Ken Wiggins Named Centralhatchee Elementary Principal
On May 11, the Heard County Board of Education selected Ken Wiggins as the new principal at Centralhatchee Elementary School beginning with the 2021-2022 school year. The position of principal at Centralhatchee Elementary opened when current principal Dawn Bennett was selected to serve as Heard County’s instructional leadership coach for next school year. “I cannot think of a better choice for this position than Mr. Wiggins,” praised Heard County School Superintendent Rodney Kay. “He has the experience, patience, and integrity to become a great principal.”
Becoming principal at Centralhatchee Elementary School (CES) is a homecoming of sorts for Wiggins. After graduating from the University of West Georgia in 1994, Wiggins immediately started his teaching career at CES. For the next twenty-two years, Wiggins served as the Physical Education teacher at Centralhatchee. During that time, he earned a Master of Education degree (1998), a Specialist in Education degree (2002), and an Education Leadership certification (2006), all at the University of West Georgia.
In 2016, Wiggins left CES to become an assistant principal at Heard County Elementary School. “”Mr. Wiggins instantly made a positive impact on Heard County Elementary School,” praised former HCES principal Paul Mixon. “His high character and strong work ethic made our school better from day one.” After serving three years at HCES, Wiggins moved into the assistant principal position at Heard County Middle School for the past two school years.
Despite serving the last five years away, Wiggins maintains close relationships with many at Centralhatchee Elementary and the community at large. “After serving at Centralhatchee Elementary for twenty-two years, I feel like the school and community are part of my extended family,” claimed Wiggins. “Going back where I started, to now return as the principal, is definitely a highlight in my career as an educator.”