Eduardo Vargas (left) of Mayfield Elementary, an educator for 25 years, was named PISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Princeton High School math teacher and head baseball coach Leroy Mansanales (right) named PISD secondary teacher of the year. 

Princeton High School head baseball coach Leroy Mansanales has been named the secondary teacher of the year for the Princeton Independent School District.

Mansanales, an educator for 24 years, has been with the PISD for 17 years and chairs the PHS math department.

“Leroy Mansanales is a phenomenal leader and educator on our campus,” PHS Principal Clint Sadler said. “His use of technology and student-centered approach is the reason for his success in the classroom.”

Mansanales said he also considers the baseball field to be a classroom.

“Baseball has always been a passion in my life,” he said. “It has been a driving force for much of what I do. In many ways, I feel that God has blessed me with the passion for the game, and this passion led me to the profession of teaching and coaching. I quickly learned that teaching and coaching came down to building relationships with students, faculty and the community. The more that I showed I cared about individuals, the more I saw growth.”

To read the full story subscribe to The Princeton Herald.