09/14/2026
Preparing one school for the start of a new year is a major undertaking. This year, Iris Ayala helped prepare two.
While making sure Fulton Elementary School had everything it needed to welcome students and staff, Iris also helped get Price Elementary School up and running as the school worked to hire a new office assistant. She trained office staff, coordinated countless details and stepped in whenever another set of hands was needed.
For the colleague who nominated Iris for this week’s Staff Shoutout, it was another example of how she has approached her work throughout her career in the School District of Lancaster.
As Fulton's Office Assistant, Iris is often one of the first people students, families and staff encounter when they need an answer, a resource or help solving a problem. She knows how much the small details matter in keeping a school running, but she also understands the importance of making people feel welcome when they walk through the door.
“She works with and for everyone, always putting the needs of students, staff, and families first,” her nominator wrote.
That same approach has made Iris a resource for colleagues beyond Fulton. She shares what she knows, supports office staff across the district and supports her colleagues through her involvement with AFSCME. Even when her own schedule is full, she finds a way to help others move forward.
Her work this past year made a difference at Fulton and Price, but her impact stretches much further. It can be seen in the colleagues who feel more prepared because she took the time to guide them, the families who know they’ll be treated with respect and the schools that run a little more smoothly because Iris was willing to step in.
Thank you, Iris, for being someone your colleagues can count on and for all the ways you continue to strengthen Fulton Elementary School and the School District of Lancaster.
