The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math. The lowest is 37% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Elementary School
Garfield Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through grade ten in the South Side neighborhood of Cleveland. The school enrolls a small number of students across a wide grade span, with meaningful representation across Cleveland's racial and ethnic groups: a substantial share identify as Black or Hispanic, with sizable populations of white and multiracial students as well as smaller numbers of Asian and other students. The school is located in the 44111 zip code on Cleveland's South and West Side.
On state testing in math, language arts, and science, Garfield's results sit below the midpoint of performance among Cuyahoga County school districts. In the most recent tested grades (third through eighth), roughly three out of every five students did not reach proficiency in math and language arts, and fewer than four in ten reached proficiency in science. Participation rates on state tests are very high, suggesting students sat for the assessments. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades ranks it below the midpoint within its county comparison set. Since only one year of recent state data is available, trend information is not accessible.
The school includes elementary grades and extends into middle and early high school grades, an unusual configuration. The combination of very young students and adolescents in one building is atypical and may shape school culture, operations and the peer environment in ways that differ from traditional grade spans. Garfield has only a single tenth-grade student, so the secondary grades are primarily sixth through eighth. No high school course offerings, AP access, or career pathways data were found, likely because the school does not function as a full high school.
Data on teacher staffing, class size, discipline, attendance, chronic absenteeism, free or reduced lunch eligibility, students with IEPs, English learner enrollment, and school-level per-pupil spending were not available. These gaps leave questions about the resources and support systems available to students. A parent may want to reach out to the school directly to learn about these operational details.
Garfield Elementary sits within Cleveland Municipal School District, which has undergone significant structural change. In November 2024, voters approved Issue 49, a major levy that will increase property tax obligations for homeowners in the district. In December 2025, the district board unanimously approved "Building Brighter Futures," a consolidation plan that will reduce the district from 88 to 59 schools by the 2026-27 school year, closing buildings and merging schools across the system. This plan will reassign a substantial number of students and reshape the district's elementary and high school footprint. Whether Garfield is among the affected schools or will continue operating is not clear from available information; checking directly with the district on the consolidation plan is important.
For the 2024-25 school year, the district became cellphone-free for students and rolled out PowerSchool, an online grade book giving parents real-time access to grades. These changes have affected instruction and parent communication across all district schools.
The housing market in the 44111 zip code where Garfield is located reflects broader Cuyahoga County trends. Home values are modest relative to the national benchmark, and rents have moved upward. The county housing market shows moderate supply and demand. Publicly reported data on Cleveland's neighborhoods notes that growth is concentrated in the urban core—Downtown, University Circle, Ohio City and Tremont—while outer neighborhoods like parts of the South and West Side experience less investment. The broader city has seen small population gains recently after decades of loss, though Cuyahoga County overall remains below its peak population.
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