Founded in 1923 as East High School at it's present location, James Garfield High School is known as the magnet school for the school district's Accelerated Progress Program for especially gifted students. As a result, it has many college-level classes available ranging from calculus-based physics to Advanced Placement (AP) studio art.
Famous alumni of Garfield High include Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones. A sculpted bust of Hendrix (by Jeff Day of Whidbey Island) is located in the library of the school. The public can see the sculpture with a pass from the main office.
The children like to roll up paper and place it in the bust's mouth to make it look like Hendrix is smoking a joint. A student once placed a walkie-talkie inside the bust to perpetrate like it was talking.
