- April 18, 2024
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Flagler Schools Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt is recommending Jessica DeFord as the 4th principal of Belle Terre Elementary School. Mrs. DeFord has served as interim principal for the school since last January.
“Jessica has steered Belle Terre Elementary through some challenging times as Interim Principal. She is ready to lead the staff and students and has a solid plan to ensure BTES maintains the high standards everyone connected with the campus demands,” says Superintendent Mittelstadt.
Mrs. DeFord is ready for this new challenge. “It is an honor to be named principal of Belle Terre Elementary School. Over the past five years, I've built many relationships here at Belle Terre. Education is the most important and impactful career in the world. Not only am I excited to continue my career in a high achieving district, but I am also excited to lead a school where teachers and staff have a passion for ensuring the success of every student. Moving forward, the students, staff, and community of Belle Terre Elementary will learn and grow together.“
DeFord received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching from Saint Leo University in 2001. She earned a Master’s of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of North Florida in 2003.
She came to Flagler Schools in 2013 as a teacher and became an assistant principal at Belle Terre Elementary School in 2016. Prior to her educational career in Flagler County, she taught in Brevard and Putnam County.
Jessica is married to Kenneth DeFord, a teacher at Bunnell Elementary. They have two children. Their son Blane is a junior at Flagler Palm Coast High School and their daughter Myla, a 2017 FPCHS graduate, is a combat medic with the United States Army.
