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Watkins-Nance Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

629^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Watkins-Nance Elementary in Columbia, SC, serves 499 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Richland 01 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has faced significant academic challenges over the past decade, consistently ranking in the bottom 5-7% of elementary schools statewide and earning zero stars in its state rating for five consecutive years. For parents, this means the school is working against substantial odds, but there are some encouraging signs worth noting.

The most striking finding is the dramatic achievement gap between Watkins-Nance and nearby schools within the same district. While Watkins-Nance ranks in the 5th percentile statewide, Satchel Ford Elementary (2.56 miles away) ranks in the 90th percentile, and Brockman Elementary (2.38 miles away) ranks in the 97th percentile. In 5th-grade math, only 22.7% of Watkins-Nance students are proficient compared to 81.9% at Satchel Ford and 76.6% at Brockman. Even in English Language Arts, where the school performs relatively better, the gap remains wide—45.3% proficiency in 4th grade versus 83.6% at Satchel Ford and 90.9% at Brockman. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, with 40.4% of students missing significant school time, nearly double the district average and far higher than the 9.5% at Satchel Ford.

Despite these challenges, there are positive developments. English Language Arts proficiency has improved across all grade levels from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026, with 4th-grade ELA jumping from 17.7% to 45.3%. The school also spends more per student ($19,750) than higher-performing Satchel Ford ($16,843), though this investment hasn't yet translated into comparable outcomes. Math remains the most severe challenge, with proficiency declining from 29.2% in 3rd grade to 22.7% in 5th grade. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that while Watkins-Nance faces significant hurdles, particularly in math and attendance, the recent progress in literacy offers a foundation for potential improvement.

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 — 6th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (33% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg50%

South Carolina avg58%

629^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 27Elementary Schools in the Richland 01

55^th 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
2026	10.1	629 of 661	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.3	607 of 639	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	622 of 643	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
2026	27.4	313 of 384	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.7	319 of 380	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	308 of 369	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	13.4	549 of 599	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.7	558 of 580	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.3	553 of 568	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	13.1	596 of 634	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	574 of 612	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.2	577 of 602	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
2026	7.8	572 of 591	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.0	546 of 585	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.8	547 of 571	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 (2026)18th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)8th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)6th percentile~ school

Male (2026)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%-22 vs state

Mathematics26%-27 vs state

Science25%-26 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

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	100.0%	8 (1.6%)	432 (86.6%)	20 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.4%)	10.1	629^th of 661 public elementary schools	4.8%		9.3	607^th of 639 public elementary schools	5.0%	22	39.3	45.3	43.9	29.2	27.0	22.7	25.4	$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	100.0%	32 (7.7%)	302 (72.4%)	62 (14.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.3%)	25.8	490^th of 661 public elementary schools	25.9%		28.4	461^st of 639 public elementary schools	27.9%	29	51.7	68.4	44.6	41.4	33.4	23.0	42.1	$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	100.0%	1 (0.4%)	227 (89.0%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	14.7	591^st of 661 public elementary schools	10.6%		6.1	627^th of 639 public elementary schools	1.9%	36	36.6	54.2	42.8	20.0	41.2	23.5	29.4	$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	100.0%	20 (5.1%)	274 (69.9%)	66 (16.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	22 (5.6%)	34.7	430^th of 661 public elementary schools	34.9%		39.8	380^th of 639 public elementary schools	40.5%	50	44.8	62.3	53.7	41.4	54.7	35.2	47.2	$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	100.0%	9 (2.8%)	280 (88.3%)	12 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	15.7	580^th of 661 public elementary schools	12.3%		9.3	608^th of 639 public elementary schools	4.9%	28	56.0	46.2	36.0	52.0	23.0	16.0	15.4	$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	100.0%	2 (0.9%)	126 (58.3%)	73 (33.8%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)	17.1	565^th of 661 public elementary schools	14.5%		21.3	520^th of 639 public elementary schools	18.6%	45	37.8	47.3	52.9	40.5	27.7	32.3	30.6	$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	100.0%	71 (30.0%)	142 (59.9%)	8 (3.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	54.5	282^nd of 661 public elementary schools	57.3%		41.3	363^rd of 639 public elementary schools	43.2%	81	61.8	71.4	64.0	50.0	53.6	40.0	64.2	$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	100.0%	14 (4.0%)	298 (86.1%)	11 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (5.8%)	15.4	585^th of 661 public elementary schools	11.5%		17.3	544^th of 639 public elementary schools	14.9%	41	48.1	48.7	43.1	44.3	25.6	20.4	28.2	$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	100.0%	207 (69.7%)	34 (11.4%)	21 (7.1%)	15 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.7%)	96.3	16^th of 661 public elementary schools	97.6%		86.5	73^rd of 639 public elementary schools	88.6%	57	91.9	90.9	100.0	80.6	84.9	76.6	94.0	$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	100.0%	499 (69.2%)	151 (20.9%)	34 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	88.5	63^rd of 661 public elementary schools	90.5%		88.2	61^st of 639 public elementary schools	90.5%	2	75.8	83.6	87.9	70.3	72.4	81.9	74.6	$16,843	$2,148	$1,176	$3,325	$11,759	$1,759	$13,518

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins-Nance Elementary

How many students attend Watkins-Nance Elementary?

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

Is Watkins-Nance Elementary a good school?

Watkins-Nance Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.8% of South Carolina elementary schools.

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.

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

Rate Watkins-Nance Elementary!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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.