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James A. Garfield Elementary School

Summary:

James A. Garfield Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 368 students in grades PK-5 in Marion, Ohio, which is part of the Marion City School District. The school faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, below-average academic performance, and struggles to support the needs of various student subgroups.

James A. Garfield Elementary has chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 38.5% to 62.9% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state average and nearby schools like George Washington Elementary (32.8%) and William H. Taft Elementary (42.5%). Academically, the school's proficiency rates on state tests are consistently below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with the 5th-grade science proficiency rate at just 28.6% compared to the state average of 64% and the Marion City average of 31.1%. The school also ranks in the bottom 20% of Ohio elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Marion City district and nearby districts, James A. Garfield Elementary consistently underperforms. For example, Benjamin Harrison Elementary, also part of the Marion City district, outperforms James A. Garfield Elementary across multiple academic measures. The school's challenges suggest the need for targeted interventions and strategies to address attendance, academic achievement, and support for various student subgroups.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1170 Brookside Rd
       Marion, OH  43302-5900

(740) 223-4444

District: Marion City

SchoolDigger Rank:
1367th of 1,577 Ohio Elementary Schools


Students who attend James A. Garfield Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Ulysses S. Grant Middle School
High:    Harding High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.7 Help
Number of students:  368

Racial breakdown:

White:
77.7%
Two or more races:
10.3%
Hispanic:
8.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  81.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details James A. Garfield Elementary School ranks worse than 86.7% of elementary schools in Ohio. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.16. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Teachers
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

James A. Garfield Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks James A. Garfield Elementary School 1367th of 1577 Ohio public elementary schools. (See James A. Garfield Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Marion City:

SchoolDigger ranks Marion City 655th of 839 Ohio school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for James A. Garfield Elementary School?

Rank History for James A. Garfield Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at James A. Garfield Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 21.83 1281st 1501 14.7%
2006 14.42 1357th 1504 9.8%
2007 14.08 1435th 1609 10.8%
2008 18.20 1370th 1582 13.4%
2009 18.47 1389th 1610 13.7%
2010 38.29 1225th 1662 26.3%
2011 43.07 1202nd 1686 28.7%
2012 33.43 1318th 1709 22.9%
2013 27.13 1352nd 1701 20.5%
2014 28.87 1317th 1687 21.9%
2015 24.23 1339th 1684 20.5%
2016 19.48 1350th 1678 19.5%
2017 17.68 1358th 1651 17.7%
2018 21.28 1315th 1636 19.6%
2019 10.30 1503rd 1676 10.3%
2021 13.84 1319th 1610 18.1%
2022 17.88 1263rd 1588 20.5%
2023 15.83 1308th 1596 18.0%
2024 12.16 1367th 1577 13.3%
See the entire list of Ohio Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.41 1143rd 1465 22.0%
2019 14.38 1306th 1465 10.9%
2021 16.63 1145th 1404 18.4%
2022 23.37 1096th 1419 22.8%
2023 20.72 1163rd 1447 19.6%
2024 14.52 1281st 1484 13.7%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at James A. Garfield Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.68 1111th 1518 26.8%
2019 6.47 1410th 1502 6.1%
2021 12.12 1222nd 1467 16.7%
2022 15.65 1228th 1488 17.5%
2023 9.23 1314th 1483 11.4%
2024 7.23 1364th 1466 7.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at James A. Garfield Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.42 946th 1021 7.3%
2022 23.35 678th 824 17.7%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at James A. Garfield Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.60 1365th 1536 11.1%
2019 12.70 1350th 1535 12.1%
2021 7.56 1356th 1499 9.5%
2022 15.24 1253rd 1518 17.5%
2023 16.09 1237th 1498 17.4%
2024 14.67 1272nd 1485 14.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at James A. Garfield Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 4.59 1269th 1309 3.1%
2019 1.31 1253rd 1271 1.4%
2021 1.81 1220th 1249 2.3%
2022 2.94 1199th 1242 3.5%
2023 1.60 1197th 1215 1.5%
2024 1.77 1167th 1190 1.9%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Ohio 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.

James A. Garfield Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Ohio Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, October 29, 2012

Open Quote Greetings! My name is Jeff Street, I'm the PTA President at Garfield. I've had many conversations with the principle about how the 2 5th grade teachers talk and treat the students. They yell,scream,intimadate and humiliate the students. Up until the last couple weeks it was a rule at lunch to take a childs lunch and throw it away and make them stand with their nose against the wall . This would happen for something as simple as talking when told not to. I've had conversations with the superintendent about what is going on at Garfield and was told that he has never seen it their for it does not happen.It has come down to me reaching out to the parents and grouping together in order to try to make changes in this school.This is the worst school I have ever seen and Marion City Schools is a horrible district! Close Quote



Enrollment information for James A. Garfield Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 407 18 0 12 0 n/a n/a 4 441
2006 342 20 0 9 0 n/a n/a 2 373
2007 347 17 0 9 0 n/a n/a 9 382
2008 334 18 0 6 0 n/a n/a 6 364
2009 346 22 0 10 0 n/a n/a 12 390
2010 308 13 0 17 0 n/a n/a 12 350
2011 266 18 0 25 1 0 25 0 335
2012 248 14 0 25 0 0 22 0 309
2013 266 14 0 36 2 0 23 0 341
2014 276 8 0 38 1 0 24 0 347
2015 274 10 0 35 0 0 19 0 338
2016 297 12 0 34 0 0 18 0 361
2017 336 17 0 27 1 0 14 0 395
2018 336 12 0 30 1 0 29 0 408
2019 346 16 0 31 1 0 24 0 418
2020 326 17 0 25 1 0 34 0 403
2021 282 12 0 28 0 0 32 0 354
2022 275 13 0 23 0 0 43 0 354
2023 286 14 0 30 0 0 38 0 368

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 A. Garfield Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 441 25.2 17.5 69.3
2006 373 27.0 13.8 70.6
2007 382 26.8 14.3 70.8
2008 364 22.2 16.4 n/a
2009 390 23.1 16.9 78.3
2010 350 23.5 14.8 79.9
2011 335 23.5 14.2 82.7
2012 309 23.3 13.2 98.4
2013 341 24.8 13.7 n/a
2014 347 25.4 13.6 84.7
2015 338 n/a n/a 87
2016 361 25.0 14.4 81.4
2017 395 24.8 15.9 n/a
2018 408 24.8 16.4 n/a
2019 418 24.7 16.9 n/a
2020 403 25.6 15.7 n/a
2021 354 22.6 15.6 n/a
2022 354 23.0 15.3 n/a
2023 368 22.0 16.7 n/a

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 A. Garfield Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 441 25.2 17.5 69.3
2006 373 27.0 13.8 70.6
2007 382 26.8 14.3 70.8
2008 364 22.2 16.4 n/a
2009 390 23.1 16.9 78.3
2010 350 23.5 14.8 79.9
2011 335 23.5 14.2 82.7
2012 309 23.3 13.2 98.4
2013 341 24.8 13.7 n/a
2014 347 25.4 13.6 84.7
2015 338 n/a n/a 87
2016 361 25.0 14.4 81.4
2017 395 24.8 15.9 n/a
2018 408 24.8 16.4 n/a
2019 418 24.7 16.9 n/a
2020 403 25.6 15.7 n/a
2021 354 22.6 15.6 n/a
2022 354 23.0 15.3 n/a
2023 368 22.0 16.7 n/a

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for James A. Garfield Elementary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $7,667
2022 $10,259
2023 $9,972

Data source: Ohio Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James A. Garfield Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 1503rd of 1676 Elementary schoolsRanks 1308th of 1596 Elementary schools
 7.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (James A. Garfield Elementary School)44.227.5
 16.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Marion City)39.534.3
 5.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Ohio)67.162.2
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James A. Garfield Elementary School)40.736.5
 4.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Marion City)43.341.6
 1.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)66.762.3
 4.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (James A. Garfield Elementary School)31.327.5
 3.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Marion City)45.435.3
 10.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)74.366.8
 7.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (James A. Garfield Elementary School)23.429.4
 6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Marion City)37.333.9
 3.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)63.358.9
 4.4%
5th Grade Science (James A. Garfield Elementary School)27.835.4
 7.6%
   5th Grade Science (Marion City)39.333.1
 6.2%
   5th Grade Science (Ohio)6563.9
 1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (James A. Garfield Elementary School)29.726.5
 3.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Marion City)33.127.1
 6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)62.556.6
 5.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (James A. Garfield Elementary School)37.844.9
 7.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Marion City)51.346.7
 4.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)69.867.4
 2.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students418368
 12%
African American1614
 12.5%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian00
Hispanic3130
 3.2%
Pacific Islander00
White346286
 17.3%
Two or More Races2438
 58.3%

Schools Near James A. Garfield Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about James A. Garfield Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 368 students attended James A. Garfield Elementary School.

Students who attend James A. Garfield Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ulysses S. Grant Middle School
High : Harding High School

Students at James A. Garfield Elementary School are 78% White, 10% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 4% African American.

James A. Garfield Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Ohio elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Ohio Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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