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Superintendent Walker highlights BLAST magnet expansion and updates board on laptop shortage
Summary
Superintendent Todd Walker told the Richland 1 board the BLAST magnet programs are supported by a $14.9 million MSAP grant and provided a detailed update on the district's laptop orders and deliveries, saying remaining devices are expected by month‑end though exact dates were not yet available.
Superintendent Todd Walker used his Sept. 23 report to outline academic and operational priorities for Richland School District 1, including progress on the BLAST magnet program and an update on delayed student laptop deliveries.
Walker said the district's BLAST (Building Lasting Aerospace and STEM Trajectories) elementary, middle and high school magnets are funded by a $14,900,000 Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant awarded in 2022. He identified the BLAST sites as Watkins‑Nance Elementary (elementary), W. A. Perry Middle (middle) and Columbia High (high school) and said the grant supports curriculum, enrichment and a bus tour showcasing early program results.
Walker also announced academic recognitions: eight of the district's high school students were named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists (five from Dreher, three from AC Flora), and the district set a record for South Carolina seals of biliteracy with 114 students earning 123 seals during the 2024–25 school year.
On technology, Walker said the district ordered 4,300 new student laptops for the school year. He reported 934 of those laptops were delivered and distributed to high schools on Sept. 12; more than 500 surplus devices have been redistributed to schools with the greatest need. Walker said the district expected 789 additional laptops to be delivered on a Thursday/Friday and that, "based off of communications with Dell, who is our laptop provider, we expect the remainder of laptops to be delivered by the end of the month, but we do not yet have an exact delivery date." He added district teams are working to avoid future shortages by improving procurement and interdepartmental coordination.
The superintendent also described ongoing 'listening and learning' sessions being held as part of a 90‑day strategic entry plan and invited community members to upcoming sessions posted at richland1.org/90dayplan.
What to watch
District staff will provide a delivery schedule and distribution plan for the remaining devices under the Dell contract and update the board on vacancy counts for school nurses and hiring strategies discussed during the meeting.
