Beth Hutchinson has been named principal at Highland Elementary School. The announcement was made at 2:45pm , prior to a reception to welcome her to her new role. She will begin her new role on July 1.
Hutchinson began her educational career in 2010 in Daviess County Public Schools as an elementary classroom teacher at Highland Elementary School for three years. She continued to serve as an educator at Wright Elementary School in Shelby County Public Schools for three years before returning to DCPS. For the next five years, she was in the classroom setting, teaching 2nd graders at East View Elementary. While in the classroom, she focused on creating innovative and engaging lesson plans for all content areas, while implementing self-paced learning and putting a focus on communicating with students, staff, and parents. After an extensive career in the classroom, Mrs. Hutchinson served as an Instructional Coach at East View Elementary and Highland Elementary School. A role she served in for a total of four years. While in this role, she focused on supporting student learning, providing professional development to staff, and assisting with scheduling and calendar management. Mrs. Hutchinson also focused on leading MTSS core teams and managing and analyzing student data, while developing family engagement opportunities.
Hutchinson is currently serving as the Assistant Principal at Highland Elementary, a position she has held for the last year. In this role, she has supervised the school’s teaching and learning. She has worked to maintain an effective learning climate in the school, including evaluating and supervising the instructional processes, as well as overseeing the implementation of school-wide curricula. Other responsibilities have included establishing guidelines for proper student conduct through the Positive Behavior Intervention System; planning, organizing, and implementing school activities; and implementing and supervising special education programs.
Hutchinson holds three Master’s Degrees, one from the University of the Cumberlands in Administration focusing on Principalship, graduating in 2024, another from the University of the Cumberlands in Administration focusing on Curriculum in 2015, and another from Western Kentucky University, majoring in Elementary Education Teacher Leader in 2013. She received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky in 2010.
Hutchinson said the following about her selection as the new instructional leader at HES, “It is an incredible honor to accept the principal position at Highland Elementary, a place that means so much to me and is known for its strong tradition of excellence. What makes Highland truly special is its people and the profound responsibility and privilege we share in changing children’s lives every single day. There is something truly extraordinary about Highland, and there is no greater community. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work and uphold its legacy for many years to come.”
DCPS assistant superintendent for human services Dr. April Devine said, “Daviess County Public Schools has established a collaborative, thoughtful, and rigorous process for selecting school principals. We were fortunate to have an exceptional pool of candidates for Highland Elementary. Through surveys and feedback sessions, Highland stakeholders expressed a desire for a student-centered leader who is hardworking, visible, and has a strong focus on academics and achievement. We are thrilled to introduce Beth Hutchinson as the next principal of Highland Elementary. Mrs. Hutchinson is a dedicated advocate for students and a passionate champion of excellence for all HES students.”