Greenville school leader named SC Secondary Principal of the Year

The South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) has named Mrs. Ashley Wardlaw the 2026 South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year. Mrs. Wardlaw is Principal of Blue Ridge High School in the Greenville County School District.

“We are excited to announce that Mrs. Ashley Wardlaw has been named the SCASA Secondary Principal of the Year,” said Dr. Quincie Moore, Executive Director of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. “She has earned a reputation for building authentic connections across her entire school community by developing relationships with students and creating structures like RidgeNation, a program that unites incoming students coming from feeder elementary schools around shared purpose and facilitates collaboration between middle and secondary educators to improve instructional coherence. Mrs. Wardlaw works alongside her teachers to establish collaborative systems and data-driven practices that builds an expectation of excellence for every learner at Blue Ridge High School.”

“This is tremendous and well-deserved recognition of Principal Wardlaw’s leadership and her unwavering dedication to the students, staff, and community of Blue Ridge High School,” said Greenville County Schools (GCS) Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster. “Her commitment to fostering a positive learning environment and a culture focused on student success is evident in the school’s achievements under her leadership—including an increase in graduation rate from 84% in 2024 to 91.8% in 2025, its first Excellent Report Card rating, and the 2025 GCS Superintendent’s Academic Achievement Awards for Highest Academic Performance and Growth Among High Schools.”

Mrs. Wardlaw was selected from an outstanding field of administrator candidates by a veteran panel of judges. The other finalist for 2026 South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year was Dr. Michael Lofton, Principal of Spring Hill High School in Lexington-Richland School District Five. The criteria used in the selection of this award are set by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The state sponsors are Horace Mann and Herff Jones.

SCASA, the professional organization for school leaders in South Carolina, has more than 5,600 members. From professional development opportunities and research to publications and legislative advocacy, SCASA’s focus is to support school leaders in providing the best possible education for South Carolina’s young people. As a state affiliate of three national associations for school leaders, SCASA also works on the national level.