320 Todd Branch Dr
Columbia, SC 29223

This school is amazing! Out of five stars I would give to 8.

My student was assaulted, bullied and harassed. I filed several complaints, and nothing was done. I felt like they cared more about the number of students over the safety of the student. I asked what the process was for bullies and physical assault and the response was they will be expelled however nothing was done. BUT... the staff did suggest I set him up for online school since there was a problem with him being bullied. mind you instead of removing the kids who were at fault you want me to remove my student. It also caused issues in his studies, and they would not address this other than to say my student was slipping in grades.

Teaching: Teachers are extremely overworked and not supported! At the end of the 2022-23 school year, WHS loss over 26 teachers, staff, and administrators. This has to be unheard of, mainly because many of the persons who resigned are still on the roster and/ or have not been taken out of PowerSchool? This may also explain why now visitors to the school's website, can no longer find a staff directory. At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, new students received schedules containing classes for teachers who had already resigned. The few teachers who actually care about the students and their futures are made to be substitute teachers (on all planning periods), school resource officers (during their lunch break), and babysitters for unruly students to whom the school cannot support academically or behaviorally. Instead of admitting that they are not providing an adequate number of required academic course offerings, WHS now has created a failing system of placing an overwhelming number of students in so-called study hall classes, where hundreds of students sit aimlessly in the school for two hours (part of a new so-called "4x4 Schedule introduced this year). During this time students are not only not receiving an adequate education; they are also leaving the school grounds, initiating fights, and ordering Grubhub! Why does Richland District Two not know about this???Social-emotional support:Often times we first think about the social-emotional support of the students, but what about the Social-emotional support of the teachers and staff?These working professionals at WHS; many of whom have diagnosed disabilities themselves, are provided with no accommodations or simple respect for the overwhelming obstacles faced on a daily basis working in such an unmanaged and hectic work environment. Also, there are students being bullied on a regular basis. Why don't they tell an administrator or someone in leadership, you might asl? Well, many are too scared to because of the backlash of the bullying becoming even worse, being labeled as a so-called snitch, or basically don't even know where to turn and they are embarrassed. You can't fix what you don't know about. I plead for parents to look for any kind of warning sign and ask a lot of questions!Family Engagement:There are parents and there are parents. At WHS there are some parents who cowardly school administrators allow to torment teachers, knowing fully well that the student is the actual problem!