New Principal At Hinsdale South High

DARIEN, IL – The new principal of Hinsdale South High School took the helm July 1.

On Thursday, Principal Patrick Hardy is likely to attend his first regular meeting of the Hinsdale High School District 86 board.

South's former principal, Arwen Pokorny Lyp, left to become principal of Downers Grove South High School.

In February, the board voted unanimously for Hardy as principal.

Hardy was the principal of Proviso East High School for six years until 2021. After that, he was the executive director of equity and student success for Oak Park and River Forest High School.

Hardy has also been the principal at Auburn High School in Rockford and Freeport High School in Freeport. In all, he has 15 years of school administrative experience.

Hardy received his doctorate in education from Capella University in Minneapolis and his master's degree in education from Harvard. He also holds a doctorate in ministry from the Andersonville Theological Seminary in Camilla, Georgia.

In 2021, the Forest Park Review, a weekly newspaper, profiled Hardy's work at Proviso East.

Downers Grove South's enrollment of 2,700 students is more than double Hinsdale South's. Pokorny Lyp was at Hinsdale South for 15 years.