Andrew Bias will take home $15,000 and his skilled trades program at Folsom High School, which includes welding and carpentry, will receive $35,000.

Donna Newell learned welding as a little girl, and it paid off in a big way on Tuesday. The Erie High School career and technical education teacher won a $100,000 Prize for Teaching Excellence from the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program.

Laurie Hilderbrand, a welding teacher from Soquel, has been named a winner of the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, which comes with $15,000 prize for her and $35,000 for her program at Soquel High.

A local teacher is one of the grand prize winners of the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools prize for teaching excellence. That grand prize was $100,000 presented to Donna Newell, a welding instructor at Erie High School.