Enrollment
457
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lakewood, OH
Garfield Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Garfield Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 390441905406
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garfield Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Ohio schools.
- #10 of 12
- public schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Ohio
- 39.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Garfield Middle School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield Middle School ranks #10 of 12 public schools in Lakewood, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garfield Middle School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garfield Middle School
Garfield Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Lakewood, Ohio, enrolling 457 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 457 students, its enrollment sits close to the Ohio median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 653 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #259.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 457 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Lakewood City spends $19,106 per pupil, 30% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 100 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 457 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lakewood's middle schools, it stands alongside Harding Middle School (446 students): Garfield Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 13.9:1).
Lakewood City also operates Lakewood High School (1,372 students) and Harding Middle School (446 students) alongside Garfield Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Garfield Middle School compares
Garfield Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 21% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▲ 25% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 457 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
457
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 22% in Ohio - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,106
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 457 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
53
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 65.6%
Two or More 13.6%
African American 9.8%
Asian 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, Garfield Middle School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lakewood City, which includes Garfield Middle School.
$19,106
Per student
+30%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.2%
State 24.1%
Federal 8.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Garfield Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harding Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayes Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garfield Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 446
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar middle schools in Lakewood
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~457 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garfield Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Garfield Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lakewood City's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Garfield Middle School
How many students attend Garfield Middle School?
Garfield Middle School has 457 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lakewood, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garfield Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Garfield Middle School is 14.3:1, which is 21% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Garfield Middle School?
39.6% of students at Garfield Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garfield Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Garfield Middle School is White at 65.6% of enrollment, in Lakewood, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garfield Middle School?
Garfield Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Garfield Middle School rank among public schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield Middle School ranks #10 of 12 public schools in Lakewood, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lakewood on the city page.
Is Garfield Middle School a good school?
Garfield Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Ohio schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lakewood City?
Besides Garfield Middle School, Lakewood City also operates Lakewood High School (1,372 students), Harding Middle School (446 students), and Grant Elementary School (323 students). See the Lakewood City district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.