By Brendan Ulmer
Hutchinson Public Schools has announced the six winners of their Davis Teacher of the Year awards. These winners are chosen by the trustees of the James A. and Juliet L. Davis Foundation.
“We’ve been giving the Davis Teacher of the Year Award since 1982. Since that time we have given out over a half a million dollars in award money to deserving educators,” said Davis Foundation President Allen Fee. “This year we gave six awards: three elementary, one middle and two high school — and each teacher got a check for $4000 and the recognition of being a Davis Foundation Teacher of the Year.”
This year’s Davis Teacher of the Year award winners are:
•Amy Taylor, Pre-K, Morgan Elementary School
•Amy Etzwiler-Blew, Special Education, Lincoln-McCandless Elementary School
•Carol Stockton, Instructional Support, Wiley Elementary School
•Micah Mikulecky, Social Studies, Hutchinson Middle School 7
•Karie Ohnmacht, Family & Consumer Science, Hutchinson High School
•Taylor Gomez, English, Hutchinson High School
“Being recognized for the Davis Award means a lot to me,” Ohnmacht said. “The Board of Trustees for the Davis Foundation are the kindest people to sit and visit with. It’s both humbling and uplifting that they chose me as a finalist. I have no doubt that every teacher they interviewed deserves this recognition.”
Gomez offered a similar sentiment.
“I feel deeply honored to be awarded the Davis,” Gomez said. “It’s been a privilege to both learn and teach at Hutchinson High School, and I’m so grateful for my students and for the chance to give back to the community that shaped me!”
Mikulecky highlighted the reason that to her, and many others, this profession is a rewarding one.
“Hands down, my students are the best part of my job! They are the reason that I wake up every morning excited to go to work,” Mikulecky said. “Even on my most challenging days, they never fail to bring a smile to my face, and I hope they feel the same about me. It’s hard not to get emotional when I think about how much they mean to me. While I love teaching them Kansas History and World Geography, I love getting to be their teacher more than anything.”
Also among the award winners this year was the district’s Payroll and Benefits Coordinator Jamie Brown, who won the Classified Employee of the Year Award. The nominations for this award came from members of the community, staff, parents and students.
“There are so many amazing classified employees in USD 308 who give their best every single day,” Brown said. “Knowing the incredible work they do makes me feel truly grateful and deeply honored to be chosen as Classified Employee of the Year.”
Tara Urban, a Kansas Teacher of the Year nominee and Special Education Teacher at Allen STEM Magnet, won the 2025 Certified Employee of the Year award. The nominations for this award also came from members of the community, staff, parents and students.
Hutchinson High School Mathematics Teacher Melissa Swaim was also nominated for Kansas Teacher of the Year, alongside Urban, in October 2024.
Award-winning teachers and staff were honored at a Hutchinson Public Schools Convocation on August 6, put on to celebrate the beginning of the school year.
“I can’t think of a better way to start your school year than being recognized in front of all your colleagues,” Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations for Hutchinson Public Schools, Stacy Goss said. “Hopefully the staff who were recognized, and all of our staff are feeling refreshed and reenergized after convocation. Maybe not now that we’re three days into school, maybe all their energy’s been drained, but the goal is to provide an event that recognizes the staff for everything that they do.”