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 the West Virginia Department of Education between March 2, 2026 and 11:59 p.m. on May 4, 2026.
State
County nominees will apply online and upload the following to the West Virginia Department of Education between March 2, 2026 and 11:59 p.m. on May 4, 2026:
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;
Acknowledgement Form with signatures from the candidate, and the candidate’s County Superintendent (Chief School Administrator);
Resume (no more than two pages);
One letter of recommendation from a colleague, administrator, or student (one page maximum in length).
Video (2-5 minutes); include YouTube link of lesson (Principals are responsible for taking the necessary precautions to protect student confidentiality and obtain parent consent.);
5×7 Publicity headshot photo.
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.