Colonel Nichols Elementary School is located on an 11-acre plot of land in Northeast Bakersfield, near Bakersfield Community College. The school is named for Colonel Howard Nichols, a Colonel in the armed forces during World War II. Colonel Nichols was a local contractor following the war. He built many of the homes in the Nichols School area. He donated the land for the school to Bakersfield City School District. The school opened in September 1961. Colonel Nichols often attended performances by Nichols School children.