The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in Math. The lowest is 63% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Buford Garner Elementary
Buford Garner Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in North Liberty, a fast-growing suburb of Iowa City. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is the primary school system for the area. This narrative draws on test results from the 2024-25 school year, enrollment and demographic data, housing market figures, and publicly reported information about the community and district.
The student body numbers in the mid-hundreds, making this a school of moderate size for an elementary building. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students who identify as Black, Hispanic, or of two or more races, and a small Asian population and a very small Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander population. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic diversity within the school. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available; a family seeking that detail would want to ask the school directly.
On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), Buford Garner’s proficiency rates fell below the midpoint when compared with other Johnson County districts. In math, a strong majority of students scored at or above the proficient level. In English language arts, roughly two-thirds of students reached proficiency, a solid showing that still leaves room for improvement. Science results, which reflect only one tested grade level within the building, showed a similar pattern, with roughly three-fifths of students meeting the proficient mark. Looking across the three subjects, the school lands in the bottom quartile among county districts on an overall proficiency index. That is a clear signal: while a majority of students are meeting the standard in each subject, the school as a whole is performing below the peer median. A parent may want to investigate how the school supports students who are not yet at proficiency and whether there are targeted interventions.
The school is a regular public elementary, not a charter or magnet. There is no Title I status reported, which often means the school does not receive federal funds on that basis, though the eligibility criteria can vary. The district launched a permanent K-12 online learning program in 2021, a publicly reported change that gives families a full-time virtual option if they want an alternative to in-person attendance at their assigned building.
North Liberty is a young, family-oriented community that has been one of Iowa’s fastest-growing cities. Its population has been rising steadily, driven by its location on the interstate corridor between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. New schools have been built in the past decade, and a major University of Iowa Health Care facility is under construction, which will add a large employer and likely more residential growth. The housing market reflects that demand: home values in the local zip code are above the state average and rising modestly, and rents have also been climbing. The built environment is suburban, with schools and civic buildings spread across separate campuses rather than a walkable downtown core. The community center and library at a single site function as a gathering hub, and there are extensive trails, parks, and stocked ponds for recreation.
For a family considering Buford Garner, the picture is one of a solid but not top-performing elementary in a district that offers some flexible options, set in a rapidly growing suburb where housing costs are higher than the state norm and demand shows no sign of slowing. The school serves a diverse student body in economic terms and has a clear majority meeting state learning benchmarks, though it trails the county average. The lack of data on special education and English learner populations is a gap a prospective parent would want to fill with a direct conversation at the school.
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