The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Middle School
Garfield Middle School serves grades six through eight in the small, rural agricultural town of Garfield, Washington, situated in the Palouse Hills amid wheat fields. It is a regular public school with a very small student body, and its peer set is other districts within Whitman County, where its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the group.
State assessment results are available for only a portion of the school’s grades. For sixth grade, the proficiency rate in English language arts was higher than in math, with roughly half of students meeting the bar in ELA and about a third in math. Results for seventh and eighth grade in both subjects were suppressed by the state, as were the eighth-grade science scores, a common practice when the number of students tested is very small. A multi-year look is thin; the only year with reported data is the current one, so no trend line exists yet. Across all grades with reported results, the combined math proficiency was notably lower than the combined reading proficiency. This pattern is something a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand how the middle school math program aligns with student needs.
The enrollment is small, with students spread across all three middle grades. The student body is predominantly white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the area’s economic base in agriculture and small businesses. Data on special education and English learner populations were not available, so a parent with a child in these programs should ask the school directly about available support.
The school is part of the Garfield School District, which operates under the Garfield-Palouse Co-op structure. Garfield has its own elementary school and middle school, while the high school is located in the neighboring town of Palouse. This means that Garfield Middle School students will transition to a high school in a different community, a fact for parents to consider as they plan the full academic path. The district’s financial context, including any recent levies or bonds, was not available from the data provided, so a resident seeking that information would need to check with the district office or the county elections office.
The town itself is compact and quiet, with a downtown of local businesses, a library, and a town hall. The population has been declining over the long term. The estimated typical home value in the area is below the statewide benchmark, and the local housing market has seen a modest recent dip. For a family moving into the area, Garfield offers a slow-paced rural setting with a known school-to-school transition at the high school level. The academic picture is partial because of the school’s small size and resulting data suppression, but the available numbers show a gap between reading and math proficiency that a parent would want to understand before enrolling.
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