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Garfield Elementary

Q: Is Garfield Elementary a good school?

Garfield Elementary ranks 618 th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

618^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 869 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Garfield Elementary is a PK–4 school at 1120 10th Ave NE in Brainerd, Minnesota, serving about 250 students in the Brainerd Public School District, where it currently ranks 618th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools (29th percentile, 1 star).

Garfield's biggest story is its long slide: it was a 4-star, 82nd-percentile school in 2017–18 and has drifted down over the past decade, with a one-year rebound to 47th percentile in 2023–24 that then reversed. Nearby comparisons are striking. Lowell Elementary, six-tenths of a mile away in the same district, posts 71.7% math and 62.3% reading proficiency versus Garfield's 38.7% and 37.0%. Baxter Elementary and Nisswa Elementary are both 4-star schools. Poverty alone doesn't explain the gap: Garfield's free/reduced-lunch share (52.4%) is lower than Harrison Elementary's (59.1%) and Riverside Elementary's (57.5%), yet Harrison ranks at the 44th percentile and Riverside at the 32nd, both above Garfield. Staffing looks similar too — Garfield's 12.1 student–teacher ratio is identical to Harrison's.

What stands out most inside the school is a sharp grade-level split. Garfield's 3rd graders are roughly at district level and above the state in math (60.0%), while its 4th graders fall to 20.3% in math and 29.7% in reading — the lowest 4th-grade figures among Brainerd elementaries and a much steeper drop than peer schools show. Because grades are small, one year's numbers can swing, but the size of this gap is worth asking about. One bright spot: Garfield's low-income students rank at the 54th percentile with 3 stars, above the school's overall ranking — unusual, and a sign of real instructional capacity. Proficiency also rose modestly in 2025–26 off a very low base. There is no science score reported because MCA science begins in grade 5 and Garfield ends at grade 4.

250

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,674

Per pupil spending ?

52.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1120 10th Ave NE
Brainerd, MN 56401-2352

(218) 454-6450

District: Brainerd Public School District

Students who attend Garfield Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Forestview Middle
High:	Brainerd Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.2%

Two or more races:

10.0%

American Indian:

4.8%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Garfield Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2016 → 29th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (38% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg49%

Minnesota avg47%

618^th of 869

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 35 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Brainerd Public School District

249^th of 458Brainerd Public School District among Minnesota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	618 of 869	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.9	674 of 872	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.2	468 of 881	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.5	580 of 845	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	515 of 858	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.2	560 of 869	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.3	400 of 870	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.5	154 of 847	81.8%	★★★★☆
2017	72.6	228 of 853	73.3%	★★★★☆
2016	66.1	305 of 848	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	74.5	193 of 840	77.0%	★★★★☆
2014	75.2	164 of 826	80.1%	★★★★☆
2013	73.0	203 of 824	75.4%	★★★★☆
2012	65.2	313 of 820	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.0	400 of 814	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.0	428 of 803	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.4	147 of 434	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	75.7	129 of 781	83.5%	★★★★☆
2007	73.9	152 of 777	80.4%	★★★★☆
2006	84.7	39 of 756	94.8%	★★★★★
2005	76.5	108 of 685	84.2%	★★★★☆
2004	56.5	342 of 676	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	67.3	210 of 674	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	561 of 790	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.7	681 of 799	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.9	421 of 809	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.0	479 of 787	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.0	491 of 799	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.7	533 of 783	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.0	285 of 787	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.7	85 of 774	89.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	53.9	350 of 764	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.6	578 of 764	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	61.4	282 of 793	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.8	416 of 774	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.5	378 of 663	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.7	299 of 683	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.2	226 of 740	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.9	61 of 728	91.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	570 of 807	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.5	542 of 812	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.3	486 of 826	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.1	595 of 799	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.9	486 of 808	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.5	495 of 784	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.0	458 of 798	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.6	237 of 779	69.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	380 of 579	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	308 of 562	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	298 of 572	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.5	411 of 524	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.4	417 of 500	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.2	206 of 417	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	204 of 515	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.1	66 of 463	85.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	13.9	665 of 710	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	682 of 714	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	585 of 730	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	658 of 712	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	624 of 725	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	656 of 710	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.4	472 of 722	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.7	263 of 712	63.1%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2026)34th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)29th percentile~ school

Female (2026)29th percentile~ school

White (2026)6th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math39%-6 vs state

Reading37%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Garfield Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)		MCA-III Math (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Garfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1120 10th Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6450	250	21	12.1	52.4%	203 (81.2%)	2 (0.8%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.0%)	33.3	618^th of 869 public elementary schools	28.9%		26.9	674^th of 872 public elementary schools	22.7%	56	45.5	29.7			37.0			60.0	20.3			38.7	$12,674
Lowell Elementary	Public	K-4	704 3rd Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6550	355	26	13.9	39.7%	314 (88.5%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.5%)	82.4	122^nd of 869 public elementary schools	86.0%		84.4	100^th of 872 public elementary schools	88.5%	22	62.1	62.5			62.3			69.2	73.8			71.7	$11,809
Discovery Woods	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	604 N 7th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Discovery Woods	Yes	No	No	Yes	(218) 828-8200	101	11	8.9	64.4%	77 (76.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (17.8%)	10.3	797^th of 869 public elementary schools	8.3%		29	658^th of 872 public elementary schools	24.5%	139		30.0			30.3			20.0	20.0			11.8	$9,692
Harrison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1515 Oak St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6500	230	19	12.1	59.1%	200 (87.0%)	2 (0.9%)	7 (3.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (7.4%)	48.3	486^th of 869 public elementary schools	44.1%		45.3	518^th of 872 public elementary schools	40.6%	32	49.0	37.8			43.8			60.8	42.2			52.1	$14,382
Riverside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	220 3rd St NW	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 454-6800	407	40	10.2	57.5%	344 (84.5%)	4 (1.0%)	15 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (8.1%)	36.6	589^th of 869 public elementary schools	32.2%		44.4	525^th of 872 public elementary schools	39.8%	64	36.8	45.2			41.4			45.6	39.6			42.3	$15,397
Baxter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	12191 Jasperwood Drive	Baxter	56425	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6400	506	34	14.9	31.8%	462 (91.3%)	9 (1.8%)	11 (2.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.8%)	75.4	198^th of 869 public elementary schools	77.2%		68.8	282^nd of 872 public elementary schools	67.7%	84	59.1	64.9			62.0			70.0	55.9			62.9	$11,504
Nisswa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5533 Lakers Lane	Nisswa	56468	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 961-6860	249	18	13.8	27.3%	233 (93.6%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.6%)	76.9	182^nd of 869 public elementary schools	79.1%		75.4	203^rd of 872 public elementary schools	76.7%	21	61.4	53.6	63.6		58.5	31.8	31.8	64.3	74.1	63.6		68.4	$12,324
Cuyuna Range Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	509 6th Ave NE	Crosby	56441	Crow Wing County	Crosby-Ironton Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 545-8803	533	40	13.4	47.7%	492 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.5%)	43.1	538^th of 869 public elementary schools	38.1%		46.5	506^th of 872 public elementary schools	42.0%	32	30.2	46.1	44.1	46.3	42.2	22.2	22.2	49.2	35.6	35.8	45.1	41.4	$12,452
Pillager Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 746-2110	521	40	12.9	41.5%	488 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.6%)	57.1	383^rd of 869 public elementary schools	55.9%		65.8	315^th of 872 public elementary schools	63.9%	68	46.7	49.5			48.1			54.3	58.8			56.5	$11,169
Eagle View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6539 County Rd 11	Breezy Point	56472	Crow Wing County	Pequot Lakes Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 562-6100	557	44	12.5	36.6%	530 (95.2%)	2 (0.4%)	13 (2.3%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	77.2	177^th of 869 public elementary schools	79.6%		80.2	147^th of 872 public elementary schools	83.1%	30	62.6	55.0			58.7			72.0	64.9			68.3	$10,458

Frequently Asked Questions about Garfield Elementary

Is Garfield Elementary a good school?

Garfield Elementary ranks 618^th of 869 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Garfield Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 250 students attended Garfield Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Garfield Elementary?

Students at Garfield Elementary are 81% White, 10% Two or more races, 5% American Indian, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Garfield Elementary in?

Brainerd Public School District

What schools do graduates of Garfield Elementary attend?

Students who attend Garfield Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Forestview Middle
High : Brainerd Senior High

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresNewSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 2025

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