards. He is named in the Lifetime Achievement category. HEB’s mascot, “Buddy,” recently paid a surprise visit to the school campus to award Acree $1,000 checks for himself and the school. As a finalist, Acree will attend the awards banquet in Houston in May where he will learn if he is a finalist and whether he wins a grand prize award of $25,000 for both himself and the school. Courtesy Photo