Is Garfield Elementary a good school?

Garfield Elementary ranks 3114 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Garfield Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 556 students attended Garfield Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Garfield Elementary?

Students at Garfield Elementary are 78% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 7% African American, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Garfield Elementary attend?

Students who attend Garfield Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Stephens Middle High : Cabrillo High

Garfield Elementary

Summary:

Garfield Elementary is a public elementary school in Long Beach, California, serving 573 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Long Beach Unified School District, which has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Garfield Elementary faces several key challenges, including a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, which rose from 11.5% in 2017-2018 to 47.3% in 2021-2022, notably higher than the 31.0% to 45.4% range at nearby schools. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are generally lower than the Long Beach Unified School District and California state averages. However, Garfield's African American students perform exceptionally well, ranking 98th out of 663 California elementary schools in 2021-2022, while Hispanic and English Language Learner students have lower rankings compared to the state.

Garfield Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 65.27% to 76.29% over the past few years, significantly higher than the 60% to 75.51% range at nearby schools. The school's student-teacher ratio of 22.9 is lower than some nearby schools, such as Bobbie Smith Elementary (25.0) and Roosevelt Elementary (26.2). By examining the practices of higher-performing nearby schools, such as Birney Elementary and Muir K-8, Garfield Elementary can develop strategies to address its challenges and support the academic growth and success of all its students.

Detail:

Public K-5

2240 Baltic Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90810-3597

(562) 424-8167

District: Long Beach Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3114^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,102

Students who attend Garfield Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Stephens Middle
High:	Cabrillo High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.2

Number of students: 556

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

78.1%

Asian:

12.2%

African American:

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Garfield Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Garfield Elementary ranks worse than 53.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 32^nd among 53 ranked elementary schools in the Long Beach Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.11. (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 (78.1%), Asian (12.2%), African American (6.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.5% 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 25.2. 27 elementary schools in the Long Beach Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Garfield Elementary employs 22 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Garfield Elementary is $9,102, which is the 20^th highest among 53 elementary schools in the Long Beach Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Garfield Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Garfield Elementary 3114^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:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Long Beach Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Long Beach Unified 654^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Garfield Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Garfield Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Garfield Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	31.28	3167^th	4809	34.1%
2005	32.92	3113^th	4822	35.4%
2006	25.69	3618^th	4818	24.9%
2007	35.77	3181^st	5113	37.8%
2008	28.00	3748^th	5113	26.7%
2009	24.61	4092^nd	5193	21.2%
2010	28.83	3937^th	5314	25.9%
2011	33.85	3688^th	5377	31.4%
2012	30.85	3883^rd	5390	28.0%
2013	37.01	3525^th	5530	36.3%
2015	39.61	3036^th	5611	45.9%
2016	44.20	2820^th	5614	49.8%
2017	43.78	2878^th	5692	49.4%
2018	43.67	2923^rd	5662	48.4%
2019	33.29	3671^st	5789	36.6%
2021	27.07	999^th	1417	29.5%
2022	38.60	3192^nd	5883	45.7%
2023	41.45	3041^st	5874	48.2%
2024	41.11	3114^th	5862	46.9%

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	42.17	1651^st	3246	49.1%
2019	31.21	2397^th	3275	26.8%
2022	45.47	1438^th	3311	56.6%
2023	55.89	956^th	3250	70.6%
2024	52.43	1056^th	3160	66.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner 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	59.53	1767^th	5084	65.2%
2019	47.14	2601^st	5173	49.7%
2021	35.55	719^th	1110	35.2%
2022	46.17	2526^th	5264	52.0%
2023	52.58	2191^st	5374	59.2%
2024	46.12	2663^rd	5511	51.7%

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	34.50	3447^th	5413	36.3%
2019	37.82	3242^nd	5492	41.0%
2021	31.14	831^st	1267	34.4%
2022	43.68	2768^th	5635	50.9%
2023	48.88	2468^th	5617	56.1%
2024	45.35	2696^th	5605	51.9%

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	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	44.34	918^th	2128	56.9%

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	51.14	2376^th	5431	56.3%
2019	29.24	3852^nd	5510	30.1%
2021	24.70	950^th	1272	25.3%
2022	33.12	3535^th	5663	37.6%
2023	35.77	3359^th	5650	40.5%
2024	38.32	3188^th	5636	43.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	76.80	98^th	663	85.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.59	2252^nd	4830	53.4%
2019	38.40	3065^th	4963	38.2%
2022	44.24	2577^th	5084	49.3%
2023	50.40	2213^th	5098	56.6%
2024	44.20	2663^rd	5102	47.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Their test scores have been going up since 2012 and if they can keep that traction going they may become a much better rated school. But for now, I only see them as average, with some potential. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Garfield Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	112	201	244	552	2	n/a	n/a	0	1111
1989	98	224	267	562	1	n/a	n/a	0	1152
1990	98	210	260	576	1	n/a	n/a	0	1145
1991	101	182	205	620	4	n/a	n/a	0	1112
1992	101	170	210	590	2	n/a	n/a	0	1073
1993	89	149	206	556	4	n/a	n/a	0	1004
1994	15	125	156	583	2	n/a	n/a	0	881
1995	16	167	172	667	1	n/a	n/a	0	1023
1996	16	167	172	667	1	n/a	n/a	0	1023
1997	20	164	179	731	2	n/a	n/a	0	1096
1998	20	158	177	770	3	n/a	n/a	0	1128
1999	24	179	165	823	1	n/a	n/a	0	1192
2000	23	170	172	851	1	n/a	n/a	0	1217
2001	20	134	158	887	0	n/a	n/a	0	1199
2002	15	118	164	884	1	n/a	n/a	0	1182
2003	15	118	164	884	1	n/a	n/a	0	1182
2004	13	121	157	831	1	n/a	n/a	0	1123
2005	11	116	154	801	1	n/a	n/a	1	1084
2006	9	96	128	756	1	n/a	n/a	0	990
2007	10	85	115	688	0	n/a	n/a	0	898
2008	8	80	123	690	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	901
2009	10	72	117	659	0	14	3	0	875
2010	9	83	106	649	0	13	0	0	860
2011	8	69	113	659	1	15	7	0	872
2012	11	70	117	659	1	18	9	0	885
2013	6	63	104	633	1	13	16	0	836
2014	3	62	111	622	1	9	13	0	821
2015	6	46	101	598	0	7	14	0	772
2016	3	46	103	590	0	8	11	0	761
2017	3	42	98	583	0	8	14	0	748
2018	4	55	90	538	0	8	15	0	710
2019	3	61	83	538	0	8	13	0	706
2020	11	55	82	522	0	5	10	0	685
2021	9	47	79	499	0	2	5	0	641
2022	12	37	67	450	0	1	6	0	573
2023	9	44	67	446	0	1	6	0	573
2024	12	37	68	434	0	0	5	0	556

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1111	47.8	23.2	n/a
1989	1152	48.0	24.0	n/a
1990	1145	44.8	25.5	n/a
1991	1112	45.0	24.7	n/a
1992	1073	45.7	23.4	80.2
1993	1004	41.9	24.0	80.9
1994	881	37.6	23.4	85.8
1995	1023	43.4	23.6	94.1
1996	1023	43.4	23.6	94.1
1997	1096	50.0	21.9	95
1998	1128	53.4	21.1	94.9
1999	1192	54.9	21.7	95
2000	1217	57.0	21.4	92.7
2001	1199	64.1	18.7	89.2
2002	1182	62.7	18.9	93.4
2003	1182	62.7	18.9	93.4
2004	1123	58.2	19.3	94.7
2005	1084	56.4	19.2	97.3
2006	990	53.0	18.7	93.4
2007	898	48.6	18.5	94
2008	901	55.0	16.4	92.7
2009	875	45.0	17.0	95.2
2010	860	47.0	18.3	92.4
2011	872	n/a	n/a	92.4
2012	885	35.0	25.2	n/a
2013	836	30.0	27.8	88.5
2014	821	30.5	26.9	93.1
2015	772	34.0	22.7	93.7
2016	761	32.0	23.7	90.5
2017	748	31.0	24.1	92.6
2018	710	30.0	23.6	91.7
2019	706	29.5	23.9	91.1
2020	685	n/a	n/a	83.2
2021	641	26.5	24.1	76.3
2022	573	25.0	22.9	65.3
2023	573	25.0	22.9	69.1
2024	556	22.0	25.2	79.5

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1111	47.8	23.2	n/a
1989	1152	48.0	24.0	n/a
1990	1145	44.8	25.5	n/a
1991	1112	45.0	24.7	n/a
1992	1073	45.7	23.4	80.2
1993	1004	41.9	24.0	80.9
1994	881	37.6	23.4	85.8
1995	1023	43.4	23.6	94.1
1996	1023	43.4	23.6	94.1
1997	1096	50.0	21.9	95
1998	1128	53.4	21.1	94.9
1999	1192	54.9	21.7	95
2000	1217	57.0	21.4	92.7
2001	1199	64.1	18.7	89.2
2002	1182	62.7	18.9	93.4
2003	1182	62.7	18.9	93.4
2004	1123	58.2	19.3	94.7
2005	1084	56.4	19.2	97.3
2006	990	53.0	18.7	93.4
2007	898	48.6	18.5	94
2008	901	55.0	16.4	92.7
2009	875	45.0	17.0	95.2
2010	860	47.0	18.3	92.4
2011	872	n/a	n/a	92.4
2012	885	35.0	25.2	n/a
2013	836	30.0	27.8	88.5
2014	821	30.5	26.9	93.1
2015	772	34.0	22.7	93.7
2016	761	32.0	23.7	90.5
2017	748	31.0	24.1	92.6
2018	710	30.0	23.6	91.7
2019	706	29.5	23.9	91.1
2020	685	n/a	n/a	83.2
2021	641	26.5	24.1	76.3
2022	573	25.0	22.9	65.3
2023	573	25.0	22.9	69.1
2024	556	22.0	25.2	79.5

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates