Dustin Farmer is the leader of a school with more than 770 students – and he is focused on making sure each one of them succeeds. In fall 2024, when he and his team realized there were six students in their school at risk of failing to graduate, they took action.
After meeting with family members to build shared commitment, individualized graduation plans were created for each student and supports were put in place. In the end, all six graduated, and five enrolled in post-secondary education. In spring 2025, for the first time in school history, the graduation rate exceeded 90%.
“We will never stop working to ensure that students are receiving the education they deserve,” Farmer said. “Our goal has never been simply to graduate students, but to send them into the world with the knowledge, skills, character and confidence to pursue whatever dreams they hold.”
Under his leadership, participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE) has soared, and a new Teaching as a Profession class has been created to prepare students for careers in education.
To help struggling students, Farmer created The Hill – an innovative learning environment made for students who do not excel in a traditional classroom setting.
He’s equally dedicated to the success of his teachers, offering differentiated professional development sessions and empowering educators’ professional learning communities to be powerful engines for change.
Farmer has been an educator for 22 years and was previously the principal of Ashe County Middle School, where he led the school in raising its school performance grade from a C to a B over a three-year period and exceeded expected growth for seven consecutive years.
Dr. Eisa Cox, superintendent of Ashe County Schools, said Farmer’s success is a direct result of the effort he puts into building connects with students.
“He knows their names, their stories and their dreams. Every morning, he begins his day outside the school, opening car doors and greeting students as they arrive,” Cox wrote in a letter of recommendation to support Farmer’s Principal of the Year application. “This small, consistent act sets the tone for a school culture built on relationships, respect and belonging.”