MANATEE -- The Manatee School District will recognize its top performers at a ceremony next week.

School administrators recognize how hard educators work and they plan to celebrate the efforts of teachers and school staff Wednesday at the EdVantage Education Awards.

The award ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the new Manatee Technical Institute campus on State Road 70.

During the ceremony the district will recognize the educator of the year and the support employee of the year.

Zachary Bazzy, a music teacher at Oneco Elementary; Deborah Miele, a music teacher at King Middle; Carrie Rainwater, an eighth-grade science teacher at Nolan Middle School; and Jason Schiessel, a theater arts teacher at Southeast High School, are finalists for the educator of the year award.

Sandy Heaton, the senior secretary at Wakeland Elementary; Todd Persinger, the head custodian at Anna Maria Elementary; Diana Popovice, registrar at Mills Elementary; and Joni Wallace Brightbill, secretary III at the maintenance and operations department, are finalists for the support employee of the year award.

Gettle Toyota will attempt to make the grand prize a little grander when it presents the teacher of the year with a 2013 Toyota Prius. Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union will award the support employee of the year with a $5,000 savings account.