H-E-B will announce statewide winners of the 2017 Excellence in Education Awards at special ceremony featuring keynote speaker Dr. Robert Gates. The award ceremony is Sunday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at Austin Hilton Hotel, 500 East 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701. Ceremony begins at 7 p.m., winners will be announced at approximately 9 p.m.

Earlier this year, H-E-B Partners made surprise visits to the classrooms and schools of40 teacher and principal finalists across the state with checks for $1,000 for the educators themselves and $1,000 to $2,500 for each of their schools. At the ceremony, H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt and other H-E-B leaders will award a total of $430,000 in cash and grants to the state’s top teachers, principals, school districts and one early childhood facility. H-E-B will also honor one public school board for their strong leadership and dedication to excellence at the board level.

  Since its inception in 2002, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program has awarded more than $8.5 million in grants and prizes. The teams of judges tasked with reviewing finalist applications and conducting personal interviews and site visits are comprised of former winners, administrators and university and community leaders. H-E-B personnel are not involved in the judging process.