Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
4 <br /> said "we came out better for it," and urged the board to keep this history in mind as they begin the annual <br /> operating budget discussion. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott recognized teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, saying that <br /> they are "on the front line of our community." She also reported on the NCACC's draft five-year strategic <br /> plan, highlighting three features she found impressive:an issue tracker for legislative goals,a matchmaking <br /> program pairing new county staff with experienced peers in other counties, and a mentoring program for <br /> new commissioners providing practical day-to-day guidance. <br /> Commissioner Bedford said she participated in the "topping off" ceremony for the new Durham <br /> Tech building in Orange County. She said the project came in under budget. She said she will listen to an <br /> upcoming call with NCACC on property tax legislation. She said that the board self-evaluation <br /> subcommittee met the previous Friday. <br /> Vice-Chair Fowler thanked Gayanne Chambless for her comments and her work on mental health <br /> for many years in Orange County. She said she participated in the Senior Games in late April. She <br /> highlighted the other proclamations on the agenda. <br /> Chair Hamilton recognized a proclamation on the agenda for Professional Clerks to the Boards of <br /> County Commissioners' Week and thanked the Clerk to the Board, Deputy Clerk, and Assistant Deputy <br /> Clerk for their work. She highlighted the item added to the consent agenda, a congratulatory letter to <br /> McDougall Middle School eighth grader Zoe Tolmie, who received an honorable mention in the C-SPAN <br /> student documentary film competition for her film For the People: Unemployment and Unjustified Denial <br /> to Housing. She said the film was impressive and that it reflects awareness of the challenges around <br /> unemployment and housing inequality. <br /> 4. Proclamations/Resolutions/Special Presentations <br /> a. Proclamation Honoring Jason Johnson as the National Association of Secondary School Principals <br /> (NASSP) 2026 National High School Principal of the Year <br /> The Board approved a proclamation honoring Jason Johnson as National Association of Secondary School <br /> Principals (NASSP) 2026 National High School Principal of the Year. <br /> BACKGROUND: Orange High School Principal Jason Johnson was recognized in 2025 as the Wells Fargo <br /> North Carolina Principal of the Year. In April 2026, Principal Johnson was named the National Association <br /> of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) 2026 National High School Principal of the Year. He received the <br /> recognition at the National Education Leadership Awards (NELA) in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 2026. <br /> Principal Johnson has been an educator in North Carolina for 28 years,serving in Chatham County Schools <br /> and Guilford County Schools as a teacher and principal, in addition to his tenure in Orange County Schools. <br /> Additionally,Johnson worked at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) as a School <br /> Transformation Coach. <br /> For the NASSP Principal of the Year program, each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. <br /> Department of State Office of Overseas Schools, and the Department of Defense Education Activity select <br /> one (1) middle and one (1) high school principal to represent their state or department. From those <br /> nominees,three(3)middle and three(3) high school finalists are chosen.The NASSP Middle Level National <br /> Principal of the Year and High School National Principal of the Year are selected from among the finalists. <br /> The award recognizes middle and high school principals for their outstanding contributions to student <br /> success, school improvement, and educational leadership. <br /> The commissioners read the following proclamation in turn: <br />