A map of early school districts indicates that Garfield was part of District No. 9 which was the Holcomb District. Garfield was annexed into the Boise School District in 1910. The building stood north of the present building across Boise Avenue. The old school was torn down in the early 1950's. Most of the Boise schools were north of the Boise River in the early years.

The second Garfield was constructed in 1927 at the present site. The main building was a two-story building with a basement. There were eight classrooms as the school housed grades one through eight. The growth of the South Boise area in the 1940's deemed it necessary to add onto Garfield.