Lawrence/Nelson began co-oping sports in 1999.  After co-oping in sports for one year, the two schools became a unified school district in 2000 with the elementary being located in Lawrence, and the high school being located in Nelson.  The school has approximately 100 students in the elementary and 100 students in the junior-senior high school.  The student-to-staff ratio is 10:1, providing a great deal of one-on-one instruction.  The district also provides an on-site all-day preschool that serves both verified and private pay pre-school children with transportation and meals/snacks provided.

Lawrence/Nelson is a part of the South Central Nebraska Unified School District #5 with Sandy Creek Elementary and Junior-Senior High School, serving the communities of Clay Center, Deweese, Edgar, Fairfield, and Glenvil.  In 2013, the district provided every student in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade with a technology device.  Those in grades kindergarten through second grade were provided with their own iPad while those in third through twelfth grades were given a MacBook Air.  Students in grades 7 - 12 are able to take the laptops home on a daily basis by paying a user fee of $30.L