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Watkins-Nance Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

608^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Watkins-Nance Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 435 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Richland 01 school district, which is ranked 52 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watkins-Nance Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of South Carolina elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the percentage of students proficient or better in ELA ranged from 30.6% to 41%, compared to 55.6% to 63.5% for the district and 61.8% to 62.5% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 11.1% to 39.5% in 2024-2025, compared to 36.5% to 46.7% for the district and 48.1% to 56.3% for the state. Additionally, the school's performance on the SCPASS science assessment for 4th grade is significantly below the district and state averages.

The school's challenges are compounded by high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 22.5% to 34% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. While the school spends between $15,413 and $18,858 per student, which is higher than the district average, and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, these resources have not translated into significantly better academic outcomes. Comparing Watkins-Nance Elementary to nearby schools, such as Satchel Ford Elementary, which consistently ranks in the top 10-15% of South Carolina elementary schools, highlights the disparities in educational opportunities within the same district.

499

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,750

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2525 Barhamville Road
Columbia, SC 29204

(803) 733-4321

District: Richland 01

Students who attend Watkins-Nance Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	W. A. Perry Middle
High:	C. A. Johnson High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.6%

Two or more races:

7.4%

Hispanic:

4.0%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Watkins-Nance Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 4th percentile in 2014 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (30% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg48%

South Carolina avg56%

608^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

25^th of 27Elementary Schools in the Richland 01

52^nd of 75Richland 01 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.3	608 of 640	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	617 of 638	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	628 of 644	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.2	581 of 625	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	508 of 643	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	502 of 624	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.5	561 of 639	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	6.4	602 of 619	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	13.7	601 of 638	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	8.5	606 of 630	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	19.9	524 of 599	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.3	514 of 594	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	21.4	522 of 597	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	27.1	484 of 589	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.0	480 of 580	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.4	507 of 577	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	19.2	500 of 566	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	32.0	427 of 559	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	8.5	538 of 557	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	7.6	536 of 550	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	10.6	510 of 542	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.7	320 of 381	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	310 of 369	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	357 of 394	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.0	293 of 393	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.6	162 of 421	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.8	194 of 412	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	8.7	559 of 581	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.3	550 of 565	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.0	572 of 580	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	526 of 573	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	477 of 588	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	494 of 570	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	12.6	575 of 613	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	574 of 599	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.6	595 of 608	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	542 of 600	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	31.0	441 of 600	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.3	437 of 588	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	10.0	547 of 586	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.8	544 of 568	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	554 of 582	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.7	541 of 579	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.4	472 of 590	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	476 of 571	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2025)16th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)6th percentile~ school

Female (2025)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-27 vs state

Mathematics26%-27 vs state

Science21%-28 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, October 19, 2023

I am so pleased with my son’s experience in preschool at Watkins Nance Elementary. His PreK teacher is very nurturing and has helped him get the extra services needed for him to succeed. Mr. Jefferson, the new principal, is also an asset to the school. It has been a great year! Close Quote

Schools Near Watkins-Nance Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)			SC READY Mathematics (2025)			SC READY Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Watkins-Nance Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2525 Barhamville Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 733-4321	499	30	16.6		8 (1.6%)	432 (86.6%)	20 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.4%)	9.3	608^th of 640 public elementary schools	5.0%		7.9	617^th of 638 public elementary schools	3.3%	9	36.6	41.0	30.6	39.5	25.8	11.1	21.2	$19,750	$3,013	$1,958	$4,972	$12,406	$2,372	$14,778
Carver-Lyon Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2100 Waverly Street	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 343-2900	417	47	8.8		32 (7.7%)	302 (72.4%)	62 (14.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.3%)	28.4	462^nd of 640 public elementary schools	27.8%		32.8	428^th of 638 public elementary schools	32.9%	34	61.4	55.5	49.0	43.9	38.3	27.2	28.3	$29,568	$2,186	$1,377	$3,563	$22,536	$3,469	$26,005
Burton Pack Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Garden Drive	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 691-5550	255	26	9.8		1 (0.4%)	227 (89.0%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	6.1	628^th of 640 public elementary schools	1.9%		4.4	634^th of 638 public elementary schools	0.6%	6	38.4	28.9	38.9	20.6	18.4	19.5	18.4	$21,148	$2,039	$1,747	$3,786	$14,686	$2,677	$17,363
Bradley Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3032 Pinebelt Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 738-7200	392	33	11.8		20 (5.1%)	274 (69.9%)	66 (16.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	22 (5.6%)	39.8	381^st of 640 public elementary schools	40.5%		44.1	358^th of 638 public elementary schools	43.9%	23	48.9	53.9	60.3	46.8	50.0	46.6	36.6	$22,878	$3,074	$1,695	$4,769	$15,499	$2,611	$18,110
Hyatt Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4200 Main Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3421	317	27	11.7		9 (2.8%)	280 (88.3%)	12 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	9.3	609^th of 640 public elementary schools	4.8%		6.3	624^th of 638 public elementary schools	2.2%	15	33.4	40.6	45.9	27.1	25.1	21.6	18.8	$29,885	$5,348	$1,789	$7,137	$19,560	$3,189	$22,749
Arden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Ashley Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3400	216	19	11.3		2 (0.9%)	126 (58.3%)	73 (33.8%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)	21.3	521^st of 640 public elementary schools	18.6%		18.4	539^th of 638 public elementary schools	15.5%	18	45.0	41.9	47.0	47.5	38.7	23.5	32.3	$24,750	$2,750	$1,452	$4,202	$17,462	$3,087	$20,548
Logan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	815 Elmwood Avenue	Columbia	29201	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2915	237	22	10.7		71 (30.0%)	142 (59.9%)	8 (3.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	41.3	364^th of 640 public elementary schools	43.1%		57.3	270^th of 638 public elementary schools	57.7%	94	70.3	48.2	62.0	51.8	31.0	48.2	34.4	$29,701	$2,725	$1,346	$4,070	$22,102	$3,528	$25,630
J. P. Thomas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Weston Avenue	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3430	346	28	12.3		14 (4.0%)	298 (86.1%)	11 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (5.8%)	17.3	545^th of 640 public elementary schools	14.8%		20.9	515^th of 638 public elementary schools	19.3%	30	45.0	32.6	54.7	44.3	18.3	29.6	14.2	$24,815	$3,835	$1,532	$5,366	$16,819	$2,629	$19,448
Brockman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2245 Montclair Drive	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 790-6743	297	21	14.1		207 (69.7%)	34 (11.4%)	21 (7.1%)	15 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.7%)	86.5	73^rd of 640 public elementary schools	88.6%		92.5	35^th of 638 public elementary schools	94.5%	38	90.7		82.9	56.3	82.4	60.0	97.1	$29,849	$2,239	$1,349	$3,589	$23,305	$2,955	$26,260
Satchel Ford Elementary	Public	K-5	5901 Satchel Ford Road	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7209	721	48	15.1		499 (69.2%)	151 (20.9%)	34 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	88.2	61^st of 640 public elementary schools	90.5%		89.9	54^th of 638 public elementary schools	91.5%	7	75.9	88.5	73.2	70.6	85.1	63.0	83.5	$16,843	$2,148	$1,176	$3,325	$11,759	$1,759	$13,518

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins-Nance Elementary

Is Watkins-Nance Elementary a good school?

Watkins-Nance Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.0% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Watkins-Nance Elementary attend?

Students who attend Watkins-Nance Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : W. A. Perry Middle
High : C. A. Johnson High

What district is Watkins-Nance Elementary in?

Richland 01

What is the racial makeup of Watkins-Nance Elementary?

Students at Watkins-Nance Elementary are 87% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% White.

How many students attend Watkins-Nance Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 499 students attended Watkins-Nance Elementary.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.