The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Social studies. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Elementary School
Garfield Elementary School is a prekindergarten through eighth-grade public school in Toledo's East Side neighborhood. It serves a small enrollment across ten grades, with a student body that is roughly evenly divided among Black, white, and multiracial students, with a meaningful Hispanic population as well.
The school faces significant academic headwinds. State test results show proficiency in reading and language arts at a low level, with math proficiency notably lower. Science performance is also modest. On the overall proficiency index used to compare schools within Lucas County districts, Garfield ranks in the bottom quartile. These results indicate that most students are not meeting grade-level standards in core subjects, and a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how reading intervention and math support are structured, what additional help is available, and what the school's trajectory looks like.
Garfield sits in an area where housing is very affordable by national standards. The school's zip code shows median home values significantly below both state and national benchmarks, with median rents also well below comparable figures elsewhere. This affordability reflects the broader economic character of the Toledo market and this particular neighborhood.
The wider Toledo City School District is in significant transition. In April 2026, the board approved a major restructuring plan called Transformation Plan 25 to address a substantial budget deficit. The plan closes and repurposes multiple elementary schools, transitions some K-8 schools to K-6 configuration, converts Bowsher High School into an Arts and Science Academy, and shifts Start High School toward early career-technical education. School start times and transportation are also changing. For families considering a move into the district, these changes will reshape which building their child attends, the grade structure, and the daily schedule. This is a district in the middle of substantial operational change, which creates both uncertainty and potential opportunity depending on how the transition unfolds.
Toledo itself is in an active revitalization phase, especially downtown and near the riverfront. The Glass City Riverwalk has become a major social and recreational anchor. Housing conversions and mixed-use development are transforming the downtown and warehouse districts. The city's economy rests on healthcare, manufacturing, education, and emerging electric vehicle battery production. Major employers include ProMedica, Mercy Health, the University of Toledo, Owens Corning, and FCA USA. In November 2024, voters approved a new property tax levy for the schools, the district's first new operating money in over a decade, signaling community investment in the system, though that levy also represents a meaningful annual cost to homeowners.
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