The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Math. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Scholars Academy
Garfield Scholars Academy is a new tuition-free public charter school in Garfield, Arkansas, that opened in 2024 to serve elementary grades. Its arrival created a public school option inside a small rural town that had just lost its only traditional public school, Garfield Elementary, which closed the same year due to enrollment and financial pressures. For families in Garfield who had been routed to schools in Rogers or Pea Ridge, this charter offers a neighborhood-based alternative.
The school is small, and its student body is still forming. Enrollment and demographic data, including counts of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners, were not available for this profile. A parent looking into the school will want to ask directly about the composition of the student body and the resources in place to support diverse learning needs.
Academic results from the school's first year are on record. Arkansas administers the ATLAS assessment, and Garfield Scholars Academy's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed below the midpoint among districts in Benton County. The school's overall proficiency index was well below the county median. In third-grade math and English language arts, about one in five students scored proficient or above. Third-grade science was similar. Fourth-grade results were stronger, with half of tested students reaching proficiency in both math and English language arts, and two in five in science. Fifth-grade results were suppressed from public reporting, a common practice when the tested group is very small and could identify individual students. The school received an F letter grade from the state in its first year, with growth measures in English and math both falling in the "Not Meeting Standard" range. A family considering this school should ask the administration what specific academic interventions or curricular adjustments are being put in place to address these early results.
Because it serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no information on high school course access, AP, or dual credit. Those are not applicable here.
The surrounding town of Garfield is a low-density rural community along US Highway 62, with a highway-oriented layout, a handful of small businesses tied to tourism at nearby Beaver Lake, and civic life centered on City Hall, a community center, and Hamilton Park. There is no traditional downtown, no public library in town, and no large employers within the town limits. The town has seen significant population growth as part of the broader Northwest Arkansas boom, though the closure of the former elementary school in 2024 suggests some demographic shift in the school-age population.
Housing values in Garfield's zip code sit above both the state and national medians, reflecting the broader pressure of the growing region. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate was modestly elevated at the time of this profile, and the national unemployment rate was low, typical of the post-pandemic labor market.
What is absent matters here. There is no information on the school's staffing, class sizes, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism. There is no detail on programs, enrichment, or support services beyond what the state testing data implies. For a school this new, a parent will need to rely on direct conversations with the leadership and a visit to the building to understand the day-to-day experience. The early academic signals are weak, and the school's first-year state grade is a red flag, but the school also represents the only public elementary option within Garfield itself, and a charter structure gives it some flexibility to adapt. A family weighing this choice will want to understand how the school plans to raise achievement and what its capacity is to serve students who need additional support.
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