Enrollment
499
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, SC
Watkins-Nance Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Watkins-Nance Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450336000638
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watkins-Nance Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #43 of 43
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Watkins-Nance Elementary has class sizes larger than 96% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watkins-Nance Elementary ranks #43 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Richland 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450336000638 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watkins-Nance Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watkins-Nance Elementary
Watkins-Nance Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 499 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20:1 is larger than about 96% of South Carolina schools and 40% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 499 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 382 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #367, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 499 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Richland 01 spends $18,122 per pupil, 24% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Sc Connections Academy (6,152 students): Watkins-Nance Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20:1 vs 27.8:1).
Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students) and Lower Richland High (1,218 students) alongside Watkins-Nance 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 Watkins-Nance Elementary compares
Watkins-Nance 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 | 20:1 | ▲ 40% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 499 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
499
Bigger than 62% 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
20:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 96% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,122
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 499 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.0 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 86.6%
Two or More 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
White 1.6%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.3, Watkins-Nance Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 01, which includes Watkins-Nance Elementary.
$18,122
Per student
+24%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.1%
State 28.3%
Federal 13.6%
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 Watkins-Nance Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lower Richland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dreher High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Crayton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brennen Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watkins-Nance Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,328
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~499 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watkins-Nance Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Watkins-Nance Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 01'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 Watkins-Nance Elementary
How many students attend Watkins-Nance Elementary?
Watkins-Nance Elementary has 499 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watkins-Nance Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Watkins-Nance Elementary is 20:1, which is 40% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watkins-Nance Elementary?
100.0% of students at Watkins-Nance Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watkins-Nance Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Watkins-Nance Elementary is African American at 86.6% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watkins-Nance Elementary?
Watkins-Nance Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Watkins-Nance Elementary rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Watkins-Nance Elementary ranks #43 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 Watkins-Nance Elementary a good school?
Watkins-Nance Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Richland 01?
Besides Watkins-Nance Elementary, Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students), Lower Richland High (1,218 students), and Dreher High (1,144 students). See the Richland 01 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.