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Garfield School

Q: Is Garfield School a good school?

Garfield School ranks 278 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Garfield School is an elementary school in Miles City, MT, serving 210 students in grades K-5. While part of the Miles City Elementary School District, which is ranked 307 out of 387 districts in Montana, Garfield School has consistently underperformed compared to state and local averages.

Garfield School's academic performance is a significant concern, with only 30.95% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 29.37% in Mathematics, and 33.33% in Science - all well below the state averages. Additionally, Garfield has a much higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 66.67%, compared to 56.12% at the nearby Jefferson School and just 5.77% at the more distant Kinsey School. While Garfield's per-student spending of $9,200 is slightly higher than Kinsey's $6,975, it lags behind Jefferson's $9,871, and its student-teacher ratio of 12.3 is also higher than its nearby counterparts.

The declining performance of Garfield School, with its statewide ranking dropping from 113 out of 123 elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 278 out of 401 in 2024-2025, is a concerning trend that suggests the need for significant interventions to improve student outcomes. Addressing the specific needs of Garfield's student population, which faces greater economic disadvantages, may be key to closing the achievement gap and providing high-quality education for all students.

210

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,973

Per pupil spending ?

66.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1015 Milwaukee
Miles City, MT 59301

(406) 234-4310

District: Miles City Elementary

Students who attend Garfield School usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle School 6-8
High:	Custer County District High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.2%

American Indian:

7.1%

Hispanic:

3.3%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Garfield School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 20th percentile in 2012 → 31st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2012

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!English Language Arts scores 12 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg27%

Montana avg40%

278^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▲ up 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Miles City Elementary

307^th of 387Miles City Elementary among Montana 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	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	34.6	278 of 401	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.6	170 of 212	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	275 of 332	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	268 of 329	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.6	297 of 356	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.3	113 of 123	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.4	188 of 191	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	11.5	265 of 287	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	22.9	208 of 246	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	29.9	196 of 244	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.7	204 of 247	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.6	197 of 241	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	33.2	193 of 230	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	27.3	208 of 234	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	41.1	148 of 218	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	13.3	199 of 217	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science33%-5 vs state

English Language Arts31%-12 vs state

Mathematics29%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Garfield School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAST English Language Arts (2025)	MAST Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Garfield School	Public	K-5	1015 Milwaukee	Miles City	59301	Custer County	Miles City Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 234-4310	210	17	12.3	66.7%	181 (86.2%)	5 (2.4%)	7 (3.3%)	2 (1.0%)	15 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.6	278^th of 401 public elementary schools	30.7%		27.6	170^th of 212 public elementary schools	19.8%	108	31.0	29.4	$11,973
Jefferson School	Public	PK, KG-2	106 North Strevell Ave	Miles City	59301	Custer County	Miles City Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 234-2888	98	9	10.5	56.1%	95 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			$14,074
Lincoln School	Public	3-5	210 South Lake Ave	Miles City	59301	Custer County	Miles City Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 234-1697	166	12	13.9	47.0%	146 (88.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.0%)	14.5	360^th of 401 public elementary schools	10.2%		27.5	171^st of 212 public elementary schools	19.3%	189	17.2	14.7	$9,848
Highland Park School	Public	PK, KG-2	716 South Cale	Miles City	59301	Custer County	Miles City Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 234-3890	126	10	12.6	41.3%	100 (79.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			$15,149
Kircher School	Public	PK, KG-8	331 Kircher Creek Road	Miles City	59301	Custer County	Kircher Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 234-2761	51	4	12.7	5.9%	44 (86.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.9%)	27.6	317^th of 401 public elementary schools	20.9%		53.1	116^th of 212 public elementary schools	45.3%	201	23.1	30.8	$10,731
Kinsey School	Public	PK, KG-6	7 Mastin Road	Kinsey	59338	Custer County	Kinsey Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 232-2440	52	4	14.8	5.8%	51 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	28.6	311^th of 401 public elementary schools	22.4%		70.6	71^st of 212 public elementary schools	66.5%	240	29.4	23.5	$9,683

Frequently Asked Questions about Garfield School

What schools do graduates of Garfield School attend?

Students who attend Garfield School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle School 6-8
High : Custer County District High

Is Garfield School a good school?

Garfield School ranks 278^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Garfield School in?

Miles City Elementary

How many students attend Garfield School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 210 students attended Garfield School.

What is the racial makeup of Garfield School?

Students at Garfield School are 86% White, 7% American Indian, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American.

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Schools in Miles City, MT

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

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.