> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.citizenjournal.us/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Hutchinson's Jennifer Bain named Kansas school psychologist of the year; four area teachers nominated for state honors - URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/hutchinsons-jennifer-bain-named-kansas-school-psychologist-of-the-year-four-area-teachers-nominated-for-state-honors/ - Published: 2026-10-20T14:25:26.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T13:22:47.000Z - Description: USD 308 nominated Lori Hill and Jessica Ray for Kansas Teacher of the Year; USD 309 put forward Breanna Goetz and Dylan Yoder - Author: Rica Simpson - Tags: Hutchinson, dnn, #news Sign up for our free newsletter and never miss a story. [Sign up free](https://subscribe.citizenjournal.us/?ref=citizenjournal.us) Hutchinson USD 308 school psychologist Jennifer Bain was named Kansas' 2026 School Psychologist of the Year on Friday, Oct. 16, and two area districts announced four teacher nominees for state honors this week. The Kansas Association of School Psychologists presented the award at its fall conference in Wichita. Bain holds an education specialist degree and has been a USD 308 school psychologist for more than 20 years. According to a news release, she has served students at every level from elementary through high school, including alternative education. As lead school psychologist, she meets weekly with each early-career colleague and supervises practicum students and interns, and she has taught psychology courses at Hutchinson Community College and Wichita State University. Colleagues nominated her for her advocacy for students and her leadership in systems change, including her early championing of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in the district and her design of individualized programming for students with complex needs. β€œHer leadership is not defined by titles but by the lasting influence she has on the people fortunate enough to work alongside her,” her nominators wrote. USD 308 announced Monday, Oct. 19, that Lori Hill and Jessica Ray are its nominees for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program, which the district says honors educators across the state for their dedication to students and their impact on the profession. Hill is in her 20th year of teaching and her fourth at Hutchinson Career & Technical Education Academy. There she teaches biomedical science, health care, law and public safety, and teaching-career courses, including a crime-scene investigation that ends with students using gel electrophoresis to identify whose DNA was at the scene. "My mother passed away in August, and she always wanted to be a teacher," Hill said in the district's announcement. "I wish I could have shared this with her before she passed away." Ray, in her 16th year of teaching, teaches second grade at Lincoln-McCandless Elementary after 13 years teaching fourth grade, and she received the Davis Foundation Teacher of the Year award in 2024. Recalling a fourth-grader she taught early in her career, Ray said, "She taught me the importance of looking beyond a student's behavior to understand the child underneath, and recognizing that every student needs someone who believes in them." Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309 also announced Monday that Breanna Goetz of South Hutchinson Elementary is its 2026–2027 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominee. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the district named Dylan Yoder, also of South Hutchinson Elementary, its 2026–2027 nominee for the Kansas Horizon Award, which the district says recognizes outstanding first-year teachers who show exceptional promise, strong instructional skills and a commitment to student success. *This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our* [*AI policy*](https://www.citizenjournal.us/ai-policy/)*.* --- --- Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: [Contact Us](https://www.citizenjournal.us/contact/) ---