Enrollment
471
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, SC
Nursery Road Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nursery Road Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450282001277
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nursery Road Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of South Carolina schools.
- #7 of 43
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.2:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Nursery Road Elementary has class sizes smaller than 95% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nursery Road Elementary ranks #7 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Lexington 05 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450282001277 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nursery Road Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nursery Road Elementary
Nursery Road Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 471 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Nursery Road Elementary is leaner than roughly 95% of South Carolina schools and 36% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 471 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 371 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (34%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 471 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Sc Connections Academy (6,152 students): Nursery Road Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.2:1 vs 27.8:1).
Lexington 05 also operates Dutch Fork High (1,703 students) and Chapin High (1,617 students) alongside Nursery Road Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Nursery Road Elementary compares
Nursery Road Elementary on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 36% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 471 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
471
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 5% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,775
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 471 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 41.6%
White 34.0%
Two or More 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Asian 3.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 41.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Nursery Road Elementary is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lexington 05, which includes Nursery Road Elementary.
$14,775
Per student
+1%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 50.2%
Federal 9.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Nursery Road Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Fork High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chapin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Irmo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Hill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chapin Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nursery Road Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,703
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,617
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,118
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sc Connections Academy
Standard public school
6,152 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Brennen Elementary
Standard public school
805 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Rice Creek Elementary
Standard public school
718 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Caughman Road Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Killian Elementary
Standard public school
699 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Sandlapper Elementary
Standard public school
671 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~471 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nursery Road Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nursery Road Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lexington 05's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Nursery Road Elementary
How many students attend Nursery Road Elementary?
Nursery Road Elementary has 471 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nursery Road Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nursery Road Elementary is 9.2:1, which is 36% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 41% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nursery Road Elementary?
100.0% of students at Nursery Road Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nursery Road Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nursery Road Elementary is African American at 41.6% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nursery Road Elementary?
Nursery Road Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Nursery Road Elementary rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Nursery Road Elementary ranks #7 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Nursery Road Elementary a good school?
Nursery Road Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of South Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lexington 05?
Besides Nursery Road Elementary, Lexington 05 also operates Dutch Fork High (1,703 students), Chapin High (1,617 students), and Irmo High (1,272 students). See the Lexington 05 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.