Points of Pride

John P. Thomas Elementary, Webber Elementary, Heyward Gibbes Middle and Hopkins Middle schools have been named Visible Learning Certified Schools.
 

Tyronnica Alford, the volleyball and girls basketball coach at Southeast Middle School, was named Richland One’s 2025-2026 Middle School Coach of the Year.  
 

Robert McCray, the head boys basketball and boys cross country coach at C.A. Johnson High School, was named Richland One’s 2025-2026 High School Coach of the Year. 
 

Thirteen Richland One schools were recognized by the National Beta Club as Schools of Distinction or Schools of Merit for the 2025-2026 school year, with five schools earning both awards. In addition, four Richland One educators received the National Beta Club’s Educator of Excellence award. Read about the award winners. 
 

Gadsden Elementary School advanced academic programs (AAP) teacher Tamicka Walker was selected as a recipient of the 2026 Palmetto State Teachers Association’s (PSTA) Classroom Grant.
 

Richland One Deputy Superintendent of Academics Kelly Rivers has been selected for the Fellowship for Public Education Leadership, an executive leadership program for senior-level public education leaders run by The Broad Center at Yale University’s School of Management.  
 

All 48 Richland One schools are among the 1,376 schools nationwide to be named as America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2025-2026 school year. For the fourth year in a row, Richland One has more award winners than any other school district in South Carolina. Read about the awards each school won. 
 

W.A. Perry Middle School has been named a 2026 Nationally Certified Demonstration School, the top recognition available for magnet schools nationwide, by Magnet Schools of America. 
 

Two Richland One high schools have been named among the “Best High Schools” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2026-2027 ranking. Dreher High School and A.C. Flora High School were ranked in the top 40% out of 17,945 public high schools nationwide. 
 

Seven Richland One students have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes academically talented high school seniors across the country. Names of Richland One’s semifinalists.