Orange High School Principal Jason Johnson was named the 2025 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year Friday afternoon. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction named the 27-year educator its winner of the annual competition at a luncheon in Cary with the other regional finalists and several Orange County Schools leaders. During his acceptance speech, Johnson credited his students and staff, choking back tears as he thanked them and said the award belongs to the entire Orange County community. He also thanked Ann Osburn, who hired him as a first-time assistant principal at A.L. Stanback Middle School in 2001. “When I spoke to her after I was selected as the regional Principal of The Year, I said, ‘Thank you for giving me the chance.,’ And she responded, ‘Jason, all you needed was an opportunity.’ That struck my heart because what I heard was, ‘Jason, you were qualified — all you needed was an opportunity.’ This is a powerful reminder that our students, especially...