The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 24% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Elementary School
Garfield Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade in the city of Yakima, Washington, as part of the Yakima School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The student body is large for an elementary school, and the demographics are sharply defined: the overwhelming majority of students identify as Hispanic, and a very high share qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a widely used indicator of household economic need. For families considering this school, the peer environment is one in which most children come from low-income households and the cultural background is predominantly Latino.
State assessment results are available for math, English language arts, and science. Across the tested grades, the share of students meeting proficiency standards fell below the midpoint among districts in Yakima County. In math, proficiency rates were lower at each successive grade level, with the fifth-grade rate particularly soft. In English language arts, the pattern was mixed: third grade showed the lowest proficiency, while fifth grade was the highest of the three tested grades. Fifth-grade science proficiency was roughly comparable to the math result for that grade. These are single-year data, so there is no trend to evaluate. A parent may want to ask the school about specific supports for foundational math skills and early literacy, given the pattern in the results.
The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available for this analysis.
Yakima itself is the county seat and the commercial and civic hub of a rich agricultural region known for apple, wine, and hop production. The city has seen modest population growth in recent years, and the greater area includes unincorporated suburban pockets. Housing in the school’s immediate zip code is well below the state median home value, and rents have been rising. For a family considering a move to this attendance zone, the housing market is more accessible than in many parts of Washington.
The Yakima School District has received recent recognition: its school board was named the 2024 Large District School Board of the Year in Washington state. The district has expanded dual-language programs to nearly every elementary school and developed college-access pathways that allow high school students to graduate with an associate’s degree without leaving campus. For an elementary school like Garfield, the dual-language offering is a notable programmatic feature that could appeal to families who want bilingual education from the start, though the data in this profile did not confirm whether Garfield itself offers such a program. The district brief highlights it as a system-wide initiative, so it is worth checking directly with the school.
Garfield Elementary is a neighborhood school in a midsized city with a strong agricultural economy, serving a predominantly Hispanic and high-poverty student population. Academic proficiency on state tests is below average for the county, and the school is at the early end of the educational pipeline, with no transition metrics like graduation rates to assess. Families who value a dual-language environment and are comfortable with a school where most students qualify for meal assistance will find a school that reflects the broader Yakima community. Those concerned about academic performance may want to explore what intervention programs and enrichment opportunities are available at the school.
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