What was initially believed to be an assembly to honor retiring Powell Middle School teacher and coach Dale Estes turned into a surprise revelation that science teacher Kix Carter had been chosen as the district’s teacher of the year for the 2026-2027 school year.

The May announcement was met with thunderous applause from the students and staff of the crowd.

“[She] embodies everything we look for in an elite educator,” Superintendent Jay Curtis told the crowd during the assembly. “She is a lifelong learner, selfless teammate, and an inspiration to her students. She truly represents the very best our district has to offer.”

Carter said she was shocked to be selected and impressed that everyone was able to keep the nomination a secret for as long as they did.

Also speaking to Carter’s accomplishment was Powell Middle School principal Kyle Rohrer.

“The science labs literally come to life, she works tirelessly to plan and engage [students] in science,” Rohrer said. “She’s an inspiration to those around her and we’re blessed to have her on our staff.”

Carter’s nomination as teacher of the year marks the fifth time in 10 years that an educator from Powell Middle School has been selected for the honor.

Carter is originally from Powell and studied elementary education at the University of Montana. Prior to teaching at Powell Middle School, she taught third and fifth grade out of Westside Elementary and as the sixth-grade language arts teacher at Lovell Middle School. This year will be her fifth year teaching at Powell Middle School.

Following her time teaching in Lovell, she knew that she wanted to return to teaching middle schoolers and was excited that she found the chance to do so in Powell alongside her husband, assistant high school wrestling coach and fellow science teacher Juston Carter.

Her favorite fields in the sciences are physical sciences — she has a particular fascination with geology. She especially loves being able to conduct field trips in the Clark area to teach her students about geologic principles.

When Carter took to the microphone at the assembly, she credited her success to her students and her fellow staff at Powell Middle School.

“Every day, I get to come to work and I get to have awesome experiences and conversations, and just to see the joy and the wonder, that makes coming to school every day and teaching you the best day ever,” Carter said, adding, “Thank you for making this year the best year. Next year is going to be even better and I really appreciate getting to have taught and worked with every single one of you.”