Volusia’s Dr. Carmen Balgobin is 2025 National Superintendent of the Year

Dr. Carmen Balgobin, the Superintendent of Volusia County Schools, has been named the 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents (NASS). The honor comes three years into Balgobin’s tenure with the county school district. It was announced in August that Balgobin was a finalist for the award. A statement from Volusia County Schools pointed to a 93.7% graduation rate, the recovery of all D-grade schools in Volusia County, and the first A rating for the district in 16 years as accomplishments preceding her nomination. The other four finalists were Gearl Loden (Christian County, Missouri), Bradley Roberson (Lafayette County, Mississippi), Michelle Rodriguez (San Joaquin County, California), and Quintin Shepherd (Travis County, Texas). “This honor belongs to our entire Volusia County Schools team, every superintendent across the country who champions public education, and organizations like NASS that provide crucial support and advocacy for superintendents,” Balgobin said when she was named as a finalist. “It truly takes a village, and this work is fully realized through the engagement of our students, parents, all staff, community partners, volunteers, mentors, School Board, and stakeholders.” Balgobin has worked in public education since 2003, when she began working at Orange County Public Schools. She transitioned from an instructional trainer and coach to a series of assistant principal and principal posts, before finishing her Orange County career as executive area director. For two years Balgobin worked for the Osceola County School District, before becoming Volusia County Schools Deputy Superintendent in 2020. She had one stint as superintendent from June 2020 to February 2021, and then again from July 2022 to the present day. In the interim she was deputy superintendent for teaching, leading and learning. Through collaborative partnerships and servant leadership, we’ve achieved remarkable progress with our first ‘A’ rating in 16 years,” Balgobin continued. “This recognition reinforces my commitment to the collective work we do to transform public education for every student we serve.”