For the first time ever, this SC district has no ‘unsatisfactory’ schools
.jpg "School report cards have been issued since 2001, and they measure factors like academic achievement college and career readiness, and school climate. Schools are rated excellent, good, average, below average or unsatisfactory.")
Richland School District 1 no longer has any of South Carolina’s lowest-ranked schools.
The South Carolina Department of Education released its annual School Report Cards Monday, which evaluate the performance of every public school the state. For the first time since the state department began issuing the reports in 2001, the Columbia district has no “unsatisfactory” schools.
Report cards measure factors like academic achievement college and career readiness, and school climate. Schools are rated excellent, good, average, below average or unsatisfactory.
“It takes a concerted effort by a lot of people to achieve these kinds of results and that doesn’t happen overnight,” Richland 1 Superintendent Todd Walker said in a news release. “Our job now is to build on the progress that has been made and accelerate improvement throughout the district.”
Richland 1 previously had four unsatisfactory schools: C.A. Johnson High School, Edward E. Taylor Elementary School, Burton-Pack Elementary School and Watkins-Nance Elementary School.
District graduation rates have increased to over 84.1%, up from 82.6%. College and career readiness has increased to 73.3% from 59.4%. Multilingual learners’ progress and SC READY scores, the state’s standardized testing program, also improved.
Richland 1 high school ratings
- A.C. Flora High School - Good
- C.A. Johnson High School - Below Average
- Columbia High School - Average
- Dreher High School - Average
- Eau Claire high School - Below Average
- Lower Richland High School - Below Average
- W.J. Keenan High School - Below Average
C.A. Johnson and Columbia improved their ratings. Every other district high school remained the same.
Richland 1 middle school ratings
- Alcorn Middle School - Average
- Crayton Middle School - Good
- Hand Middle School - Average
- Heyward Gibbes Middle School - Average
- Hopkins Middle School - Average
- Southeast Middle School - Average
- St. Andrews Middle School - Average
- W.A. Perry Middle School - Average
- W.G. Sanders Middle School - Average
Five middle schools — Alcorn, Heyward Gibbes, Hopkins, Southeast, St. Andrews — had been previously rated “below average.”
Richland 1 elementary school ratings
- A.C. Moore Elementary School - Good
- A.J. Lewis Greenview Elementary School - Average
- Annie Burnside Elementary School - Excellent
- Arden Elementary School - Average
- Bradley Elementary School - Average
- Brennen Elementary School - Excellent
- Brockman Elementary School - Excellent
- Burton-Pack Elementary School - Below Average
- Carver-Lyon Elementary School - Average
- Caughman Road Elementary School - Below Average
- Edward E. Taylor Elementary School - Average
- Forest Heights Elementary School - Average
- Gadsden Elementary School - Average
- H.B. Rhame Elementary School - Average
- Hopkins Elementary School - Good
- Horrell Hill Elementary School - Average
- Hyatt Park Elementary School - Average
- John P. Thomas Elementary School - Average
- Logan Elementary School - Average
- Meadowfield Elementary School - Good
- Mill Creek Elementary School - Below Average
- Pine Grove Elementary School - Below Average
- Rosewood Elementary School - Good
- Satchel Ford Elementary School - Excellent
- South Kilbourne Elementary School - Average
- Watkins-Nance Elementary School - Below Average
- Webber Elementary School - Good
- W.S. Sandel Elementary School - Average
While 12 elementary schools stayed the same, nine improved and six declined in report card rankings.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 11:05 AM.
