Khloe Morgan Kaufman, an eighth-grade student from Natchitoches Parish, was named a Regional Honoree in the Louisiana Department of Education’s 2026 Students of the Year program, an honor that recognizes outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and service.
The Louisiana Department of Education, in partnership with the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), announced the 2026 regional honorees on Jan. 6, highlighting exceptional fifth, eighth, and twelfth grade students from across the state. The Students of the Year program honors students who demonstrate excellence in leadership, academic performance, achievements, citizenship, and service to their schools and communities.
Regional honorees are selected through a competitive review process involving public, charter, and nonpublic schools within each BESE region. From this group, one honoree per BESE region will be named a finalist later in the school year. Finalists will be announced and celebrated at a statewide awards ceremony, where one overall honoree per grade level will be selected.
Kaufman will advance in the selection process as the Students of the Year program continues later this school year.
