The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Elementary School
Garfield Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Cedar Rapids serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates within the Cedar Rapids Community School District, a large urban system that has been undergoing notable changes: the district has opened three new elementary schools since 2022 through a facilities master plan, closed or consolidated older buildings, and redrawn attendance boundaries. It also faces budget reductions tied to declining enrollment and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation. For families considering Garfield, these district-level shifts matter because they affect building conditions, class sizes, and the resources available at the school over time.
The school’s student body is relatively small for its grade band and is marked by a high degree of economic diversity: a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially, the enrollment is mixed, with the largest groups being white students and Black students, followed by students who identify as two or more races and Hispanic students. This mix gives the school a peer environment that reflects the broader demographics of Cedar Rapids, a mid-sized city that serves as Eastern Iowa’s economic hub and is home to major employers in aerospace, trucking, insurance, and grain processing. Housing in the area, based on recent data, shows home values that are somewhat below statewide averages, and rents that have been rising quickly. The area’s unemployment rate has been steady near the national figure. For a family looking at this neighborhood, the housing market is relatively accessible compared to many metropolitan areas, though rent increases are a real pressure point.
On academic performance, state assessment results for the most recent year show that in math about half of students met proficiency standards, in English language arts just under half did, and in science the share was lower. When placed against other schools in Linn County, Garfield’s overall proficiency across tested subjects falls in the bottom quartile. This is a meaningful soft spot. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place, especially given the high proportion of students who come from low-income households and the fact that the district has recently made program adjustments and staff cuts. There is no publicly available data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios for this school, so those are gaps a parent would need to investigate directly.
Because Garfield serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or secondary-level program data to report. The school offers no special magnet or charter designation, and while Title I status was not provided in the data, the high rate of economic need suggests it likely receives federal support. No information on special education or English learner populations was available in the source materials, another area a prospective parent would want to ask about.
The broader Cedar Rapids context adds texture: the city is divided by the Cedar River, downtown has cultural institutions like museums and theaters, and the economy is anchored by manufacturing and food processing. The district’s new elementary schools are located in other parts of town, so Garfield’s facility may be an older building—something the district’s consolidation plan has been addressing across the system.
In sum, Garfield Elementary is a diverse, high-needs school in a district managing both demographic decline and investment in new facilities. Its proficiency rates are below the county midpoint, a concern that families should explore directly. The neighborhood offers relatively moderate home prices and a city with a stable industrial economy, though rising rents and district budget pressures are real considerations. For a family that values a small, mixed-income elementary setting and is prepared to partner closely with the school on academic support, it may be a fit, but the academic numbers warrant a close look.
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