Richland One is helping all students develop the world-class skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate through a rigorous curriculum, high-quality instruction, personalized learning experiences and unique enrichment opportunities designed to prepare our students for college and careers.
For the 2022-2023 school year, we chose “Team One, One Team” as our mantra and rallying call. As we look at the progress that was made throughout the district in the past year, we see what can be accomplished when we all work together as one team for the benefit of our students. The support and engagement of our parents and our community partners continue to be essential to our success.
We celebrated several milestones during 2022-2023, including the expansion of our 3K program from one site to six; the expansion of our language immersion program from the elementary school level to the middle school level; the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the language immersion program addition at Carver-Lyon Elementary School; and the groundbreaking ceremony for Vince Ford Early Learning Center. The district also was awarded a $14.9 million Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement BLAST (Building Lasting Aerospace and STEAM Trajectories) magnet programs at Watkins-Nance Elementary School, W.A. Perry Middle School and Columbia High School over a five-year period, beginning in the 2023-2024 school year.
Our many Points of Pride for the 2022-2023 school year also included our high school graduation rate, which not only increased for the fourth consecutive year, but also surpassed the state average. Our 2022 graduation rate was 86.0 percent, which is the district’s highest-ever graduation rate. The state average graduation rate for 2022 was 83.8 percent.
Our Class of 2023 graduates earned over $76.6 million in scholarships, $3 million more than the previous year’s scholarship total. The class included seven National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Being named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist is a prestigious distinction achieved by less than 1 percent of all high school seniors in the United States. The scholarship program recognizes academically talented students who compete for millions of dollars in college scholarships. Also, 203 of our high school seniors were honored as Richland One Academic All-Stars. To qualify as Academic All-Stars, students must have at least a 3.5 GPA, rank in the top 10 percent of their high school’s senior class and have no grade lower than a C for any subject taken for high school credit. The Class of 2023 also included 160 Honor Graduates.
In Richland One, we work to provide our students with as many competitive advantages as possible. One way we do that is through our dual enrollment programs and partnerships with higher education institutions. During the 2022-2023 school year, 59 Richland One students earned certificates or associate degrees through our dual enrollment program with Midlands Technical College, a combined total higher than any other Midlands school district.
Also during 2022-2023, 520 Richland One students completed career and technical education (CTE) programs of study, with many earning state and nationally recognized certifications. A record-high 47 Richland One students earned the South Carolina Seal of Biliteracy by meeting fluency requirements in English and at least one other world language. Seven Richland One high school seniors who are aspiring teachers were named South Carolina Teaching Fellows, each earning $24,000 in fellowship funds. We also held our first Future Educator Signing Day in partnership with the South Carolina Education Association. Twenty-two Richland One seniors signed a pledge to study education in college, and they received individual offers from the district to teach in Richland One after earning their degrees.
Continuous improvement is our focus, and we believe improvement should be recognized and celebrated. In that spirit, we held our first-ever Richland One Rising Stars Awards Ceremony. Ninety-seven students representing all of our elementary, middle and high schools and special programs were selected by their principals for recognition at the district level for their improvement in academics, attendance, discipline, overcoming obstacles and other areas.
Along with academic achievements, Richland One students continued to excel in athletics during the 2022-2023 school year, with our teams and individual student-athletes winning 16 state sports championships in swimming, cross country, tennis, and track and field.
The district also received several prestigious honors and awards, including awards for excellence in financial reporting and accounting (for the 34th consecutive year) and awards for the district’s energy conservation initiatives.
By continuing to work together as one team and keeping our students at the core of all we do, there is no limit to what we can accomplish in Richland One.
Craig Witherspoon, Ed.D.
Richland One Superintendent
