By Hutchinson Tribune Staff
WICHITA—Hutchinson USD 308 school psychologist Jennifer Bain was named the 2026 School Psychologist of the Year on Friday, Oct. 16, by the Kansas Association of School Psychologists at its fall conference.
Bain, who has an education specialist degree, has been a school psychologist with USD 308 for more than 20 years, according to a news release. She has served students at all levels in the district, from elementary through high school, including alternative education.
As lead school psychologist, she supports her fellow psychologists, meets weekly with each early-career colleague, and supervises practicum students and interns, the release said. She has also taught psychology courses at Hutchinson Community College and Wichita State University.
Colleagues nominated Bain 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 work designing individualized programming for students with complex needs.
“Her 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.