Is Garfield Elementary a good school?

Garfield Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.8% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Garfield Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 499 students attended Garfield Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Garfield Elementary?

Students at Garfield Elementary are 98% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Garfield Elementary attend?

Students who attend Garfield Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Bell Gardens Intermediate High : Bell Gardens High

Garfield Elementary

Summary:

Garfield Elementary is a public elementary school located in Bell Gardens, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 499 students. It is part of the Montebello Unified School District, which is ranked 1105 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Garfield Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of California elementary schools, with a ranking between 4,400-5,000 out of around 5,800 schools. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is significantly below the Montebello Unified and California state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 24.9% of Garfield Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 35.72% for Montebello Unified and 47.04% for California. Garfield Elementary also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 0.9% in 2020-2021 to 38.8% in 2021-2022, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

The nearby Suva Elementary and Cesar E. Chavez Elementary schools also perform below the district and state averages, but generally outperform Garfield Elementary. This suggests that Garfield Elementary may face unique challenges compared to other schools in the district. Additionally, Garfield Elementary's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as English Language Learners and students with disabilities, indicating the school may need to focus on addressing the specific needs of these groups to improve overall academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

7425 South Garfield Ave.
Bell Gardens, CA 90201-4815

(562) 927-1915

District: Montebello Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4817^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,577

Students who attend Garfield Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bell Gardens Intermediate
High:	Bell Gardens High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 499

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.8%

Two or more races:

1.0%

African American:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Garfield Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Garfield Elementary ranks worse than 82.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 12^th among 17 ranked elementary schools in the Montebello Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.35. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (97.8%), two or more races (1%), African American (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Garfield Elementary is 16.8, which is the 4^th best among 17 elementary schools in the Montebello Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Garfield Elementary employs 29.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Garfield Elementary is $6,577. 13 elementary schools in the Montebello Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Garfield Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Garfield Elementary 4817^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Garfield Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Montebello Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Montebello Unified 1105^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Garfield Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	18.32	4092^nd	4809	14.9%
2005	17.90	4113^th	4822	14.7%
2006	25.51	3626^th	4818	24.7%
2007	21.91	4137^th	5113	19.1%
2008	19.13	4392^nd	5113	14.1%
2009	28.46	3813^th	5193	26.6%
2010	36.17	3420^th	5314	35.6%
2011	19.41	4724^th	5377	12.1%
2012	23.82	4394^th	5390	18.5%
2013	21.40	4632^nd	5530	16.2%
2015	19.01	4728^th	5611	15.7%
2016	14.52	5081^st	5614	9.5%
2017	18.18	4849^th	5692	14.8%
2018	21.72	4536^th	5662	19.9%
2019	18.46	4953^rd	5789	14.4%
2021	15.35	1286^th	1417	9.2%
2022	24.21	4426^th	5883	24.8%
2023	21.81	4681^st	5874	20.3%
2024	20.35	4817^th	5862	17.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.98	1162^nd	3246	64.2%
2019	54.65	1011^th	3275	69.1%
2021	34.04	415^th	602	31.1%
2022	48.26	1299^th	3311	60.8%
2023	48.54	1269^th	3250	61.0%
2024	44.31	1528^th	3160	51.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.60	1533^rd	2420	36.7%
2024	31.34	1744^th	2634	33.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.42	3736^th	5084	26.5%
2019	26.69	4114^th	5173	20.5%
2021	25.49	907^th	1110	18.3%
2022	34.54	3468^th	5264	34.1%
2023	32.00	3735^th	5374	30.5%
2024	23.80	4474^th	5511	18.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.52	4653^rd	5413	14.0%
2019	17.13	4859^th	5492	11.5%
2021	15.15	1177^th	1267	7.1%
2022	27.09	4014^th	5635	28.8%
2023	22.96	4434^th	5617	21.1%
2024	20.83	4627^th	5605	17.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.52	1557^th	2128	26.8%
2019	29.27	1844^th	2585	28.7%
2021	22.19	254^th	293	13.3%
2022	32.70	1363^rd	2227	38.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.92	3949^th	5431	27.3%
2019	21.21	4549^th	5510	17.4%
2021	17.04	1105^th	1272	13.1%
2022	22.94	4439^th	5663	21.6%
2023	21.70	4563^rd	5650	19.2%
2024	20.79	4630^th	5636	17.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.12	3479^th	4830	28.0%
2019	26.90	3907^th	4963	21.3%
2022	35.15	3277^th	5084	35.5%
2023	31.94	3554^th	5098	30.3%
2024	28.29	3845^th	5102	24.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Garfield Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	70	4	21	757	1	n/a	n/a	0	853
1989	45	2	4	816	1	n/a	n/a	0	868
1990	55	3	5	850	1	n/a	n/a	0	914
1991	43	2	6	880	1	n/a	n/a	0	932
1992	40	2	5	844	3	n/a	n/a	0	894
1993	36	4	9	880	0	n/a	n/a	0	929
1994	28	4	9	902	0	n/a	n/a	0	943
1995	57	5	8	881	0	n/a	n/a	0	951
1996	57	5	8	881	0	n/a	n/a	0	951
1997	28	0	6	893	0	n/a	n/a	0	927
1998	21	2	8	956	0	n/a	n/a	0	987
1999	28	1	5	947	0	n/a	n/a	0	981
2000	21	6	5	977	0	n/a	n/a	0	1009
2001	19	0	5	968	0	n/a	n/a	0	992
2002	12	0	5	944	0	n/a	n/a	0	961
2003	12	0	5	944	0	n/a	n/a	0	961
2004	8	0	6	911	0	n/a	n/a	0	925
2005	7	0	6	854	0	n/a	n/a	0	867
2006	7	0	4	808	0	n/a	n/a	0	819
2007	4	0	1	744	0	n/a	n/a	2	751
2008	6	n/a	2	723	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	731
2009	5	0	3	685	0	3	1	0	697
2010	17	0	3	627	42	1	0	0	690
2011	15	1	5	754	35	1	0	0	811
2012	12	1	2	785	26	1	0	0	827
2013	13	1	2	803	22	1	0	0	842
2014	6	1	2	777	14	1	0	0	801
2015	3	1	1	739	11	0	0	0	755
2016	1	2	2	749	2	0	1	0	757
2017	1	2	2	760	1	0	2	0	768
2018	2	3	1	713	3	0	4	0	726
2019	3	1	1	655	2	0	5	0	667
2020	3	0	0	599	0	0	3	0	605
2021	4	1	1	539	1	0	5	0	551
2022	1	1	1	490	1	0	8	0	502
2023	2	1	1	488	1	0	6	0	499
2024	1	4	1	488	0	0	5	0	499

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Garfield Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	853	32.0	26.6	n/a
1989	868	29.0	29.9	n/a
1990	914	33.0	27.6	n/a
1991	932	35.0	26.6	n/a
1992	894	35.6	25.1	62.2
1993	929	31.0	30.0	82.2
1994	943	33.0	28.6	86.3
1995	951	34.0	28.0	90.4
1996	951	34.0	28.0	90.4
1997	927	35.0	26.5	92.1
1998	987	36.0	27.4	94.9
1999	981	38.0	25.8	94.9
2000	1009	38.0	26.6	91
2001	992	48.0	20.7	94.5
2002	961	41.0	23.4	87.3
2003	961	41.0	23.4	87.3
2004	925	40.0	23.1	87.7
2005	867	40.0	21.7	87.8
2006	819	42.0	19.5	85.7
2007	751	41.0	18.3	93.2
2008	731	42.0	17.4	88.8
2009	697	37.0	17.9	99.6
2010	690	31.0	22.2	98
2011	811	n/a	n/a	68.2
2012	827	27.5	30.0	n/a
2013	842	27.0	31.1	99.6
2014	801	25.0	32.0	84.8
2015	755	28.0	26.9	87.9
2016	757	25.0	30.2	83.9
2017	768	25.8	29.7	78
2018	726	25.0	28.9	79.5
2019	667	27.0	24.7	81.3
2020	605	n/a	n/a	83.6
2021	551	25.9	21.2	84.6
2022	502	n/a	n/a	81.5
2023	499	26.7	18.6	83.8
2024	499	29.7	16.8	77

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Garfield Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	853	32.0	26.6	n/a
1989	868	29.0	29.9	n/a
1990	914	33.0	27.6	n/a
1991	932	35.0	26.6	n/a
1992	894	35.6	25.1	62.2
1993	929	31.0	30.0	82.2
1994	943	33.0	28.6	86.3
1995	951	34.0	28.0	90.4
1996	951	34.0	28.0	90.4
1997	927	35.0	26.5	92.1
1998	987	36.0	27.4	94.9
1999	981	38.0	25.8	94.9
2000	1009	38.0	26.6	91
2001	992	48.0	20.7	94.5
2002	961	41.0	23.4	87.3
2003	961	41.0	23.4	87.3
2004	925	40.0	23.1	87.7
2005	867	40.0	21.7	87.8
2006	819	42.0	19.5	85.7
2007	751	41.0	18.3	93.2
2008	731	42.0	17.4	88.8
2009	697	37.0	17.9	99.6
2010	690	31.0	22.2	98
2011	811	n/a	n/a	68.2
2012	827	27.5	30.0	n/a
2013	842	27.0	31.1	99.6
2014	801	25.0	32.0	84.8
2015	755	28.0	26.9	87.9
2016	757	25.0	30.2	83.9
2017	768	25.8	29.7	78
2018	726	25.0	28.9	79.5
2019	667	27.0	24.7	81.3
2020	605	n/a	n/a	83.6
2021	551	25.9	21.2	84.6
2022	502	n/a	n/a	81.5
2023	499	26.7	18.6	83.8
2024	499	29.7	16.8	77

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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