Schools in Zip Code 46738

ZIP code 46738 is home to three public schools in Garrett, Indiana — J E Ober Elementary School, Garrett Middle School, and Garrett High School — all part of Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com School Corp and all located at 801 E Houston St. Together they serve about 1,644 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade: J E Ober (PK–5, 704 students), Garrett Middle (6–8, 387), and Garrett High (9–12, 553). The district as a whole is rated 268th of 374 Indiana districts, 28th percentile, 1 star, but the three schools have noticeably different profiles.

The biggest differences among the schools show up in attendance and school ratings. J E Ober has the best attendance in the ZIP, with chronic absenteeism of 5.6%, roughly one-third of the state's 16.7%. Garrett Middle is also solid at 8.8%, while Garrett High is 18.3%, above both the district's 10.6% and the state's 16.7%. Garrett Middle holds the strongest current rating: 297th of 486 schools, 39th percentile, 2 stars. J E Ober is improving, moving from the 24th to 25th to 30th percentile and now earning 2 stars. Garrett High has slipped to the 29th percentile and 1 star, yet its 99.3% graduation rate far exceeds the state's 89.7%.

Academically, one weakness runs through every level: math. Elementary 5th-grade math is 20.33% versus the state's 42%; middle-school math ranges from 21.88% to 29.70% against state rates of 34.2% to 40.2%; SAT Math is 11.54%. Reading is uneven — 6th-grade ELA (42.57%) is above the state's 41.3%, but 5th-grade ELA (17.07%) and 7th and 8th-grade ELA fall well behind. Science sits closer to state benchmarks. Garrett High spends the most per student ($13,517) but posts the lowest SAT Math results and highest absenteeism, while J E Ober spends the least ($10,443) and has the best attendance. Free/reduced lunch is highest at the elementary (59.52%) and middle (57.88%) levels.