Francine Flores (center), custodian at King Kamehameha III Elementary School, was recently named the Hawaii State Department of Education’s 2018 Employee of the Year.

HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) recently named its 2018 Employee and Team of the Year award winners, recognizing employees for their outstanding and continued contributions to education and the students of Hawaii.

Francine Flores, custodian at King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina, was named HIDOE’s 2018 Employee of the Year.

For the past 32 years, Flores has worked tirelessly to keep the grounds of King Kamehameha III Elementary School beautiful, safe and meticulously groomed.

Her ability to anticipate issues, combined with her self-starting nature, has produced solutions to potential problems before they develop.

These traits have made her a consistent favorite among students, parents and staff. Her hard work and dedication have played a major role in making the King Kamehameha III Elementary campus along Front Street stand out as an example for all schools.

The Kula Elementary Cafeteria Staff of Kelsey Kahaleauki-Nobriga, Laura McLean and Lynne Yonamine was honored with a Team Excellence Award of Merit.

Flores and the Windward District Academic Integration Team will represent HIDOE in the upcoming annual Governor’s Awards ceremony for Distinguished State Service among distinguished awardees from other state departments.

“The success of our students is founded on the hard work and dedication of our employees, and we want to take every opportunity to spotlight the great work that’s happening at our schools,” said Dr. Christina Kishimoto, HIDOE superintendent.

“From daily operations like school lunch preparation to our professional development trainings and multi-year plans, the work of our employees guide the progress of education in Hawaii, and these awards recognize only a small fraction of our collective efforts.”