Garrison Elementary School

1200 S Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20009

School District

District Of Columbia Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:9
Type

public

School Map for District Of Columbia Public Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 31, 2024

We are the parents of a student in prek3 (and hope to have another one in prek3 in two years)! We looked at all the schools in the area, both DCPS and also charter. Garrison really stood out. It has the nicest environment of all the schools we saw. Our son's teacher, Ms. Rey, is extremely great with kids and really passionate about the kids. The entire school, including the principal Mr. Kip, did a thorough job explaining every single part of the school. As first time parents we really appreciated this. Highly recommend. Only thing is we wish there were dedicated Spanish immersion, but that's rare.
Submitted by parent on December 30, 2024

We have been attending Garrison from PK3-K and plan to continue. The teachers have been amazing and we love Principal Kip. Could not ask for a better neighborhood school. We feel very fortunate to have Garrison as our elementary school.
Submitted by parent on December 28, 2024

Garrison is a wonderful school where both my children are thriving. Our kids have spent nearly a decade at the school in total and have consistently been surrounded by loving, caring teachers invested in the kids in their classrooms. They LOVE their school. We also regularly hear from teachers that this is the best school they have ever worked at. Highly recommend to any family in the District.
Submitted by parent on December 21, 2024

My son is currently in his sixth year at Garrison and we’re looking forward to fifth grade next year after which we will finally need to move on. The school is truly a second home for him, full of first rate teachers and the best principal on the east coast if not the world. There are schools in this city with higher test scores, but there absolutely are not schools in this city delivering higher scores while still serving such a diverse community with many low-income families. What they have at Garrison is *excellent teaching* and a great atmosphere that is lifting kids from all backgrounds ahead of where you’d expect them to be.
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2024

This is the sixth year for our daughter at Garrison and we couldn’t be happier with her experience. Principal Kip has created a warm and loving environment that attracts and retains committed professional educators. The teachers and staff at Garrison are devoted to the kids and it shows in our child’s development into a kind and empathetic individual.
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2024

Our daughter has truly blossomed at Garrison Elementary, thanks to the wonderful teachers, staff, and leadership. The care, kindness, and creativity of her teachers have made a huge difference in her excitement for learning. She’s growing not just in her skills, but also in her kindness and empathy toward others. We can see how much Garrison is helping her grow into a compassionate, kind person. The supportive and friendly environment at Garrison has been so important in her development, and we're grateful to be part of such a nurturing community.
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2024

The teachers are so wonderful here but most importantly it’s Garrison’s tight knit community. I’ve never experienced a school with a more involved PTO (parent teacher organization). They say it takes a village and we have that village here at Garrison. Everyone is so hands on and willing to volunteer to help out where needed. We have so many caring families, teachers and staff at this school that work so hard to make the school the best that it can be for our students.Also a new middle school, Euclid MS will be built! All future new wildcats will have a new middle school to go to! If you look in the area where Garrison is in boundary for real estate, there aren’t a lot of houses available for sale and what goes up for sale gets sold immediately and there is a reason why. Make no hesitation in sending your child to Garrison!
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2024

Garrison is an incredible school, full of learning and community. The teachers and staff create the culture that is so warm and welcoming.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

My child joined Garrison in kindergarten. As a current second grader, they are thriving socially and academically thanks to the caring teachers, strong academics, and welcoming school community. Cannot say enough good things about Garrison!
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

Our two kids have been at Garrison since PK3 (they are now in 1st Grade and Kindergarten), and I am so thankful for what the Wildcat community has provided them both in terms of academics and social/emotional wellbeing. As a Title I school in the heart of Shaw/U Street/14th Street, Garrison's strength is its diversity across all areas of the socioeconomic spectrum. This applies as well to the teachers and staff who are so pivotal for fostering a safe, inclusive, and caring environment. As a PTO volunteer, I've witnessed firsthand the lengths the Administration will go to not only recruit accomplished educators, but strive to retain them by curating an environment of collegiality, respect, and appreciation. In terms of facilities, funding, programming, process, and partnerships, the Administration is never satisfied with status quo, and actively works with DCPS and other city departments to determine what can be improved, evolved, and updated. Often it takes time and additional community pressure, but since our first year at the school in 2021, so much has already been iterated on, with more improvements already in the planning stages. And it's important to remember that this momentum all stems from what the teachers and staff are achieving with our kids in the classroom: competent teachers and staff that feel appreciated do their jobs at a higher level, which means better academic performance and testing, which means more recognition and investment from DCPS and city entities. It's certainly not perfect, and perfection is in reality not attainable at any school, but what I appreciate is that the Administration strives all year to try to achieve it anyway. And where they may fall short, the rest of the community is so often there to fill in the gaps and reinforce that each student matters and is deserving of this loving place to grow and learn. I could go on and on, but Garrison's continued ranking among the Top 5 elementary schools in all of DC (on OSSE’s 2023 and 2024 Report Cards) is significant proof that this place is something special.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

Garrison is an intentionally diverse school with a tight knit community and outstanding leaders and staff. The school is highly innovative and is constantly adapting to provide the very best instruction to its students. Most importantly, my kids feel happy, safe, engaged, and loved at Garrison. Highly recommend!
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2023

We had high hopes for our son's first year at Garrison Elementary, particularly after Principal Kip spoke so highly of the staff and described the 4thgrade class that my son would be joining as "unusually kind" . My son's experience has been far from kind. Garrison failed to meet my expectations of providing a safe learning environment for my child, which has now resulted in an unexpected mid-year withdrawal.Bullying/School SafetyBetween August-December, my son has been bullied on more than one occasion. I met with with Principal Kip after the first incident to express myconcern regarding my son's safety and more specifically, that no one from the school had contacted me to inform me of the incident. Theschool officer was on the playground during recess and was aware of the incident, but the incident was never reported.It's now January and yet another bullying incident recently occurred on the playground during recess. An adult eventually intervened and escorted my son to see the school nurse. The school officer was made aware of the incident and yet again, no one contacted me to inform me that my son was being seen by the school nurse in relation to this incident (not the nurse, the school officer, or anyone else from the school).CommunicationCommunication needs improvement, in addition to the lack of communication related to the above-mentioned incidents. I raised concern with not having a parent teacher's conference. Principal Kip assured me that a parent teacher conference would be scheduled the following week. Still no parent teacher conference was ever scheduled. Communication concerning field trips has been minimal. For example, permission slips have been sent home for signature, seemingly more so focused on waiving liability to DCPS rather than providing adequate details beyond the date and location. Other pertinent info (i.e., departure and return time, plans for lunch, method of transportation) was never shared. The fourth grade class rode the Metrobus for their last field trip due to financial constraints rather than for a learning experience. While I can appreciate the creativity of the teachers making it happen, perhaps the PTO or individual parents may have been willing to support if this was communicated in advance.On a positive note, I do have to say the IEP team (Ms. Dorn, Mr Saxton, and Mr. H in particular) were genuinely committed to doing what was in the best interest of my son throughout the IEP evaluation process.
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2019

My son is thriving at Garrison thanks to truly excellent teachers, a vibrant community and strong leadership (the Principal really fosters student excellence and has prioritized parental involvement and engagement in the learning process).
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2019

Garrison is wonderful school environment with terrific teachers and a Principal is is a great leader. Our child is thriving in a nurturing and stimulating environment.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2019

My son has been in Pre-K at Garrison for the past six months. I could not think more highly of the school, the teachers, and the Principal. We feel so lucky to be here, in this strong community.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2019

We are new to Garrison this year and have three children enrolled: Helen (2nd) Frank (K) and June (PK-3). We previously came from a charter school, so we are also new to DCPS. I can’t say enough wonderful things about our experiences with Garrison. Starting at the top, Principal Kiplinger brings a focused and warm energy to the families and staff. He always encourages parents to speak out with concerns about any aspect of the school, and more importantly, follows-up with action to make sure that those concerns have been addressed. Communication at any school is vital to ensuring an engaged school community, and with the newsletters and classroom updates, I feel very connected to what’s going on, what’s expected and how I can get involved. I’ve also been to a few of the school gatherings (Back to School Night and Summer PTO Playdates) and I’ve had the opportunity to speak with families who have been with Garrison for years. The one thing I keep hearing is that Garrison is like an extended family. There are lots of ways the school seeks to support students and families, whether it’s through warm greetings at the front door, offering Spanish language interpreters at school events, the accessible support staff, top-notch teachers (who all did home visits and spent an hour each at our home!), work-friendly hours for school events (AM or PM) so that working parents can still participate, and on and on that lend to that family feel.
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2018

Fantastic. Our daughter is in prek at Garrison and we are thrilled with the school, the community, the teachers, the facilities, and the experience our daughter is having. We feel very lucky to be here!
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2018

Our experience has been fantastic. We can't imagine our children going anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2018

Our children have been at Garrison for three years. We have been thrilled with the growth they have shown in that time, and are continually impressed by the teachers, staff, and administration. Their skill, warmth, and commitment to fostering an inclusive community are apparent, and they have followed through on the promise of creating a school family where kids from diverse backgrounds can thrive.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2018

Our experience at Garrison has been fantastic so far. Both our sons love school. Facilities are incredible. Brand new renovated school with a gigantic new playing field that just opened in September. Also, two brand new playgrounds, a new outdoor classroom and three art installations. It's so nice, we've been going there on weekends. We've met lots of families in the neighborhood. Many have kids in other schools but now are considering Garrison now that it's renovated. We're impressed with the effectiveness of teachers and leadership in creating a high quality school. Everyone has been very friendly. There's a strong sense of community and commitment.