Hilton Head Preparatory School


Hilton Head Preparatory School is a private school for junior kindergarten through 12th grade, located in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States. It belongs to the South Carolina Independent School Association, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. It is the only school on Hilton Head Island to be accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools. Its enrollment for the 2006–2007 school year was 450 students. Over fifty percent of the faculty hold advanced degrees in their subject area.

Community

Hilton Head Prep is located on Hilton Head Island, which has a population of approximately 34,000. The school is located on 8 Fox Grape Road, just inside of the Ocean Gate into Sea Pines Resort.

History

The school was formed in 1985 as a result of the merger of Sea Pines Academy and May River Academy. Both predecessor schools opened in the late 1960s after Beaufort County Schools ended educational segregation and have been cited as examples of segregation academies.
When Sea Pines Academy was established, some of the students lived as far as 50 miles away and were bused to the school so their parents could avoid enrolling them in racially integrated public schools.

Administration

Jon Hopman serves as the headmaster, assuming the role from Peter Cooper on July 1, 2014.

Curriculum

Core classes

Hilton Head Prep offers educational opportunities for all students. All core classes have honors and college prep classes, with the former being more difficult. The upper school also offers 13 Advanced Placement courses. In middle school, students are required to take one semester of P.E. each year if they do not participate in school or club athletics.

Schedule

As of 2015, the upper school day consists of seven 45-minute periods with three minutes between classes, a 20-minute break and a twenty-five-minute lunch. The school day is shortened on Fridays, with 37-minute periods and an extended mid-morning break, but without a lunch break.

Athletics

Athletic Department

The athletic program at Prep has greater than 75% participation of the student body, with many student-athletes participating in multiple sports. The Prep Booster Club, led by Prep parents, actively supports the athletic program.
Athletic facilities include the Joseph B. Fraser, Jr. Field House, which was opened in 2007. It is a 20,600 square foot building that includes a multi-functional basketball and volleyball gymnasium, four locker rooms, a wellness center, and an athletic trainer room.
In early 2018, Rick Sofield, took over as the head baseball coach assuming the role from Dobbie Green. Coach Dobbie Green managed the Varsity baseball team from 2015 - 2017. During his time as varsity coach, Dobbie Green won two SCISA regional finals and coached the Dolphins to a SCISA final appearance in 2016.
The school's athletic rivals are Hilton Head Christian Academy and Thomas Heyward Academy

SCISA championships

Hilton Head Prep has won many SCISA championships as a member school of the South Carolina Independent School Association. In the 2015–2016 school year the men's golf team and tennis team captured SCISA championships. This was their third straight tennis title in three years.