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KMEA honors Earl
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KMEA representatives Damian Johnson and Christine Lovell presented PCMS Principal Laura Earl (center) with the association’s Administrator of the Year award, Tuesday. - photo by Ron Womble
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A self-described “band kid,” PCMS Principal Laura Earl joins students in the band to perform the National Anthem before the boys’ basketball game, Tuesday. - photo by Ron Womble

PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Pittsburg Community Middle School Principal Laura Earl got a nice surprise, Tuesday. As Earl got out her clarinet to join the PCMS Band in playing the National Anthem before the boys’ basketball game with Galena, she was called to the center of the court. There, two representatives of the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) announced that she had been selected as the 2025-26 Administrator of the Year and as the Southeast District Administrator of the year.

“I don’t even have words,” Earl said after the presentation.

She said the honor was meaningful because she was nominated by staff.

“To know that your staff appreciate what you do every day and that the kids in the band appreciate what you do, makes this very special,” she said.

Earl said that while she is grateful for the recognition, the real stars at PCMS are some dedicated teachers, like Delani Vogrin, band; Micheala Chybowski, vocal music; and Irene Diaz, orchestra.

“We have a thriving fine arts program here and it’s all because of teachers,” Earl said. “We have great teachers here.”

Earl said Vogrin, who she describes as a “kid magnet,” has seen dramatic growth in her band program.

“She started with eight kids in band and now we have more than 50 in 8th grade, alone,” Earl said. “I know right now we have more than 100 in 6th grade band. She has grown the program tremendously.”

Chybowski and Diaz have been at PCMS just a year or two, but they, too, are seeing growth in their programs, Earl said.

All of this has a positive effect throughout the school, Earl said, citing lots of research that shows that music and the fine arts in general enhances learning.

“It gets kids engaged in school. Some kids come to school for football, some kids come to school for basketball,” Earl said, “and some kids come to school for music.”

After letting the accolades soak in for a moment, Earl, a self-described “band kid,” picked up the clarinet she played all through high school and slipped in among the students to play an enthusiastic performance of “The Star Spangled Banner.”