Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Public Preschool 3 at Headstart
Garfield Public Preschool 3 at Headstart is a standalone preschool serving only pre-kindergarten in the Garfield Public School District. It is a regular public school, with the name itself indicating a partnership with the federal Head Start program, which provides comprehensive early childhood education and family support for low-income families. The school is located on Midland Avenue in Garfield, a densely populated, mixed-use city in Bergen County situated at the junction of the Passaic and Saddle Rivers.
The preschool enrolls a relatively small number of students, all in the pre-kindergarten year. A substantial share of students come from families with low incomes, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a sizeable White minority and smaller populations of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Because this school serves only pre-kindergarten, state testing data does not apply; the state does not administer standardized assessments at this grade level. There is no graduation rate, as the school does not serve high school grades, and chronic absenteeism data is also not reported for this early childhood setting.
Parents considering this preschool should look to the district for broader context. The Garfield Public School District includes elementary schools that feed into middle and high school. One of its elementary schools, Washington Irving School #4, was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2023, a mark of sustained academic quality that may signal the district's overall commitment to education, though this preschool itself does not have comparable measures.
The city of Garfield is characterized by its high-density residential and commercial fabric, with a mix of single-family homes, two-family homes, and small apartment buildings. Its population is relatively young compared to Bergen County as a whole, and the city has a working-class heritage that includes the recent closure of its single largest employer, a paper plant. The housing market in Garfield, like much of Bergen County, is expensive, with home values and rents that have risen over the past year. The city is served by NJ Transit bus routes and is within a short commute of New York City. A significant environmental cleanup related to a historical industrial spill is underway, funded by the EPA. The community has a range of civic amenities including a public library, recreation center, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and several places of worship.
For families evaluating this preschool, the key characteristics are its Head Start affiliation, its small size, the economic disadvantage of many of its students, and its location in a dense, diverse, and transit-connected city. The school offers an early childhood foundation that prioritizes school readiness and family support, though no academic outcome data is available to judge its performance against other programs. A parent may want to visit the school and inquire directly about the curriculum, staff qualifications, and daily schedule, as these details are not captured in the available data.
See more original research from School Decision →