Garfield Elementary closed after 111 years; 113 children moved

What happened

The board voted 9 to 1 on April 29, 2026 to close James A. Garfield Elementary School, and the school's last day was June 22, 2026. Its 113 children in kindergarten through grade 4 were reassigned across the four remaining elementary schools, and families were told which school on May 7. The district said in its own budget papers that this will affect class sizes. Two of the receiving schools were already full: at June 30, 2025 William P. Tatem had 248 children against a state-assessed capacity of 201, and Thomas Sharp had 214 against 202. The board also voted to have Garfield removed from its long-range facilities plan, and an appraisal of the property had been received by late September with a sale expected to come to the board in October.

Why it matters to families

Closing a neighbourhood school changes the school day for every family in it: a different building, a different walk or drive, and new classmates. Because two of the four receiving schools were already over the capacity the state assigns them, classes in those buildings get bigger. The district decided not to reopen places freed when reassigned families later left the district, and told the board that friend groups are not a factor in where a child is placed, so several families who asked to be moved were refused.

The evidence

The April 29, 2026 meeting recording records the vote on the Garfield closure resolution carrying 9 to 1 with the budget carrying 8 to 2. The 2026-27 board budget presentation lists the closure of Garfield Elementary School and the reassignment of 113 students into the four remaining elementary schools with an acknowledged impact on class size. The 2024-25 annual audit's school statistics record Tatem at 248 students against capacity 201 and Sharp at 214 against 202. The June 22, 2026 recording is of the meeting held on Garfield's last day, at which the board recognised its staff after 111 years.

The source