L. B. Nelson Elementary

L. B. Nelson Elementary is one of the average-sized primary schools in Columbia, South Carolina, overseen by Richland 02, with 541 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 32 schools in Richland 02 (28,841 students total), L. B. Nelson Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, L. B. Nelson Elementary shows that the largest single group is Black, at 70% of enrollment. Other groups include 10% White, 10% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 2% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 47% Black, putting the school's mix considerably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 44 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.2:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.3:1 average.

Around the school, Richland County reports that median household earnings sit near $63,784, 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 12%. L. B. Nelson Elementary is one of 104 public schools in Richland County (combined enrollment of about 60,410 students).

Spring Valley High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.9 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around L. B. Nelson Elementary.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at L. B. Nelson Elementary has ticked down 8%, going from 588 students in 2018 to 541 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 18% to 10%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 13.5:1 in 2018 to 12.2:1 today.

Inside the community feed, members of the L. B. Nelson Elementary community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.