Points of Pride
2025-2026
Quarter 3
- Thirteen Dreher High School students were selected for the South Carolina Music Educators Association’s (SCMEA) All-State Guitar Ensemble. Click here for the names of the students selected.
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Heyward Career and Technology Center has been awarded a $1,480 recycling education grant from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.
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For the third year in a row, Dreher High School and A.C. Flora High School have been named to College Board’s AP School Honor Roll. The recognition program, which launched in 2023, celebrates schools whose AP programs are “delivering results for students while broadening participation.” The AP School Honor Roll offers four levels of distinction: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Dreher earned the silver recognition. A.C. Flora earned the bronze recognition.
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Crayton Middle School has been redesignated as a School to Watch for the third time by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.
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Seven Richland One student-athletes have been nominated for the 2026 Richland County High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year award. Click here for the names of Richland One’s Player of the Year nominees and the schools they attend.
Quarter 2
- The South Carolina Department of Education has selected Alcorn Middle School as a recipient of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant for the 2025-2026 school year. The program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, awards schools and community learning centers that are dedicated to providing enrichment opportunities for students beyond the traditional school day. The grant, which is worth $141,674.79, will help expand Alcorn’s after-school programs, offer more targeted academic support and create a safe, enriching environment where students can thrive beyond the classroom.
- W.A. Perry Middle School has been named a 2025-2026 Common Sense School.
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W.J. Keenan High School’s Marching Keenan Raider Rubber Band won the 2025 South Carolina Band Directors Association’s (SCBDA) Traditional High Step State Championship for Class A and Class AA.
- Crayton Middle School’s volleyball team won the 2025 district championship.
- Two Richland One teachers are among the 12 University of South Carolina alumni named to the College of Education’s 12 Under 40. The alumni selected for the recognition are featured in the College of Education’s inaugural 12 Under 40 calendar for 2026. W.A. Perry Middle School math teacher Chynna Wilson is the featured alumnus for August 2026. Meadowfield Elementary School third-grade teacher Anna McDowell is the featured alumnus for November 2026.
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For the second year in a row, W.J. Keenan High School’s Marching Keenan Raider Rubber Band was named the Grand Champion of the Dillon Battle of the Bands for Class A and AA.
- For the first time since the state began issuing school and district report cards in 2001, Richland One has no schools rated Unsatisfactory. The South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee released the 2024-2025 statewide report card data November 3. The report cards measure schools across key performance indicators, including academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and school climate. Schools are rated Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average or Unsatisfactory. Along with having no Unsatisfactory schools, Richland One’s graduation rate has increased to over 84% and College and Career Readiness has increased to 73.3%. Click here to read more about Richland One’s 2024-2025 report cards.
- Caughman Road Elementary School received a $5,000 donation from Burlington through its partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org.
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LaTonya Jackson, Columbia High School’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Specialist, received the Educator Excellence Teacher of the Quarter award from the Columbia Chamber and Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union. The quarterly award recognizes and celebrates outstanding teachers in the Midlands. Jackson received a $500 check from Palmetto Citizens FCU for winning the award.
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Columbia High School’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program received a $9,375 donation from the Midlands chapter of 100 Women Who Care.
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A.C. Flora High School’s girls tennis team was named the Class AAAA Upper State champions.
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A.C. Flora High School senior Kristian Mason broke the female state record for bench press during the South Carolina High School Strength Coaches Association’s strength and conditioning meet. Kristian lifted 155 pounds in the 140-pound weight class.
- Hand Middle School’s football team won the 2025 Division 1 district championship.
- Hopkins Middle School’s football team won the 2025 Division 2 district championship.
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A.C. Flora High School’s girls tennis team won the 2025 Class AAAA state championship.
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Dreher High School senior Jayda Miller was selected to be featured in the Wish You Were Here: The Art of Sandy Island exhibit, hosted by Soda City Creatives and the Richland Library.
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A.C. Flora High School senior Madeleine Hamilton was selected for the 2025 AP Art and Design Exhibit. The exhibit showcases the creative artwork demonstrated in the portfolios of students who have taken AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design and AP Drawing. Madeleine’s artwork was one of 50 from across the United States selected by the College Board to be featured in the exhibit.
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A.C. Flora High School senior Daniel Brown was selected for the 2025 Shrine Bowl Run Team, which recognizes the top senior cross country athletes in South Carolina.
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A.C. Flora High School’s competitive cheerleading team won the 2025 Class AAAA state championship.
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Dreher High School’s guitar program was one of three schools nationwide selected to do a feature video for the Virtual Guitar Orchestra. Click here to watch the performance.
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A.C. Flora High School senior Azel Banag has been named the 2025 Richland County High School Football Player of the Year by the Richland County Recreation Commission.
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Katie Purushotham, Richland One’s 2025-2026 Induction Teacher of the Year, has been named a finalist for the SC Association for Teaching, Learning and Leading (SCATLL)’s Induction Teacher of the Year Award.
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St. Andrews Middle School math teacher Tevelyn Gaither and Columbia High School chorus teacher Jennifer Jefferson are among the 40 Claflin University alumni named to the college’s 2025 Outstanding Leaders Under 40.
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A.C. Flora High School senior Azel Banag was named the South Carolina High School League’s Boys Student-Athlete of the Month for November 2025.
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For the fourth year in a row, Lower Richland High School’s Army JROTC drill team placed first overall in the Palmetto State Drill Championship.
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The Post and Courier has named Richland One Superintendent Dr. Todd Walker as one of the most influential people in the City of Columbia. Thirty politicians, coaches, CEOs and other leaders across the city made the newspaper’s 2025 Power List. Dr. Walker ranked 27th and is the only superintendent on the list.
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Dr. Melanie Williams, family and consumer sciences/early childhood education teacher at Eau Claire High School, was awarded a $500 teacher grant from the South Carolina State Credit Union.
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Columbia High School students Raylyn Steele, Layla Jones and Cedric Boyles have earned their Part 107 Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing them to fly drones for commercial usage.
Quarter 1
- H.B. Rhame Elementary School has been named a 2025 Data Trailblazer award recipient in the elementary school category by the SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC). The award is given to one elementary school, one middle school and one high school in South Carolina that demonstrate how they use data to improve student achievement and maintain a culture of school-wide data-informed decisions.
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Hyatt Park Elementary School was one of only two schools worldwide to be named a Visible Learning+ Certified School this year.
- W.J. Keenan High School girls basketball coach Reggie McLain was inducted into the 2025 South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
- Nine Columbia High School students were selected to attend Appalachian State University’s Cannon Music Camp. Click here for the names of the students who attended.
- Columbia High School rising senior Omari Rolle was selected for the “Citation of Excellence” award from Appalachian State University’s Rho Tau Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
- The South Carolina Department of Education has selected Richland One’s Heyward Career and Technology Center as a pilot site for a new electric vehicle technician training program. Heyward Career and Technology Center is one of six high school career centers in the state selected to serve as a pilot site. Heyward was also awarded a $100,000 grant from the Department of Education that will cover the cost of equipment and teacher training.
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Westinghouse Electric Company donated $45,000 to four Richland One schools. The donation will help fund STEM programs, school supplies and other classroom needs at Gadsden Elementary School, Webber Elementary School, Hopkins Middle School and Lower Richland High School.
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Logan Elementary School teacher ReToisha Dallas received the Educator Excellence Teacher of the Quarter award from the Columbia Chamber and Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union. The quarterly award recognizes and celebrates outstanding teachers in the Midlands. Dallas received a $500 check from Palmetto Citizens FCU for winning the award.
- Dr. Jamarcus Little, who was the head boys basketball coach at W.A. Perry Middle School last year, was named Richland One’s 2024-2025 Middle School Coach of the Year.
- Ashley Gilmore, the head girls basketball coach and head girls cross country coach at Eau Claire High School, was named Richland One’s 2024-2025 High School Coach of the Year.
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All 48 Richland One schools are among the 1,120 schools nationwide to be named as America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2024-2025 school year. For the third year in a row, Richland One has more award winners than any other school district in South Carolina. To be included on the America’s Healthiest Schools list, schools apply for recognition in up to nine health-related categories. Click here for the schools who were recognized in more than one category.
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Dr. Teresa Turner, Richland One’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) project director, was selected for the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools program. The program sends cohorts of U.S. K–12 school administrators to participating host countries to learn about their education system and explore different strategies to prepare U.S. students with the skills and understanding necessary to address global challenges and succeed in a global economy. Dr. Turner was one of 20 administrators from 12 states and Washington D.C. selected for the 2025-2026 cycle of the program.
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Dreher High School and A.C. Flora High School were named among the “Best High Schools” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-2026 ranking. In addition to the national rankings, Dreher and A.C. Flora were ranked among the top five high schools in the Columbia metropolitan area and the top 20 in South Carolina.
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Ten Richland One schools were recognized by the National Beta Club as Schools of Distinction or Schools of Merit for the 2024-2025 school year. St. Andrews Middle School and W.A. Perry Middle School earned both awards. Click here to see the schools that were also recognized.
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Columbia High School Athletics Director Joe Lovier was named the 2025 Region III-Class AA Athletics Director of the Year by the South Carolina High School League.
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A.C. Flora High School Athletics Director Michelle Yeater was named the 2025 Region III-Class AAAA Athletics Director of the Year by the South Carolina High School League.
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Two Richland One high schools were recognized for sportsmanship by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL). A.C. Flora High School and Dreher High School were the only Class AAAA schools in the state to be recognized for the 2024-2025 school year. A.C. Flora received the banner for sportsmanship excellence, the highest honor a school can receive. Dreher received the certificate for sportsmanship excellence.
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Eight Richland One students have been named semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes academically talented high school seniors across the country. Over 16,000 semifinalists will compete for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million. The scholarships will be offered in the spring. Click here for the names of Richland One’s National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
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Forbes has named Richland One as one of the best employers to work for in South Carolina. Fifty-five South Carolina employers made the magazine’s 2025 ranking; Richland One was ranked 44th and is one of only eight school districts and one of only two Midlands districts on the list.
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Hand Middle School English Language Arts (ELA) teacher Erica Scriven was named Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union’s Teacher of the Game for the September 27 University of South Carolina vs. Kentucky football game.
- Eau Claire High School dance teacher Katelyn Haney has been named the 2025 South Carolina Dance Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Dance Association (SCDA), an association under the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (SCAHPERD).
- Richland One was one of the top 10 school districts in the state with the highest number of students earning South Carolina Seals of Biliteracy during the 2024-2025 school year. The district had the sixth most Seals of Biliteracy earned of any South Carolina school district last school year and the second most of any district in the Midlands; 114 students earned 123 Seals of Biliteracy, which is a new record for the district.
- Heyward Career and Technology Center has been voted Silver Best Vocational School in The State’s Best 2025.
- Dreher High School has been voted Silver Best High School in The State’s Best 2025.
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Levi Johnson, health teacher and athletics coordinator at St. Andrews Middle School, has been named the 2025 Health Education Professional of the Year by the South Carolina Association for the Advancement of Health Education (SCAAHE).
- Five Richland One educators have been awarded $1,000 grants through the district’s 2025-2026 Educational Ingenuity Grants Program. The newest Educational Ingenuity Grant recipients are Erica Jennings of Horrell Hill Elementary School; Sarah Burnham of Brockman Elementary School; Allison Still and Nadiyah Ansari, both of Webber Elementary School; and Dr. Cassandra Legette and Anna Workman, both of ThriveRichland.
- Thirteen Richland One students placed first in bowling during the Special Olympics South Carolina Unified Fall Games. Click here for the names of the students who won.
- W.J. Keenan High School’s Marching Keenan Raider Rubber Band won first place overall for Class AA during the Spirit of the Cardinal Band Competition.
- Three Richland One bookkeepers were named recipients of the district’s Diane Harlin Award for Excellence in Bookkeeping for the 2024-2025 fiscal year: Vanessa Wilson of Eau Claire High School; Jill Asouzu of W.A. Perry Middle School; and Noushin Heidari of H.B. Rhame Elementary School.
- Lower Richland High School is partnering with the South Carolina Energy Justice Coalition for a special mural initiative, as part of the school’s celebration of its 100th anniversary this school year. The project includes a large-scale climate-smart mural using thermal-regulating paint, which has the ability to reduce ambient temperatures by up to 20 degrees compared to surrounding surfaces. The initiative will also include a cooling-temperature walkway and outdoor classroom renovation designed to create a more comfortable, functional outdoor learning and gathering space.
- A.C. Flora High School’s girls tennis team won the 2025 Belton Hall of Fame Classic, the third time in program history that the team has won the tournament.
- South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Hopkins Middle School financial literacy and career readiness teacher Dowanda Bryant as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for September 2025.
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Six Richland One student-athletes have been nominated for the 2025 Richland County High School Football Player of the Year award. Click here for the names of Richland One’s Player of the Year nominees and the schools they attend.
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Heyward Gibbes Middle School has been awarded a $2,497 grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant funding will help Heyward Gibbes’ band program purchase tuners and tuner holders for students.
- Dreher High School art teacher Katie Pfrommer has been named the 2025 South Carolina Art Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Art Education Association (SCAEA).
- A.C. Flora High School senior Louise Vipperman was named the South Carolina High School League’s Girls Student-Athlete of the Month for September 2025.
- Satchel Ford Elementary School was named the first ever Physical Adeptness and Literacy Model Institution (PALMI) Region Award winner for the Midlands by the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (SCAHPERD).
- Twenty Richland One students were recognized in the South Carolina State Fair’s youth home and craft competitions. Click here for the name of the students who received first or second place in their respective competitions.
- Dreher High School senior Collins Coffey is studying with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada.
- Forty-one Richland One art students received honors and awards in the 2025 South Carolina State Fair’s Youth Art Competition. Click here for the names of the students who were recognized.
- For the second consecutive year, Dreher High School art teacher Mary Catherine Raines received the South Carolina State Fair’s Student Art Education Teacher Award for the high school division.