The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Elementary - 19
Garfield Elementary sits on South Roberts Drive in Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota and a place whose economy has shifted over decades from industrial roots toward health care, finance, and retail. The school is part of Sioux Falls School District, the largest district in the state, which has been adding capacity to keep up with sustained enrollment growth. The district recently opened Susan B. Anthony Elementary, and continued expansion decisions are reshaping boundaries and assignments across the city. Garfield serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and draws a highly diverse student body. White students make up roughly a third of enrollment, with Black and Hispanic students each representing about a fifth, and American Indian students accounting for a notable share as well. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places Garfield among the schools serving a predominantly lower-income community. The school enrolls enough students across its grade bands to feel like a full-sized elementary, with fairly even distribution from kindergarten through fifth grade alongside a pre-kindergarten cohort.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show proficiency levels that fall well below state averages across all tested subjects. In math, roughly one in six tested students reached proficiency. English language arts was slightly higher, with about a fifth of students proficient. Science results were lower still, with fewer than one in six meeting the benchmark. Full participation was reported across all three subjects, so these results reflect nearly the entire tested population rather than a subset. Average scale scores were not available. A parent weighing these results may want to ask the school directly about its improvement plans, instructional focus areas, and how it supports students working below grade level. The data does not include multi-year trend information, so it is not possible to say from the available records whether proficiency is moving in a particular direction.
Several categories of information that parents often look for were not available in the data provided. Individualized education program rates and English learner rates were not reported. Title I status was not listed. Discipline data, staffing figures, attendance patterns, and course access details were absent as well. The school is not a charter school and no magnet designation was reported.
Garfield sits in a zip code where typical home values run below both the South Dakota statewide benchmark and the national figure. Rents in the area are modest relative to income, and renting costs less per month than carrying a mortgage at current rates, which may be relevant for families deciding between buying and leasing. The broader Sioux Falls housing market has seen values rise modestly year over year, and rents have increased at a faster clip recently. The city itself is largely car-dependent outside the downtown core, though Sioux Area Metro operates bus service six days a week. Falls Park, the Big Sioux River, and a long paved trail loop serve as civic anchors, and the Washington Pavilion downtown offers performing arts, visual arts, and a science center. Major employers in the city include Sanford Health, Avera Health, the school district itself, Smithfield Foods, and financial companies such as Wells Fargo and Citigroup, the latter drawn partly by the absence of a state corporate income tax.
No neighbor comparison fact-set was provided for this school, so it was not possible to position Garfield against other elementary schools in the county or district from the available data. The school's academic results, demographic profile, and housing context together paint a picture of a large, diverse elementary school in a growing, economically mixed city, serving a community where many families face financial constraints and where proficiency rates leave clear room for improvement.
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