| Spring Valley High School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1970 |
| Type | Secondary, College Prep |
| Affiliation | Public |
| Principal | Dr. Greg Owings |
| Students | Approx. 1920 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | Columbia, South Carolina, USA |
| Oversight | Richland County School District Two |
| Accreditation | South Carolina Department of Education and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Green and Gold |
| Mascot | Vikings |
| Yearbook | 'Saga' |
| Newspaper | 'The Viking Shield' |
| Website | Spring Valley HS website |
Spring Valley High School is located in unincorporated Northeast Columbia, South Carolina and is operated by the Richland County School District Two. Originally opened in the fall of 1970, it was for a long time the sole high school operating in Richland School District Two, replacing Dentsville High School.
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Opened in the fall of 1970, it replaced Dentsville High School. New students and families entering the halls of Spring Valley High School for the first time often found themselves walking in circles due to the school's unusual design. The main building was divided into octagonal 'pods', each containing 8 chevron-shaped classrooms. This design was borne out of the open classroom concept that was popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the school's early days, classrooms within each pod had no walls, allowing students to participate in any one of several classes occurring at one time. Ultimately this did not prove successful, and walls were later added to the classroom pods by the early 1980s. In mid-January 2008, a new three story building replaced the pods as the new school building, integrating the original gymnasium and fine arts buildings as the only remaining pieces of the original campus.
The Spring Valley Viking Band is the Marching Band for Spring Valley High School. The first band took the field in 1971, a year after the school's opening. The band has won six South Carolina Band Directors Association 4-A State Marching Championships. They won five straight from 1974 to 1978 and won their sixth in 1983. The band also won three national titles, the De Soto National Title in 1974 and Cherry Blossom National Title in both 1975 and 1978. In 1984 a festival form state competition was adapted so there was no state champion. This form was abandoned the next year when the band took second place. The band also won the lower state championship in 1988. In 2007, the band took the best music score in class 4-A at the Lowcountry Invitaional at Wando High School and received a superior at every competition.
The Discovery magnet program is designed for talented students and focuses on science and math, first founded in 1995. These courses are honors level and required for all members of the Discovery program. All Discovery members are required to complete two college-level research projects during their sophomore and junior year. The completion of at least four AP courses (one math, one science, two others) is required for graduation from the Discovery program.[1]
—=== State championships ===