Ashley Wardlaw, Principal of Blue Ridge High School in Greer, has been named the 2026 South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators.
Wardlaw was surprised with the recognition at an assembly on Monday morning. Members of Greenville County Schools administration told her they wanted to have a meeting regarding enrollment numbers. It wasn’t until she walked into the gymnasium and heard the cheering students that she realized the “meeting” was something much more.
“I'm absolutely blown away,” Wardlaw said. “What an incredible honor. ... I've been in this community my whole life, so just being here to shine a light on Blue Ridge has been my goal from the very beginning.”
Wardlaw has been the principal of Blue Ridge High School for four years, and is also an alumna of the school. Now that she has earned the state title, Wardlaw will go on to compete for the title of National Secondary Principal of the Year.
Wardlaw was surprised with the news on Monday morning.
“When you have a principal that receives statewide recognition, that simply reinforces that we have some outstanding individuals leading our schools,” said Greenville County Schools Superintendent Burke Royster. “It's been very rewarding to see what [Wardlaw] has done here with the culture of the school, and the very significant academic improvements that they’ve made.”
In her time as principal, Wardlaw has really pushed for community engagement efforts. One such effort is the Ridge Nation initiative, a partnership between the Parent Teacher Student Associations of Blue Ridge High, Blue Ridge Middle, Skyland Elementary, Tigerville Elementary and Mountain View Elementary.
Blue Ridge High School students celebrate Wardlaw’s accomplishment.
The group organizes events that foster connection between the schools and surrounding community. Some of these events include pep rallies and Fist Bump Fridays, where older students will come out to the elementary schools and add some fun to their day.
“This was our effort to really put us on the map and be a true community school,” Wardlaw said. “It's been so great to see our community come together.”
Moving forward, Wardlaw hopes to continue these community-building efforts and to work daily to improve the student experience. For more information on Blue Ridge High School, visit their website.
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