Garfield El, Del Rio TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Garfield El

Garfield Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Del Rio and draws a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial economic need. The enrollment is small to moderate for an elementary school, distributed across all six grade levels with larger cohorts in the lower grades. Roughly nine out of every ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of concentrated poverty in the school's attendance zone.

On state testing, Garfield's results place it well below the median among the two districts in Val Verde County. In English language arts, students in grades three through five show proficiency rates in the low range, with fifth grade performing somewhat better than the lower grades. Math proficiency is similarly low across third, fourth, and fifth grades, hovering in the low range. Science results are notably weak, with only a handful of fifth graders reaching proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index falls into the bottom quartile relative to its county peers. A parent should understand that academic proficiency at this school is limited and may want to inquire directly with leadership about the specific literacy and numeracy interventions in place, what support structures exist for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards, and what the school's strategic priorities are for improvement.

The district as a whole has invested in specialized academic pathways that families can access. Garfield itself is a regular public elementary school without a specialized focus, but the district offers Elementary STEM Academy programs with hands-on, integrated learning models at other elementary buildings, as well as New Tech project-based academies at the middle school level. These options exist for families seeking an alternative instructional approach. The district recently renewed its District of Innovation status, which allows for calendar flexibility and some hiring flexibility for hard-to-fill teaching roles, including in arts and music as of a recent amendment.

Looking ahead, the district called a bond measure in November to fund facility improvements, including a new elementary STEM magnet school, expansions to middle school facilities, and a freshman center. The district stated the bond would not raise the property tax rate for debt service. The outcome of that vote was not available in public sources at the time data was gathered.

Del Rio is a small city on the Texas-Mexico border. Housing values are below the Texas state average, and rental affordability is more favorable than mortgage affordability, with rents representing about a quarter of household income. The area carries economic pressures common to border regions, and the school's enrollment reflects the community's economic circumstances.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 36% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 41% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 41% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 45% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 53% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Science

Grade 51%

School 1% · District 15% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolSAN FELIPE-DEL RIO CISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income50%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income44%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income56%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income10%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income38%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income47%21 pp gap