The Elizabethtown Area School District is pleased to announce that Bear Creek School assistant principal Kaitlyn Dobyns has been appointed as the school’s new principal. The Board of School Directors approved her hiring at its regularly scheduled meeting on November 25, 2025.
 
Kaitlyn brings a strong record of leadership, instructional expertise, and dedication to student-centered education. She joined Elizabethtown Area Middle School as the Dean of Students in August 2022 before transitioning to Assistant Principal in January 2023. In August 2024, she became one of Bear Creek School’s two Assistant Principals.
 
Kaitlyn earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Secondary Education from Shippensburg University in 2013. She continued her professional growth by completing a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis on Peace from Elizabethtown College in 2019 and later obtained her administrative certificate from Shippensburg University in 2021.
 
Her passion for literacy and instructional excellence is highlighted by her involvement in the English education community. She has attended and presented at multiple conferences, including the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (PCTELA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
 
Before joining the Elizabethtown Area School District, Kaitlyn spent several years teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade English Language Arts at Susquehanna Township. There, she developed deep experience in Restorative Practices, project-based learning, and strengthening positive school climate initiatives. She also played a key role in reestablishing multi-tiered interventions and promoting collaborative learning across the district.
 
Kaitlyn will assume her duties as principal immediately and will work closely with district leadership to support a smooth transition.