Lexington County School District Two

• Number of schools: 13
• Number of students: ~8,582
• Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
• No. 56 school district in SC
• 81% graduation rate

• Grades PK-5
• Total enrollment: 373
• Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
• No. 286 in SC’s elementary schools

• Grades 6-8
• Total enrollment: 666
• Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
• No. 81 in SC’s middle schools

• Grades 9-12
• Total enrollment: 1,337
• Student-teacher ratio: 18:1
• No. 133 in SC’s high schools
  

Richland County School District One

• Number of schools: 48
• Number of students: ~22,202
• Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
• No. 44 school district in SC
• 82.9% graduation rate

• Grades PK-5
• Total enrollment: 283
• Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
• No. 28 in SC’s elementary schools

• Grades 6-8
• Total enrollment: 1,012
• Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
• No. 32 in SC’s middle schools

• Grades 9-12
• Total enrollment: 1,150
• Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
• No. 7 in SC’s high schools

• Lower Saluda Craft BeerFest | Friday, Mar. 31 | 6-9 p.m. | 5605 Bush River Rd., Columbia | $30-$35 | Taste more than 25 unique craft beers, enjoy live music, and take home a commemorative tasting glass.
• The NoMa Flea | Friday, March 31-Friday, Dec. 15 | 6-9 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St., Columbia | Free | The market features several anchor vendors and at least 10 rotating, pop-up vendors each week.
• Team DeVita Oyster Roast for LLS | Friday, Mar. 31 | 6-10 p.m. | Saluda River Club Chickawa Outdoor Center, 629 Chickawa Dr., Lexington | $125 | All ticket sales will go directly to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the event will feature oysters, craft beer, music, and more.

• The Carolina Cup | Saturday, Apr. 1 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | The Carolina Cup & National Steeplechase Museum, 200 Knights Hill Rd., Camden | $50 | Saddle up for a South Carolina tradition, and attend the 88th running of The Carolina Cup Races on April 1, 2023.
• Columbia International Festival | Saturday, Apr. 1-Sunday, Apr. 2 | Times vary | SC State Fair Grounds, 1200 Rosewood Dr., Columbia | The Columbia International Festival showcases the music, culture, food, and performing arts of the various cultures, nationalities, races, and language groups represented in South Carolina.
• Walk A Mile | Saturday, Apr. 1 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | SC State House, 1100 Gervais St., Columbia | $25 | Walk A Mile in Our Shoes is an annual fundraising event where you can join together in efforts to end sexual violence and raise awareness.
• Makers’ Mall | Saturday, Apr. 1, Saturday, May. 6 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | NoMa Warehouse, 2222 Sumter St., Columbia | Free | On the first Saturday and Sunday of each month the Friday night NoMa Flea will turn into the weekend Makers’ Mall so you can still shop all the vendors, makers, creators, curators, and more during its regular weekend shopping hours.

• Dinner & Dialogue: Ramadan | Sunday, Apr. 2 | 6 p.m. | Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St., Columbia | $5-$18 | Learn about and celebrate the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which coincides with the exhibition “Reverent Ornament: Art from the Islamic World."*

• The Gamecock women’s basketball team will play tonight in Dallas, TX in the Final Four round of the NCAA tournament against Iowa. Root for the Gamecocks tonight at 9 p.m. and watch the game on ESPN.

• The Gamecocks baseball team’s current record is 24-2 overall and 6-0 in the SEC. This has been the best start to their season since 1975. Read through the different eras of the team’s history in The State and catch the next few games as they travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State this weekend. (The State)

• The thirteenth installment of 701 CCA’s Columbia Open Studios kicks off Saturday and goes all weekend. Spend two days visiting 65 artists’ studios across Richland and Lexington Counties. Take the opportunity to meet one-on-one with various artists and get an inside look at their process.

• Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens is seeking bond approval from Richland + Lexington counties to develop phase two of Bridge to the Wild. The bond would be spread between the two counties based on property values, resulting in an estimated ~$44.8 million investment by Richland County and ~ $35.2 million by Lexington County. Read about phase two here.

• The Columbia Food and Wine Festival, happening Wednesday, April 19–Sunday, April 23, will celebrate local culinary talent and host eight food-filled events over five days. Some events are already sold out, so explore event options + buy your tickets.

• Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 16. Live on Lincoln is back. The event will feature live performances by Midlands artists, celebrate cultural organizations, and host a dinner by Blue Marlin. Enjoy the finale to Artista Vista on the cobblestones of Lincoln Street. Purchase tickets here.

• Did you know? Preventive care is the best way to avoid disease. In this ~4-minute listen, Dr. Skip Schumann of MUSC Health talks about the specifics of keeping up with preventive health care for men.*

• An electric wine opener is one of those inexpensive kitchen gadgets that you don’t know how you lived without once you get one. We especially love this one for its sleek design and ergonomic grip. To upgrade your wine even further, this set includes an automatic wine aerator and reusable vacuum stopper.

• Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Here are the five top-rated private schools in Columbia

• Grades PK-12
• Total enrollment: 838
• Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
• Tuition is ~$20,000
• No. 2 in best private high school in South Carolina

• Grades PK-12
• Total enrollment: 999
• Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
• Tuition is ~$20,000
• No. 3 in best private high school in South Carolina

• Grades PK-12
• Total enrollment: 1,038
• Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
• Tuition is ~$15,000
• No. 4 in best Christian high school in South Carolina