Type Public Grades 9–12 Phone +1 803-699-2999 | Established 1995 Number of students 1357 Mascot Blazer | |
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Motto Excellence in Education Principal Dr. Brenda Mack-Foxworth Address 4801 Hard Scrabble Rd, Columbia, SC 29229, USA District Richland County School District 02 Color Purple and Silver (Black and White Accent Colors) Profiles | ||
Ridge View High School (commonly abbreviated as RVHS) is a comprehensive public high school in Columbia, South Carolina. It currently holds approximately 1500 students. It is one of five high schools in Richland School District 2 along Spring Valley High School, Blythewood High School, Westwood High School, and Richland Northeast High School. The principal for the 2016-2017 school year is Dr. Brenda Mack-Foxworth.
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As of 2013, the size of the facility is 238,755 square feet, and the school is built on a 60-acre campus.
Demographics
The school has a racial composition as follows: African-American 78.2%, Caucasian 11.1%, Hispanic 5.5%, Asian 1.7%, Two or More Races 3.1%, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.2%, and Native American 0.2%.
Academics
Ridge View has an average GPA of 3.2. The school features several schools-within-a-school as well as several other programs relating to academics and careers. The schools-within-a-school include AVID, Blazer Academy, and the School for the Arts. Magnet Programs at Ridge View High School include the Allied Health and BioHealth Magnets for students interested in the medical field, and the Scholars Academy for Business and Law.
Arts
Ridge View not only focuses on academics and athletics, but also the arts. Ridge View's School for the Arts, abbreviated as SFA, allows students to focus on a core art and more.
The most successful of Ridge View's music programs is the Ridge View Marching Band, or Blazer Band, one of the most notable marching bands in South Carolina. The current director is Dustin King, who took over the program from Vince Clayton after his retirement at the conclusion of the 2015-2016 season. King becomes only the 2nd Band Director in the history of the school. The Blazer Bands compete at the 4A level, and have consistently ranked in the top 10 bands in the state. With recognition from WISTV, the band was also featured in the 2013 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade and has placed 2nd, 3rd and 2nd at the 4A State Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Athletics
The most consistently successful athletic program at Ridge View High School is its Boys Cross Country team, which is currently under Coach Brian Rosefield. With his help, the Blazers finished 2nd in the state in both 2009 and 2010. They also finished 2nd in the state in 2004. The team has been a consistent top 5 program and has only finished out of the top 10 once since at least 2002. The Blazers Boys Track Team won the state championship three times in a row in 2004, 2005 and 2006. During those victories they set state records in the 4x800 relay and the record for most points ever scored in the state meet.
The Blazers football team is a consistent playoff contender. The 2007 team advanced to the semifinal round of the state playoffs, losing to the eventual state champion Clover. However, in 2008 the Football team had suffered its worst season in some time with a record of 3-8 which included a loss to rival Spring Valley High School (who did not win a game in two years prior to the Blazer victory 3-2) and a first round playoff loss to Conway.
The basketball team was ranked preseason at 6th in the state.
Ridge View established their boys lacrosse team in the fall of 2003 and in their first season as a varsity team posted a record of 17-2 in the regular season before falling in the semi finals of the state playoffs to Greenville in an 8-7 OT defeat. Goalie David Overton from Ridge View was named Honorable Mention All American for his play at goalie. Ridge View Lacrosse has risen back to a power house in its region after a few short coming over the past six years, head coach Jon Ziajdel resurrected the program after his first season as head coach going 1-10 the Blazers have reached the playoffs the last two years suffering first round losses to Irmo in 2010 then to Hilton Head High School in 2011.