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L. B. Nelson Elementary

Q: Is L. B. Nelson Elementary a good school?

L. B. Nelson Elementary ranks 321 st of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

321^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

L. B. Nelson Elementary is a public magnet elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 553 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Richland 02 school district.

Academically, L. B. Nelson Elementary has consistently ranked in the middle range of South Carolina elementary schools, with performance on state assessments generally below the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Compared to nearby schools like Catawba Trail Elementary and E. L. Wright Middle, L. B. Nelson's academic performance is lower, but higher than L. W. Conder Elementary and Windsor Elementary. The school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 65.1% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

L. B. Nelson Elementary has also experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.1% to 24.7% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school spends more per student ($14,983 in 2023-2024) compared to the district average, but the student-teacher ratio is lower than some nearby schools, indicating a potential need for additional resources. By addressing these challenges and leveraging the school's strengths, the school and district can work towards improving educational outcomes and providing a more equitable learning environment for all students.

541

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,825

Per pupil spending ?

65.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

225 North Brickyard Road
Columbia, SC 29223

(803) 736-8730

District: Richland 02

Racial breakdown:

African American:

70.2%

White:

10.4%

Hispanic:

10.2%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare L. B. Nelson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 67th percentile in 2015 → 50th in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg56%

321^st of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Richland 02

37^th of 75Richland 02 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	47.9	321 of 640	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.7	339 of 638	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.6	350 of 644	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.0	199 of 625	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.7	300 of 622	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.0	320 of 643	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.4	280 of 624	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.2	341 of 639	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	52.3	294 of 619	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	61.5	209 of 638	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.7	352 of 630	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.4	368 of 599	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.1	361 of 594	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	55.2	287 of 597	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.6	236 of 589	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.3	251 of 580	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.6	180 of 577	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.0	279 of 566	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.5	194 of 559	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	76.9	102 of 557	81.7%	★★★★☆
2004	79.2	92 of 550	83.3%	★★★★☆
2003	81.5	85 of 542	84.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	79.7	47 of 381	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	68 of 369	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.2	55 of 394	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	93.1	16 of 393	95.9%	★★★★★
2021	81.0	30 of 350	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	72.9	81 of 421	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	74.5	67 of 412	83.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	290 of 581	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.4	301 of 565	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.1	330 of 580	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.3	212 of 573	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.2	257 of 554	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	238 of 588	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.4	230 of 570	59.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	55.6	257 of 613	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	274 of 599	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.5	399 of 608	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	74.9	121 of 600	79.8%	★★★★☆
2021	51.4	271 of 580	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.8	324 of 600	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	362 of 588	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	332 of 586	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	316 of 568	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.0	322 of 582	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.6	188 of 579	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.1	320 of 561	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.6	372 of 590	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.7	324 of 571	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	55.4	222 of 472	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	84.1	60 of 457	86.9%	★★★★☆

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)88th percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)58th percentile+8 vs school

White (2019)53rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)50th percentile~ school

Male (2025)43rd percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts58%-5 vs state

Mathematics50%-3 vs state

Science49%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near L. B. Nelson 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)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
L. B. Nelson Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	225 North Brickyard Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8730	541	44	12.2		56 (10.4%)	380 (70.2%)	55 (10.2%)	11 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.0%)	47.9	321^st of 640 public elementary schools	49.8%		47.7	339^th of 638 public elementary schools	46.9%	18	51.8	64.4	58.1				50.6	54.0	45.3				48.6			$15,825	$1,669	$976	$2,645	$10,966	$2,213	$13,179
Windsor Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	9800 Dunbarton Drive	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8723	579	52	11.2		27 (4.7%)	358 (61.8%)	168 (29.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.5%)	11.2	593^rd of 640 public elementary schools	7.3%		16.2	545^th of 638 public elementary schools	14.6%	48	37.0	37.4	32.5				38.0	30.3	26.3				23.3			$16,902	$1,736	$1,079	$2,815	$11,627	$2,460	$14,086
North Springs Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1300 Clemson Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-3183	659	53	12.4		52 (7.9%)	486 (73.7%)	64 (9.7%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	37.3	396^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.1%		48.1	334^th of 638 public elementary schools	47.6%	62	56.7	47.4	45.7				64.5	47.4	43.0				35.7			$16,072	$1,643	$1,136	$2,780	$11,109	$2,183	$13,292
Summit Parkway Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	200 Summit Parkway	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-3580	1,229	84	14.5		193 (15.7%)	731 (59.5%)	163 (13.3%)	40 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	96 (7.8%)	31.9	436^th of 640 public elementary schools	31.9%		51.1	302^nd of 638 public elementary schools	52.7%	134				45.0	47.0	46.3				31.3	22.5	23.9		35.2	100.0	$12,925	$888	$320	$1,208	$9,472	$2,245	$11,717
Killian Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2621 Clemson Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 699-2981	699	60	11.5		21 (3.0%)	569 (81.4%)	54 (7.7%)	11 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.0%)	35.4	414^th of 640 public elementary schools	35.3%		29.2	452^nd of 638 public elementary schools	29.2%	38	43.7	60.2	47.0				45.5	56.2	35.0				43.9			$16,409	$2,523	$948	$3,470	$10,547	$2,392	$12,939
E. L. Wright Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	2740 Alpine Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8740	1,275	87	14.5		201 (15.8%)	735 (57.6%)	202 (15.8%)	71 (5.6%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (4.8%)	36.2	405^th of 640 public elementary schools	36.7%		56.5	275^th of 638 public elementary schools	56.9%	130				45.5	48.6	41.1				31.0	27.2	24.5		41.3	97.6	$13,243	$801	$448	$1,249	$9,658	$2,336	$11,994
Polo Road Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1250 Polo Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 419-2226	665	50	13.2		39 (5.9%)	345 (51.9%)	217 (32.6%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (7.2%)	21.1	524^th of 640 public elementary schools	18.1%		19.9	524^th of 638 public elementary schools	17.9%		47.8	49.5	41.0				41.1	34.0	33.0				32.0			$15,464	$1,280	$1,131	$2,411	$11,315	$1,738	$13,053
Rice Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4751 Hard Scrabble Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2900	718	55	13.1		38 (5.3%)	538 (74.9%)	57 (7.9%)	18 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.1%)	49.2	312^th of 640 public elementary schools	51.3%		50.6	310^th of 638 public elementary schools	51.4%	2	45.8	65.7	67.6				40.7	66.6	42.6				51.0			$13,843	$1,518	$632	$2,150	$9,812	$1,881	$11,693
Jackson Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7150 Trenholm Road Extension	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 790-3800	551	50	10.9		4 (0.7%)	426 (77.3%)	79 (14.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.5%)	11.3	589^th of 640 public elementary schools	8.0%		24.9	483^rd of 638 public elementary schools	24.3%	106	40.9	36.7	25.6				34.1	25.4	30.6				26.8			$15,730	$1,991	$706	$2,697	$10,820	$2,213	$13,033
Pontiac Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	500 Spears Creek Church Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2700	880	64	13.7		143 (16.3%)	503 (57.2%)	129 (14.7%)	32 (3.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (8.0%)	46.9	327^th of 640 public elementary schools	48.9%		47.8	337^th of 638 public elementary schools	47.2%	10	58.6	52.3	60.2				57.9	46.2	49.6				43.8			$14,012	$1,267	$526	$1,793	$10,233	$1,985	$12,219

Frequently Asked Questions about L. B. Nelson Elementary

Is L. B. Nelson Elementary a good school?

L. B. Nelson Elementary ranks 321^st of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is L. B. Nelson Elementary in?

Richland 02

What is the racial makeup of L. B. Nelson Elementary?

Students at L. B. Nelson Elementary are 70% African American, 10% White, 10% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend L. B. Nelson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 541 students attended L. B. Nelson Elementary.

Rate L. B. Nelson 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.