• Points of Pride 2024-2025
    • Terrian Gillette, the head track and field coach, assistant football coach and assistant boys basketball coach at St. Andrews Middle School, has been named Richland One’s 2023-2024 Middle School Coach of the Year.

     

    • Jason Sandifer, the varsity wrestling coach at Dreher High School, has been named Richland One’s 2023-2024 High School Coach of the Year.

     

    • Crayton Middle School has been named a 2024 School of Distinction by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), becoming the first school in South Carolina to earn the distinction. The recognition honors schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to middle grades education and continuous improvement. Crayton is one of 17 schools in the United States to be named a School of Distinction by AMLE.

     

    • Richland One ranked sixth among all South Carolina school districts for the most students earning Seals of Biliteracy during the 2023-2024 school year. Eighty-seven students earned South Carolina Seals of Biliteracy, which is a new record for the district.

     

    • Satchel Ford Elementary School fifth-grade student Bailey Bostic placed first in the state elementary division and fifth in the national elementary division of the InvestWrite Spring 2024 essay contest. The essay contest, organized by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation, is open to schools that participate in the foundation’s Stock Market Game. In the essay, students answer a question about long-term saving and investing that is meant to address real-world financial issues and situations. Bailey’s prizes included a banner and a $100 American Express gift card.

     

     

    • Dreher High School Class of 2024 graduate Naja Weinkle has been awarded the 2024 Dr. Percy A. Mack Leadership Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a Richland One high school senior who demonstrates leadership skills and potential, as well as well-rounded involvement in co-curricular activities. The scholarship is named in honor of Dr. Percy A. Mack, who served as the district’s superintendent from 2008-2014. Dr. Mack is also a member of the Richland One Hall of Fame.

     

    • Five Richland One teachers have been awarded $1,000 grants through the district’s 2024-2025 Educational Ingenuity Grants Program. All Richland One teachers are eligible to apply for grant awards of up to $1,000 each. The grants support teachers in implementing context-specific, inquiry-driven projects that enhance learning experiences and outcomes for students. Click here to see the names of the newest Educational Ingenuity Grant recipients.

     

    • Fifty-two Richland One students had perfect scores in math, English language arts (ELA) or both subject areas in the Spring 2024 administration of SC READY (South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Assessments). Students in grades 3-8 statewide took the SC READY ELA and math assessments. Forty-seven students had perfect scores in math. Three students had perfect scores in ELA. Two students had perfect scores in both. Click here for the names of the students who received perfect scores.

     

    • Three Richland One educators have been selected for the South Carolina ASCD’s (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) Emerging Leaders program. The non-profit organization’s mission is to improve teaching and learning for all students. Click here for the names of the Richland One educators who were named Emerging Leaders.

     

    • Twenty-one Richland One theater students represented the district during the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys) program. The Thespy Awards, organized by the Educational Theatre Association, “recognize student excellence in 21 categories of theatrical performance, technical theatre, writing and filmmaking.” Three Richland One students received Superior ratings in their respective categories. Fourteen students received Excellent ratings. Click here for the names of the students who participated.

     

    • Dreher High School sophomore Elizabeth Wise has qualified to compete in the junior teen division of the National American Miss (NAM) competition. The beauty pageant “emphasizes the importance of developing real-world skills and shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.” Elizabeth was named a junior teen division state finalist during the South Carolina NAM pageant. She was also awarded the Spirit of Pageantry award, and she was named runner-up in the “Best Resume’” and “Heart of Service” competitions.

     

    • Dreher High School’s Botany Club has been awarded a $4,320 microgrant from the City of Columbia through the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund. The club will use the microgrant money to increase biodiversity at the school by planting native plants on campus. The organization is also working with the City of Columbia to introduce more biodiversity at a city-run park as well as providing plant beds to grow food crops in a community garden. The Botany Club’s project was one of nine projects and initiatives in the city to be awarded a microgrant.

     

    • Forest Heights Elementary School curriculum resource teacher Dr. Torri Smith was chosen to participate in the Strategies for Teacher Advancement and Renewal (STAR) Fall 2024 seminar, sponsored by the Foundation for Professional Development and the Palmetto State Teachers Association. She was one of 10 educators from across South Carolina who were selected for the seminar.

     

    • Twenty-one Richland One high school students have been honored with the College Board’s National Recognition Program award, which recognizes high-performing students in underrepresented communities. Click here for the names of the award recipients.

     

    • All 48 Richland One schools are among the 879 schools nationwide to be named as America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2023-2024 school year. Again this year, Richland One has more award winners than any other school district in South Carolina. The recognition, awarded by Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a leading children’s health organization, honors schools’ dedication to supporting the health and well-being of students, staff, and families.

     

    • Forty Dreher High School seniors and Class of 2024 graduates have earned the AP Capstone Diploma. The AP Capstone Diploma program helps students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration and presentation skills that are essential to academic success. Click here for the names of the AP Capstone Diploma recipients.