The Augusta Preparatory School Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Eric Hedinger as the next Head of School at Augusta Prep effective July 1, 2024.
Hedinger will be moving from Charlotte, N.C., where he has served as Providence Day School’s Head of the Upper School since 2012.
After earning a bachelor’s in English from Frostburg State University, and a Master’s in Education degree in English and secondary education from Winthrop University, Hedinger began teaching at Providence Day School as an English teacher and soccer coach in 1996.
Appointed as Assistant Upper School Head in 2008 before being promoted to Head of the Upper School, Hedinger is also a recognized leader in education, as he served five times on the SAIS Accreditation of Schools Team.
Serving as Providence Day’s Head of the Upper School, Hedinger helped enrollment in the upper school increase from 450 to 700 students, while maintaining excellence in both academic and extra-curricular programs, according to a press release from Augusta Prep.
MORE: Developer seeks to build residential development at former site of Green Meadows golf course
“[Hedinger] has considerable experience managing a large upper school faculty and a significant budget, and he has served on the Board of Trustees Finance and Risk Committees at Providence,” stated the press release.
Playing soccer most of his life, Hedinger has coached at both high school and collegiate levels, and in his spare time enjoys hiking, camping and white-water rafting.
Hedinger is also married to Maria, an experienced educator and a current Transitional Kindergarten teacher at Providence. He has two children, a daughter, Emma, who is currently a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a high senior son named Liam.
“Hedinger’s depth of experience in education, fiscal management, recruiting, hiring, retaining faculty, professional development, coaching and leadership make him an ideal fit for Augusta Prep, and the right person to lead the school forward,” according to a press release from Augusta Prep.
Additionally, Hedinger recognizes the current momentum at Augusta Prep and the growth opportunities it exhibits, including those created by the new W. Roger Giles Institute for Inquiry, which played a large role in drawing him to the position.
“The Giles Institute excites me because I have seen first-hand how new leading spaces shift a culture, community and mindset in such positive ways,” he said. “The students and faculty will transform ideas for tomorrow in this new learning space.”
With Augusta Prep ranked as one of Niche.com’s “Best Schools” and as Augusta’s “best private school” holding an A+ rating, Hedinger and his wife said they were impressed by what they saw and experienced at Augusta Prep during their visit, and are excited to become a part of the school’s family.
“We are excited to join such a caring and family-centered community. We found immediate connections to the APDS faculty, students and leadership team, as well as the families we met,” Hedinger said. “My family and I look forward to making our home at Augusta Preparatory Day School.”
For more information about Augusta Preparatory Day School, visit: https://www.augustaprep.org/
