Celebrating our 2026 Retirees & Employees of the Year!

Last week, we had the honor of celebrating our retirees, Educator of the Year, and Classified Employee of the Year at our 2026 Retirement & Awards Banquet. 

Together, this year’s retirees represent 236 years of service to Toppenish School District and our community. We are deeply grateful for the time, care, dedication, and heart they have given to our students, families, staff, and schools throughout their many years of service. 

2026 Toppenish School District Retirees 
👏Jennifer Mansoor (Teacher, Lincoln Elementary) - 34 years 
👏Daniel O’Hara (Teacher, Toppenish Middle School) - 31 years 
👏Norma Ramos (Paraprofessional, Valley View Elementary) - 31 years 
👏Curtis Roth (Custodian, Toppenish Middle School) - 30 years 
👏Linda Villarruel (Administrative Secretary, Valley View Elementary) - 27 years 
👏Jon Boyer (Maintenance Technician) - 27 years 
👏Martha Gonzalez (Paraprofessional, Kirkwood Elementary) - 26 years 
👏Bernardo Flores (Groundskeeper) - 13 years 
👏Maria Valadez (Paraprofessional, Valley View Elementary) - 12 years 
👏Russell Kendall (Teacher, Toppenish High School) - 5 years 

We were also proud to recognize Chantel Ramirez as our 2026 Educator of the Year and Jessie Lustre as our 2026 Classified Employee of the Year. Both are wonderful examples of what it means to show up for Toppenish students and live out our Greater Together spirit. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate, and to those who shared such meaningful memories and kind words throughout the evening. 

A special thank you also goes to Adeline’s Peonies, our local Toppenish peony farm, for generously donating more than 130 beautiful peony stems to help adorn the tables and send our honorees home with gorgeous bouquets. 

Congratulations again to our retirees and award recipients. We are so grateful for you!