Polk County Public Schools announced the recipients of the 2016 Teacher of the Year and School Employee awards during a ceremony at The Lakeland Center.

Jessica Solano, a third-grade teacher at Highlands Groove Elementary, took home the top prize and was named 2016 Teacher of the Year. 

Maria Gomez, an English for Speakers of Other Languages paraprofessional at Bartow Senior High, was named School-Related Employee of the Year.

Solano and Gomez were selected from more than 200 candidates who were nominated by schools in the Polk County School District. They, along with 12 other finalists, received cash awards and other prizes.

Both Solano and Gomez will now compete for the state Teacher of the Year and School-Related Employee of the Year awards.