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North Springs Elementary

Q: Is North Springs Elementary a good school?

North Springs Elementary ranks 391 st of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

391^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

North Springs Elementary in Columbia, SC, is a mid-sized PK-5 school within the Richland 02 district, serving 659 students in a suburban area near Clemson Road. The school currently holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the middle tier of South Carolina elementary schools, though its performance has declined from a peak in 2017-2018.

One of the school's standout strengths is its exceptional work with African American students, where it ranks in the 81st percentile statewide—a remarkable achievement given the school's overall 40th percentile ranking. The school also shines in English Language Arts, with proficiency rates close to state averages across grades 3-5, and maintains impressively low chronic absenteeism at 12.3%, far better than the district (18.3%) and state (22.3%) averages. Families will also appreciate the favorable 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio and above-average per-student spending of $16,072, which exceeds nearby Pontiac Elementary and Rice Creek Elementary.

However, there are areas of concern. Mathematics proficiency drops dramatically as students advance, falling from 55.3% in 3rd grade to just 35.4% in 5th grade—a 20-point decline that far exceeds district and state trends. There's also a persistent gender gap, with female students outperforming males by 16 percentage points. Compared to nearby schools, North Springs sits in the middle of the pack, ranking above Killian Elementary and Sandlapper Elementary but below Catawba Trail Elementary and Bookman Road Elementary. Year-to-year test scores show notable volatility, suggesting performance may vary with each cohort of students.

659

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,072

Per pupil spending ?

62.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 Clemson Road
Columbia, SC 29229

(803) 736-3183

District: Richland 02

Racial breakdown:

African American:

73.7%

Hispanic:

9.7%

White:

7.9%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare North Springs Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (51% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg58%

391^st of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Richland 02

36^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
2026	40.7	391 of 649	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.3	396 of 640	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	334 of 638	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.6	280 of 644	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.9	250 of 625	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.6	329 of 622	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.5	299 of 643	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.3	202 of 624	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.9	308 of 639	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.7	274 of 619	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	66.3	159 of 638	75.1%	★★★★☆
2014	73.1	150 of 630	76.2%	★★★★☆
2013	60.5	251 of 599	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.5	172 of 594	71.0%	★★★★☆
2011	71.9	152 of 597	74.5%	★★★★☆
2010	67.8	177 of 589	69.9%	★★★★☆
2009	73.7	136 of 580	76.6%	★★★★☆
2008	64.2	209 of 577	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	68.7	165 of 566	70.8%	★★★★☆
2006	75.8	111 of 559	80.1%	★★★★☆
2005	77.6	98 of 557	82.4%	★★★★☆
2004	81.0	78 of 550	85.8%	★★★★☆
2003	85.2	48 of 542	91.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.3	71 of 379	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	59.7	134 of 381	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.6	70 of 369	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	49 of 394	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.2	31 of 393	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	78.5	36 of 350	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	80.8	49 of 421	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	90.9	19 of 412	95.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	301 of 589	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	357 of 581	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.8	261 of 565	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.2	235 of 580	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.1	232 of 573	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.1	322 of 554	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	297 of 588	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.3	184 of 570	67.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	29.3	95 of 109	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	307 of 624	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.7	379 of 613	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.6	282 of 599	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.0	198 of 608	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	203 of 600	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.3	313 of 580	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.2	265 of 600	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.7	146 of 588	75.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.2	388 of 583	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.5	389 of 586	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	343 of 568	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.2	292 of 582	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.9	264 of 579	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.5	303 of 561	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	289 of 590	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	205 of 571	64.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	81.6	64 of 472	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	60.3	186 of 457	59.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2019)86th percentile+33 vs school

African American (2026)81st percentile+42 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)51st percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)49th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)33rd percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2022)13th percentile-47 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts61%-4 vs state

Science45%-6 vs state

Mathematics43%-10 vs state

3.3

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, June 4, 2017

Teachers are amazing. Very involved Principal . Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, October 13, 2016

I used to go to this school, BEST and WORST memories of my entire life and to be perfectly honest I don't particularly care for this school at all. Their idea of "order" is basically forcing children to conform to their idea of normal and structural rules, which are just completely ludicrous and bogus. Walk on the silver line? Cricket Wave? And what about the music they play to force us to be quiet at lunch (WHICH IS ONE OF OUR ONLY 2 or 3 SOCIAL TIMES throughout the day) with that weird oddly stripper sounding music. Don't even get me started on walking laps during recess. One teacher made me walk my entire 20 minute recess, during winter, without a jacket, and just for forgetting to get my agenda signed? Like are you kidding me? The teachers are lazy and 99.999 of them are fat and should stop bombarding kids with nutrition facts when they can't take their own advice. Hypocrite much? After Mrs. Barth left this school went WAY down hill, not only did she take numerous of the best teachers in the state with her but she also took what little bit of hope this school had as well. But Word of advice for you parents, if your children are accelerated and very smart, i.e Honors, Junior Scholar like I was then I will say that Quest is a great opportunity to go at a fast paced learning curriculum with people at your speed if not faster. But this is only for MATH and SCIENCE and in every other class while your kid is finishing super quickly and getting bored and beginning to get in trouble and being written up for "interrupting" and "fidgeting" those same very very very slow and dumb children will be getting praised for "taking their time" when in reality they're wasting it. Don't let your child's record be smudged just because they're fast and diligent workers, I WOULD KNOW. But I no longer go to this school, so I'm not sure how things are these days (hopefully better, probably not) but I'm an AP Honors Student at Blythewood High currently and just had to inform / warn some of you guys about this school I spent 6 regrettable years at. Sending a Cricket Wave to all the future Ivy League kids i'll see in a few years!! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, July 7, 2011

My son loves attending North Springs school. The teachers have always been nice and supportive. He is going into third grade and has been there since K. I am hoping the new principal continues making this school a great place for the kids!! Close Quote

Schools Near North Springs 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	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 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	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
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%)	40.7	391^st of 649 public elementary schools	39.8%		37.3	396^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.1%	5	59.6	63.4	59.1				55.3	39.8	35.4				45.1		$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%)	49.3	317^th of 649 public elementary schools	51.2%		31.9	436^th of 640 public elementary schools	31.9%	119	69.8	90.0	86.5	50.4	51.3	47.0	58.1	72.5	81.1	35.8	21.8	32.7	62.5	40.4	$12,925	$888	$320	$1,208	$9,472	$2,245	$11,717
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%)	38.9	400^th of 649 public elementary schools	38.4%		49.2	312^th of 640 public elementary schools	51.3%	88	56.5	59.3	61.4				46.3	47.8	33.6				46.9		$13,843	$1,518	$632	$2,150	$9,812	$1,881	$11,693
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%)	50.4	311^th of 649 public elementary schools	52.1%		47.9	321^st of 640 public elementary schools	49.8%	10	53.1	62.5	60.3				56.3	55.7	38.4				60.2		$15,825	$1,669	$976	$2,645	$10,966	$2,213	$13,179
Bridge Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	121 Bombing Range Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 462-3900	564	47	12.1		63 (11.2%)	374 (66.3%)	77 (13.7%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.4%)	42	379^th of 649 public elementary schools	41.6%		43.6	352^nd of 640 public elementary schools	45.0%	27	50.0	68.4	58.7				53.4	48.7	44.4				39.5		$15,344	$1,391	$802	$2,192	$11,303	$1,848	$13,151
Bookman Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 Bookman Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-1724	535	43	12.3		101 (18.9%)	314 (58.7%)	72 (13.5%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.9%)	57.8	258^th of 649 public elementary schools	60.2%		59.2	261^st of 640 public elementary schools	59.2%	3	74.6	71.9	55.1				69.8	48.8	35.0				60.9		$19,019	$1,905	$765	$2,670	$13,672	$2,677	$16,349
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%)	31.9	439^th of 649 public elementary schools	32.4%		35.4	414^th of 640 public elementary schools	35.3%	25	52.3	57.6	56.6				43.9	44.4	30.1				44.3		$16,409	$2,523	$948	$3,470	$10,547	$2,392	$12,939
Catawba Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1080 Old National Highway	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-3501	636	50	12.7		108 (17.0%)	297 (46.7%)	177 (27.8%)	13 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.2%)	69.2	195^th of 649 public elementary schools	70.0%		74.3	165^th of 640 public elementary schools	74.2%	30	66.1	69.0	71.9				65.6	58.6	59.4				60.8		$14,516	$1,812	$821	$2,634	$10,009	$1,874	$11,883
Sandlapper Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Longtown Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-4045	671	51	13.2		45 (6.7%)	517 (77.0%)	52 (7.7%)	21 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (5.2%)	35.7	420^th of 649 public elementary schools	35.3%		44.7	343^rd of 640 public elementary schools	46.4%	77	53.9	53.5	57.5				47.3	46.6	39.7				44.5		$15,405	$1,485	$1,222	$2,707	$10,657	$2,041	$12,698
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus	Public	PK, KG-2	1151 Kelly Mill Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 714-1300	531	39	13.5		145 (27.3%)	248 (46.7%)	68 (12.8%)	12 (2.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.5%)								(n/a)															$17,870	$1,999	$958	$2,957	$12,263	$2,650	$14,913

Frequently Asked Questions about North Springs Elementary

What is the racial makeup of North Springs Elementary?

Students at North Springs Elementary are 74% African American, 10% Hispanic, 8% White, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% Not Specified.

What district is North Springs Elementary in?

Richland 02

How many students attend North Springs Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 659 students attended North Springs Elementary.

Is North Springs Elementary a good school?

North Springs Elementary ranks 391^st of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate North Springs Elementary!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresNewAug 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.