Kelly Flora Crowned Northeast Regional Principal of the Year

By Emmy Benton / Photo Above: Jason Johnson, the 2025 North Carolina Principal of the Year, presents the award to Kelly Flora in a moment of honor and recognition.

Dressing up as Albert Einstein for a schoolwide assembly is just another day on the job for Nags Head Elementary School Principal Kelly Flora. She and Assistant Principal Denise Stone played the role of “mad scientists,” reading lab reports and acting out science experiments for the almost 500 students who are enrolled at NHES. What Flora didn’t know, however, when she donned the untamed wig, mustache and bushy eyebrows was that this day would be one of the biggest surprises of her 28-year career in public education.

Flora was in front of all the students, teachers and staff on Jan. 9 when she was named the 2026 Northeast Region Principal of the Year for North Carolina. Proudly presenting the award to Flora were the 2025 North Carolina Principal of the Year Jason Johnson, the 2025 Northeast Region Principal of the Year Dr. John Lassiter, Wells Fargo Representative Meghan Woolard, Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight, district leaders from DCS and Flora’s family.

“It was truly a moment I will never forget—for so many reasons,” Flora said. “There was certainly plenty of humor in the way I was dressed, but more importantly, the announcement has had a profound impact on my life. Looking back, I wouldn’t have wanted it to happen any other way.”

The surprise went off without a hitch thanks to Stone, who kept the secret that Flora had been awarded the honor for a few weeks before it would be announced. Having been at NHES for 13 years, Stone said that Flora is so deserving of this honor because of her excitement about learning.
“Elementary, middle and high school principals are all very different and [Kelly] is 100% elementary,” Stone said. “She is vibrant, she’s exciting, she’ll do anything—I mean, she’ll dress as Einstein.”

The North Carolina Principal of the Year Program, introduced in 1984, is sponsored by Wells Fargo and coordinated by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The award aims to recognize principals who create environments that contribute to high academic achievement in North Carolina’s schools.

Flora was named the 2026 Dare County Schools Principal of the Year, which put her name into the regional pool of candidates. Flora had a lengthy application process to be considered for the honor, having to write 10 essays describing her impact on NHES before making it to the virtual interview round in November.

As the Northeast Region Principal of the Year, Flora was one of nine finalists for North Carolina Principal of the Year. This year’s cohort of top principals, led by 2026 North Carolina Principal of the Year Mariah Walker, will work together during the upcoming year, traveling across the state and throughout the country to network with other administrators and school personnel. They will see learning taking place and serve as advocates for public education. They will get to speak with the State Board of Education and Flora will serve as the director on a board for professional development across the state.

“All of these opportunities are just appearing, and I’m gonna say yes to everything,” Flora said. “This is the chance of a lifetime.”

Flora, who has worked at DCS for almost 10 years, previously served as the director of elementary education but missed the people-centered aspect of being a school administrator. Her philosophy as principal is one that leads with empathy and a hands-on approach, building relationships with everyone in the building and being in tune with people’s needs.

On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and being the third new principal in three years, Flora had her work cut out for her — but all she asked for was time. Time to get to know the teachers and staff on a deeper level. Time to rework how teachers showed up for students after virtual learning dramatically changed education. Amazingly, test scores were brought back up within three years of Flora being principal and staff morale flourished.
“It’s because of the people here,” Flora said. “It’s because we’ve got people in the right places that are building on [the students’] strengths.”

She wanted to focus on cultivating an encouraging environment where teachers and staff felt heard, valued and supported. With the turnover, Flora wanted to build trust and remain a constant presence in classrooms.

“When I started here, I was like, ‘I want this to be the place where everybody wants to be,’” Flora said. “It needs to be happy, it needs to be structured, there needs to be expectations. We hold everybody accountable and I feel like that’s where we’re at. It’s starting to come to fruition and people are starting to say, ‘We want to come to your school. How do we get to your school?’”

Lilyann Rose, a kindergarten teacher at NHES, said that Flora has done exactly what she said she would. Every year, teachers are asked to complete a survey outlining areas they believe could be improved, and she said Flora uses that feedback to make meaningful changes.

Kelly Flora, 2026 North Carolina Principal of the Year, exemplifies leadership, student-centered excellence, and community impact, inspiring educators statewide through dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to academic success and growth.

“She’s created that atmosphere where you don’t want to work for anyone else,” Rose said. “She brings life back into education. When you’re in the classroom, it can be very regimented, and she likes to have fun, so kids want to go to school.”

The impact Flora has had is perhaps best reflected in the poster proudly hanging outside her office, covered with dozens of signatures from the 2nd grade students. Words like “innovative,” “inspiring,” “dedicated” and “compassionate” encircle a large heart at the center of the poster celebrating her award. While she is honored by the recognition, Flora said she is equally encouraged by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the profession to which she has devoted her life.

“This isn’t a prize that you take home,” Flora said. “This is ongoing, and I hope that it leads me on a path where I can help public education. That’s where I want to be.”

Author: CoastalLife