The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Social studies. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Elementary School
Garfield Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Lorain, a mid-sized Lake Erie industrial city with a strong working-class and multi-ethnic character shaped by its steel and manufacturing heritage. The school sits in a neighborhood where recent city investment in pedestrian infrastructure—funded through Safe Routes to School grants—has improved sidewalk safety around Garfield and other elementary schools, reflecting a broader effort to make walking safer for students.
The school's current enrollment is small, with a total body of roughly mid-range size for an elementary school. The student population is economically diverse: roughly even shares of Hispanic and Black students, with smaller populations of White students and students identifying as two or more races. Free-and-reduced-price lunch status data was not available, so a parent may want to contact the school or district directly to understand the economic makeup and what support services are available.
State testing results for grades three through five reveal serious academic challenges. On the most recent state assessment, proficiency in math reached a low proportion of students. In English language arts, results were similarly weak. Science proficiency was somewhat higher but still below the threshold most would call strong. When compared to other districts across Lorain County, Garfield's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, meaning performance here is notably lower than most neighboring districts in the region. A parent considering this school would want to have a direct conversation with the principal and teachers about the school's instructional approach, any targeted literacy or numeracy interventions in place, and what the path forward looks like given these results.
The broader context matters. Lorain City Schools exited state academic distress oversight in 2023 after a decade under a state Academic Distress Commission. In May 2026, voters narrowly passed an operating levy—the district's first successful new levy in more than a decade—after a shortfall had forced significant staff cuts, including teachers. The passage has enabled the district to restore elementary school counselors, preschool levels, and supplemental programming. This signals both past strain and current stability moving forward, though it also underscores that the district has faced real resource constraints.
The city itself is in the early stages of major waterfront redevelopment, with mixed-use development projects underway on former industrial sites along the Black River and Lake Erie. Black River Landing, a civic anchor opened in the 2010s, hosts festivals, concerts, and trails. The downtown is walkable in pockets around Broadway Avenue, though most of the city is auto-oriented. Housing values in the local zip code are moderate, and mortgage affordability is above national benchmarks, making the area accessible to working-class families.
Garfield Elementary's size and grade band position it as a neighborhood school serving the younger grades. For families considering Garfield, the most important conversation would be with the school leadership about how instruction is being tailored to address the gap between current proficiency levels and grade-level standards, what evidence-based interventions are in place, and what parent engagement and communication look like. The levy passage and return to local control suggest the district is stabilizing, but the proficiency data makes clear that academic gains will take time and focused effort.
See more original research from School Decision →