L. B. Nelson Elementary

Summary:

L. B. Nelson Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 567 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Richland 02 school district.

While L. B. Nelson Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (68.25%) compared to nearby schools like Catawba Trail Elementary and Summit Parkway Middle, its test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the district and state averages, particularly in the 4th and 5th grade levels. However, the school's 3rd-grade test scores are closer to or above the district and state averages. L. B. Nelson Elementary's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 199 to 350 out of 625-644 South Carolina elementary schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has also varied between 2 and 3 stars out of 5.

Interestingly, while L. B. Nelson Elementary's African American students have consistently outperformed the school's overall performance, the school's performance for female, male, and low socioeconomic status students has been lower, ranking in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools. Additionally, the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at L. B. Nelson Elementary, ranging from 59.37% to 76.01%, may be contributing to the school's overall lower academic performance, as research has shown a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and educational outcomes.


Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

 225 North Brickyard Road
       Columbia, SC  29223


(803) 736-8730

District: Richland 02

SchoolDigger Rank:
339th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,205 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  13.0 Help
Number of students:  567

Racial breakdown:

African American:
68.3%
White:
11.5%
Hispanic:
9.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  76% Help


 See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details L. B. Nelson Elementary ranks worse than 53.1% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 16th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.71. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (68.3%), White (11.5%), Hispanic (9.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 76% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at L. B. Nelson Elementary is 13, which is the 9th best among 22 elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare L. B. Nelson Elementary employs 43.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at L. B. Nelson Elementary is $13,205. 12 elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

L. B. Nelson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks L. B. Nelson Elementary 339th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See L. B. Nelson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Richland 02:

SchoolDigger ranks Richland 02 33rd of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for L. B. Nelson Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at L. B. Nelson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 81.45 85th 542 84.3%
2004 79.16 92nd 550 83.3%
2005 76.93 102nd 557 81.7%
2006 65.50 194th 559 65.3%
2007 53.97 279th 566 50.7%
2008 67.60 180th 577 68.8%
2009 58.25 251st 580 56.7%
2010 60.63 236th 589 59.9%
2011 55.19 287th 597 51.9%
2012 46.07 361st 594 39.2%
2013 43.39 368th 599 38.6%
2014 49.74 352nd 630 44.1%
2015 61.55 209th 638 67.2%
2016 52.26 294th 619 52.5%
2017 46.17 341st 639 46.6%
2018 53.40 280th 624 55.1%
2019 49.96 320th 643 50.2%
2021 50.72 300th 622 51.8%
2022 67.05 199th 625 68.2%
2023 44.62 350th 644 45.7%
2024 47.71 339th 638 46.9%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at L. B. Nelson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.29 362nd 588 38.4%
2019 48.76 324th 600 46.0%
2021 51.43 271st 580 53.3%
2022 74.90 121st 600 79.8%
2023 37.46 399th 608 34.4%
2024 53.58 274th 599 54.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at L. B. Nelson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.45 230th 570 59.6%
2019 59.19 238th 588 59.5%
2021 51.20 257th 554 53.6%
2022 61.29 212th 573 63.0%
2023 43.09 330th 580 43.1%
2024 47.45 301st 565 46.7%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at L. B. Nelson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.71 324th 571 43.3%
2019 39.56 372nd 590 36.9%
2021 43.11 320th 561 43.0%
2022 66.63 188th 579 67.5%
2023 44.04 322nd 582 44.7%
2024 44.25 316th 568 44.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at L. B. Nelson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.50 67th 412 83.7%
2019 72.92 81st 421 80.8%
2021 81.02 30th 350 91.4%
2022 93.08 16th 393 95.9%
2023 77.25 55th 394 86.0%
2024 72.12 68th 369 81.6%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at L. B. Nelson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.08 60th 457 86.9%
2019 55.38 222nd 472 53.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

L. B. Nelson Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for L. B. Nelson Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 607 191 18 13 0 n/a n/a 0 829
1989 620 192 25 13 0 n/a n/a 0 850
1990 616 207 27 5 0 n/a n/a 0 855
1991 599 223 19 14 0 n/a n/a 0 855
1992 598 223 18 15 1 n/a n/a 0 855
1993 538 236 13 8 1 n/a n/a 0 796
1994 453 209 19 9 0 n/a n/a 0 690
1995 469 191 17 11 0 n/a n/a 0 688
1996 469 191 17 11 0 n/a n/a 0 688
1997 441 193 13 7 0 n/a n/a 0 654
1998 421 211 15 7 0 n/a n/a 0 654
1999 399 217 18 10 0 n/a n/a 0 644
2000 354 247 25 13 0 n/a n/a 0 639
2001 346 278 15 20 0 n/a n/a 0 659
2002 274 346 15 20 0 n/a n/a 0 655
2003 274 346 15 20 0 n/a n/a 0 655
2004 242 357 13 15 0 n/a n/a 1 628
2005 217 381 12 16 0 n/a n/a 1 627
2006 217 348 13 14 0 n/a n/a 3 595
2007 180 318 16 10 0 n/a n/a 0 524
2008 152 395 18 10 0 n/a n/a 3 578
2009 147 395 17 11 0 n/a n/a 3 573
2010 128 372 16 16 3 n/a n/a 5 540
2011 119 350 11 18 3 3 20 0 524
2012 122 389 10 29 0 6 20 0 576
2013 136 377 15 20 0 5 21 0 574
2014 132 358 11 19 0 2 19 0 541
2015 112 397 8 25 0 1 35 0 578
2016 112 395 11 25 0 1 35 0 579
2017 122 396 14 27 0 0 31 0 590
2018 104 385 14 44 0 1 40 0 588
2019 105 400 13 44 0 1 51 0 614
2020 90 424 15 42 2 1 41 0 615
2021 82 372 13 45 1 1 42 0 556
2022 70 353 18 50 1 1 46 0 539
2023 65 387 13 53 1 0 48 0 567

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at L. B. Nelson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 829 44.7 18.5 n/a
1989 850 47.7 17.8 n/a
1990 855 47.2 18.1 n/a
1991 855 46.7 18.3 11.3
1992 855 48.6 17.5 14.2
1993 796 49.5 16.1 13.9
1994 690 41.6 16.6 14.3
1995 688 44.0 15.6 15
1996 688 44.0 15.6 15
1997 654 43.0 15.2 13.6
1998 654 43.0 15.2 15.3
1999 644 44.0 14.6 23
2000 639 43.0 14.9 23
2001 659 44.0 15.0 28.8
2002 655 46.0 14.2 33
2003 655 46.0 14.2 33
2004 628 46.5 13.5 38.1
2005 627 47.8 13.1 41.5
2006 595 46.3 12.9 42.2
2007 524 53.0 9.9 39.1
2008 578 42.0 13.8 45.9
2009 573 42.0 13.6 50.2
2010 540 42.2 12.8 48.4
2011 524 36.0 14.5 47.5
2012 576 37.8 15.2 52.1
2013 574 40.2 14.2 58
2014 541 42.2 12.8 53.6
2015 578 39.0 14.8 47.9
2016 579 42.0 13.7 53.2
2017 590 40.7 14.4 54.4
2018 588 43.7 13.4 51.7
2019 614 43.0 14.2 55.2
2020 615 43.0 14.3 58.5
2021 556 43.0 12.9 63.5
2022 539 43.0 12.5 59.4
2023 567 43.5 13.0 76

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio L. B. Nelson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 829 44.7 18.5 n/a
1989 850 47.7 17.8 n/a
1990 855 47.2 18.1 n/a
1991 855 46.7 18.3 11.3
1992 855 48.6 17.5 14.2
1993 796 49.5 16.1 13.9
1994 690 41.6 16.6 14.3
1995 688 44.0 15.6 15
1996 688 44.0 15.6 15
1997 654 43.0 15.2 13.6
1998 654 43.0 15.2 15.3
1999 644 44.0 14.6 23
2000 639 43.0 14.9 23
2001 659 44.0 15.0 28.8
2002 655 46.0 14.2 33
2003 655 46.0 14.2 33
2004 628 46.5 13.5 38.1
2005 627 47.8 13.1 41.5
2006 595 46.3 12.9 42.2
2007 524 53.0 9.9 39.1
2008 578 42.0 13.8 45.9
2009 573 42.0 13.6 50.2
2010 540 42.2 12.8 48.4
2011 524 36.0 14.5 47.5
2012 576 37.8 15.2 52.1
2013 574 40.2 14.2 58
2014 541 42.2 12.8 53.6
2015 578 39.0 14.8 47.9
2016 579 42.0 13.7 53.2
2017 590 40.7 14.4 54.4
2018 588 43.7 13.4 51.7
2019 614 43.0 14.2 55.2
2020 615 43.0 14.3 58.5
2021 556 43.0 12.9 63.5
2022 539 43.0 12.5 59.4
2023 567 43.5 13.0 76

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for L. B. Nelson Elementary

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $749 (6.4%) $433 (3.7%) $1,182 (10.1%) $9,344 (79.5%) $1,234 (10.5%) $10,579 (90.0%) $11,760
2020 $637 (6.0%) $394 (3.7%) $1,031 (9.6%) $8,371 (78.4%) $1,282 (12.0%) $9,653 (90.4%) $10,684
2021 $529 (4.7%) $291 (2.6%) $820 (7.3%) $9,134 (81.3%) $1,283 (11.4%) $10,417 (92.7%) $11,237
2022 $904 (7.6%) $423 (3.6%) $1,327 (11.2%) $9,322 (78.6%) $1,210 (10.2%) $10,531 (88.8%) $11,858
2023 $908 (6.9%) $827 (6.3%) $1,735 (13.1%) $10,138 (76.8%) $1,331 (10.1%) $11,470 (86.9%) $13,205

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on L. B. Nelson Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 320th of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 350th of 644 Elementary schools
 4.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (L. B. Nelson Elementary)47.944.6
 3.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)51.152.3
 1.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (L. B. Nelson Elementary)66.743.6
 23.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)6252.1
 9.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (L. B. Nelson Elementary)45.236.9
 8.3%
   4th Grade Science (Richland 02)51.146.9
 4.2%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (L. B. Nelson Elementary)47.956.5
 8.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)53.760
 6.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (L. B. Nelson Elementary)45.735.9
 9.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)53.348.9
 4.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (L. B. Nelson Elementary)37.154.8
 17.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)44.358.8
 14.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4155.2
 14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (L. B. Nelson Elementary)41.348.4
 7.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)51.145.4
 5.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)45.444.6
 0.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students614567
 7.7%
African American400387
 3.3%
American Indian01
Asian1313
Hispanic4453
 20.5%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White10565
 38.1%
Two or More Races5148
 5.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.2%76%
 20.8%


Schools Near L. B. Nelson Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about L. B. Nelson Elementary

In the 2022-23 school year, 567 students attended L. B. Nelson Elementary.

Students at L. B. Nelson Elementary are 68% African American, 11% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

L. B. Nelson Elementary ranks 339th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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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.





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