Florida TaxWatch announces Principal Leadership Award winners

Florida TaxWatch is honoring 15 of the best school principals across the state.

The government watchdog group published its 2025-26 Principal Leadership Awards list Monday. Established in 2013, the Principal Leadership Awards program recognizes principals in Florida’s K-12 schools who create positive changes in students’ lives while advancing effective educational practices among their peers.

“Florida TaxWatch established this one-of-a-kind evidence-based Principal Leadership Awards program, which uses comprehensive data to determine the most effective principals in our state, to reward these outstanding principals for the transformational impact they are having both in their schools and in their communities,” said TaxWatch President and CEO Jeff Kottkamp.

The awards are broken down into three categories — elementary, middle and high school — with five winners each. Each principal selected for the award is asked to nominate students they think are deserving of the Academic A+ Challenge Match held by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

The winners of the 2025-26 Principal Leadership Awards:

— Beverly Budzynski, former principal, Village Oaks Elementary School in Collier County.

— Delshuana Jackson, Bond Elementary School in Leon County.

— Charlene James, George W. Carver Elementary School in Duval County.

— Blair Lovelace, former principal, Coquina Elementary School in Brevard County.

— Jackson Nicolas, former principal, Earlington Heights Elementary School in Miami-Dade County.

— Lipi Datta-Reid, Dr. Carter G. Woodson K-8 School in Hillsborough County.

— Wesley Locke, Spring Creek Charter School in Lake County.

— Lisa Mehr, former principal, Woodville K-8 School in Leon County.

— Madelyn Sierra-Hernandez, Irving & Beatrice Peskoe K-8 Center in Miami-Dade County.

— Dorenda Westfall, former principal, Yankeetown School in Levy County.

— Sandra Edwards, Atlantic High School in Palm Beach County.

— Vincent Hall, William M. Raines High School in Duval County.

— Dina Langston, Armwood High School in Hillsborough County.

— Kenya Nelson-Warren, Evans High School in Orange County.

— Richard Shackle, Washington Senior High School in Escambia County.