The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that it has selected Mr. Raymond “Tripp” Aldredge, III of Hanahan, SC, to be the Superintendent of Colleton County School District, effective July 1, 2026. Prior to July 1, Mr. Aldredge will spend some days in the District preparing for the 2026-2027 school year to ensure a smooth transition.
Mr. Aldredge, originally from North Carolina, brings nearly three decades of experience in public education as a classroom teacher and school leader. Most recently, he has served as Principal of Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston, SC, where he has focused on strong relationships, high expectations, and preparing students for life beyond graduation. He leads a diverse school community of more than 2,300 students and 220 staff members. Under his leadership, Fort Dorchester has earned “Excellent” ratings on the South Carolina School Report Card since 2019 and achieved a 95.5% graduation rate. Fort Dorchester was named the 2022 South Carolina School of Excellence in Art Education and a 2025 Palmetto’s Finest finalist. Most recently, Fort Dorchester High School received the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee’s Trailblazer Award.
Before coming to South Carolina, Mr. Aldredge served as Principal of Jay M. Robinson High School and Harris Road Middle School in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. His leadership at Harris Road contributed to its designation as a NC Global Ready School, an International Center for Leadership in Education Model School and was consistently one of North Carolina's top-performing traditional middle schools. Mr. Aldredge began his career as a band director, developing nationally recognized music programs and serving as a clinician,. adjudicator, and arts advocate across the region. He holds an Educational Specialist degree from The Citadel, a Master of School Administration and Bachelor of Music from East Carolina University.
Mr. Aldredge has been married to his wife, Alice for almost 25 years. Mrs. Aldredge is an acclaimed middle and high school band director of 36 years. She is currently Director of Middle School Bands at Charleston County School of the Arts.
Mr. and Mrs. Aldredge are the proud parents of Greyson Aldredge who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Education and a Performance Certificate at the University of South Carolina School of Music. Greyson hopes to one day work as a high school band director.
Mr. Aldredge is honored to serve as Superintendent of Colleton County Schools and is grateful for the opportunity to become part of a close‑knit, community‑centered school system dedicated to success for all children. He looks forward to engaging with the Colleton County community and supporting its vision for building a world-class school system that ensures all students achieve at high levels.
The Board of Trustees looks forward to working with Mr. Aldredge as he leads our District. His history of success in improving academic achievement will support Colleton County’s continued goal of preparing all students to be ready to reach their individual goals upon graduation. We welcome Mr. Aldredge to Colleton County!