Is James Garfield Elementary a good school?

James Garfield Elementary ranks 2019 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Garfield Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 226 students attended James Garfield Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James Garfield Elementary?

Students at James Garfield Elementary are 92% Hispanic, 7% White.

What schools do graduates of James Garfield Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Garfield Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Abraham Lincoln Middle High : Selma High

James Garfield Elementary

Summary:

James Garfield Elementary is a public elementary school in Selma, California, serving 239 students in grades K-6. Despite being part of the low-performing Selma Unified School District, James Garfield stands out as a relative bright spot, consistently outperforming the district and the state of California in academic assessments.

In the 2023-2024 school year, 45.83% of James Garfield students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 40.24% for Selma Unified and 47.04% for California. In Mathematics, 50.41% of James Garfield students were proficient or better, compared to 24.48% for Selma Unified and 35.54% for California. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade, with 55.17% proficient in English Language Arts and 63.33% proficient in Mathematics. James Garfield also ranks highly for its Hispanic and English Language Learner students, often placing in the top quartile of California elementary schools for these subgroups.

However, the school faces some challenges, including a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.4% in 2018-2019 to 22.8% in 2022-2023. Additionally, the student-teacher ratio at James Garfield has increased from 21.3 in 2020-2021 to 25.1 in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby schools in the Selma Unified District. Despite these concerns, James Garfield Elementary remains a standout school in the region, outperforming other elementary schools in the Selma Unified and Parlier Unified districts.

Detail:

Public K-6

2535 B St.
Selma, CA 93662-3108

(559) 898-6740

District: Selma Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2019^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,025

Students who attend James Garfield Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Abraham Lincoln Middle
High:	Selma High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.1

Number of students: 226

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

91.6%

White:

7.1%

Asian:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details James Garfield Elementary ranks better than 65.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks first among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Selma Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.14. (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 James Garfield Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Selma Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (91.6%), White (7.1%), Asian (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Garfield Elementary is 22.1, which is the 2^nd best among 7 elementary schools in the Selma Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare James Garfield Elementary employs 10.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Garfield Elementary is $17,025, which is the highest among 7 elementary schools in the Selma Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James Garfield Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks James Garfield Elementary 2019^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See James 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:

Selma Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Selma Unified 1136^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for James Garfield Elementary

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Rank History for all students at James Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	31.31	3166^th	4809	34.2%
2005	41.01	2657^th	4822	44.9%
2006	53.90	2010^th	4818	58.3%
2007	54.28	2093^rd	5113	59.1%
2008	42.74	2796^th	5113	45.3%
2009	42.90	2876^th	5193	44.6%
2010	45.87	2802^nd	5314	47.3%
2011	45.83	2841^st	5377	47.2%
2012	52.78	2457^th	5390	54.4%
2013	58.62	2199^th	5530	60.2%
2015	43.45	2831^st	5611	49.5%
2016	41.23	3001^st	5614	46.5%
2017	59.93	2015^th	5692	64.6%
2018	68.24	1660^th	5662	70.7%
2019	70.12	1600^th	5789	72.4%
2022	51.27	2484^th	5883	57.8%
2023	64.25	1830^th	5874	68.8%
2024	61.14	2019^th	5862	65.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at James Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	64.02	640^th	3311	80.7%
2023	98.53	38^th	3250	98.8%
2024	83.40	190^th	3160	94.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	81.89	607^th	5084	88.1%
2019	85.55	472^nd	5173	90.9%
2022	65.15	1411^th	5264	73.2%
2023	79.62	792^nd	5374	85.3%
2024	74.24	1089^th	5511	80.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.02	1658^th	5413	69.4%
2019	68.95	1550^th	5492	71.8%
2022	50.32	2398^th	5635	57.4%
2023	69.51	1520^th	5617	72.9%
2024	54.53	2188^th	5605	61.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at James Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.84	1616^th	5431	70.2%
2019	69.00	1558^th	5510	71.7%
2022	48.98	2501^st	5663	55.8%
2023	55.65	2148^th	5650	62.0%
2024	65.84	1708^th	5636	69.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at James Garfield Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.56	750^th	4830	84.5%
2019	82.09	633^rd	4963	87.2%
2022	69.88	1163^rd	5084	77.1%
2023	81.81	658^th	5098	87.1%
2024	76.41	877^th	5102	82.8%

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

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Enrollment information for James Garfield Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	73	2	0	238	0	n/a	n/a	0	313
1989	62	2	0	249	0	n/a	n/a	0	313
1990	68	2	3	250	3	n/a	n/a	0	326
1991	57	6	3	254	1	n/a	n/a	0	321
1992	56	4	4	258	0	n/a	n/a	0	322
1993	47	6	1	270	3	n/a	n/a	0	327
1994	20	6	2	244	3	n/a	n/a	0	275
1995	26	4	2	221	1	n/a	n/a	0	254
1996	26	4	2	221	1	n/a	n/a	0	254
1997	21	6	2	243	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
1998	11	3	1	245	2	n/a	n/a	0	262
1999	13	3	3	249	3	n/a	n/a	0	271
2000	16	3	4	250	0	n/a	n/a	0	273
2001	14	2	6	238	1	n/a	n/a	2	263
2002	11	0	4	224	0	n/a	n/a	5	244
2003	11	0	4	224	0	n/a	n/a	5	244
2004	12	0	2	259	2	n/a	n/a	2	277
2005	8	1	2	227	1	n/a	n/a	3	242
2006	11	2	3	242	1	n/a	n/a	3	262
2007	12	1	1	225	1	n/a	n/a	3	243
2008	12	1	1	234	2	n/a	n/a	0	250
2009	8	0	1	233	1	0	3	0	246
2010	4	1	0	260	0	0	0	0	265
2011	5	0	0	245	0	0	0	0	250
2012	4	1	0	265	0	0	1	0	271
2013	10	1	1	258	0	0	0	0	270
2014	9	1	0	237	0	0	1	0	248
2015	10	1	1	240	0	0	0	0	252
2016	10	1	2	237	0	0	1	0	251
2017	13	0	2	223	0	0	1	0	239
2018	13	1	3	215	0	0	1	0	233
2019	12	1	3	232	1	0	1	0	250
2020	12	1	3	218	1	0	1	0	236
2021	10	1	3	203	1	0	1	0	219
2022	9	0	0	215	0	0	1	0	225
2023	11	0	2	225	0	0	1	0	239
2024	16	1	2	207	0	0	0	0	226

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 James Garfield Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	313	12.0	26.0	n/a
1989	313	12.9	24.2	n/a
1990	326	13.0	25.0	n/a
1991	321	12.4	25.8	n/a
1992	322	12.6	25.5	79.8
1993	327	13.4	24.4	74
1994	275	9.8	28.1	94.9
1995	254	10.0	25.4	89
1996	254	10.0	25.4	89
1997	272	11.0	24.7	94.9
1998	262	13.0	20.2	94.7
1999	271	15.0	18.1	93.4
2000	273	14.0	19.5	94.5
2001	263	15.0	17.5	92.3
2002	244	14.5	16.8	94.6
2003	244	14.5	16.8	94.6
2004	277	15.8	17.5	98.2
2005	242	14.3	16.9	86.2
2006	262	13.0	20.2	86.9
2007	243	13.0	18.7	89.6
2008	250	14.0	17.9	84.8
2009	246	12.3	17.2	84.1
2010	265	11.4	23.2	89.8
2011	250	n/a	n/a	92
2012	271	11.3	23.9	n/a
2013	270	11.1	24.3	88.9
2014	248	9.4	26.1	74.6
2015	252	10.0	25.2	92.5
2016	251	11.0	22.8	90
2017	239	10.5	22.5	90.8
2018	233	11.1	20.8	90.6
2019	250	11.0	22.7	87.2
2020	236	n/a	n/a	89.4
2021	219	10.2	21.3	89
2022	225	9.4	23.8	87.6
2023	239	9.5	25.1	91.6
2024	226	10.2	22.1	92.9

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 James Garfield Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	313	12.0	26.0	n/a
1989	313	12.9	24.2	n/a
1990	326	13.0	25.0	n/a
1991	321	12.4	25.8	n/a
1992	322	12.6	25.5	79.8
1993	327	13.4	24.4	74
1994	275	9.8	28.1	94.9
1995	254	10.0	25.4	89
1996	254	10.0	25.4	89
1997	272	11.0	24.7	94.9
1998	262	13.0	20.2	94.7
1999	271	15.0	18.1	93.4
2000	273	14.0	19.5	94.5
2001	263	15.0	17.5	92.3
2002	244	14.5	16.8	94.6
2003	244	14.5	16.8	94.6
2004	277	15.8	17.5	98.2
2005	242	14.3	16.9	86.2
2006	262	13.0	20.2	86.9
2007	243	13.0	18.7	89.6
2008	250	14.0	17.9	84.8
2009	246	12.3	17.2	84.1
2010	265	11.4	23.2	89.8
2011	250	n/a	n/a	92
2012	271	11.3	23.9	n/a
2013	270	11.1	24.3	88.9
2014	248	9.4	26.1	74.6
2015	252	10.0	25.2	92.5
2016	251	11.0	22.8	90
2017	239	10.5	22.5	90.8
2018	233	11.1	20.8	90.6
2019	250	11.0	22.7	87.2
2020	236	n/a	n/a	89.4
2021	219	10.2	21.3	89
2022	225	9.4	23.8	87.6
2023	239	9.5	25.1	91.6
2024	226	10.2	22.1	92.9

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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