A panel appointed by the county superintendent will decide the County Principal of the Year based on both state and county criteria. The winner will submit his/her application to us between March 2 - May 11, 2026, by 11:59 p.m.
State
County nominees must apply online and upload the following between March 2 - May 11, 2026, by 11:59 p.m.:
A signed letter of consent from the county superintendent stating that the applicant is the county’s official candidate for the 2027 West Virginia Principal of the Year Program
An acknowledgement form with signatures from the candidate and the candidate’s county superintendent (chief school administrator)
A résumé (no more than two pages in length)
One letter of recommendation from a colleague, administrator, or student (one page maximum in length)
A video (2-5 minutes)
You must include a YouTube link of a lesson (principals are responsible for taking the necessary precautions to protect student confidentiality and obtain parent consent.)
A 5×7 headshot
Note: Additional uploaded documents or pages beyond the requirements will not be considered.
A panel appointed by the West Virginia Superintendent of Schools will review online applications submissions. Following a review of the applications of all county nominations, the state review panel will interview the selected finalists face-to-face. The name of the state selected finalist will be forwarded to the West Virginia Superintendent of Schools for consideration as the West Virginia Principal of the Year. West Virginia Principal of the Year Finalists will be recognized at the annual awards event in September 2026. The West Virginia Principal of the Year will be announced at that time.