Top Elementary Schools in Salt Lake City, Utah

For families who have children between the ages of five and seventeen that are looking to move either to or within Salt Lake City, schools are a critical factor in the decision-making process.

This is especially true at the elementary school age level, where young minds are given the foundation for the rest of their academic careers. It is integral that schools are convenient and easily accessible, offer a wide range of both curricular and extracurricular programs, and ultimately ensure a superior educational experience.

Niche put together a fantastic guide of the top Elementary Schools in Salt Lake City for 2018-19 using rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from both parents and students. They also used a wide variety of data directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include teacher quality, district quality, state test scores, student to teacher ratio, and student diversity.

Using that ranking guide provided a solid backbone upon which to create the following list that showcases the top-rated elementary schools in Salt Lake City, Utah:

1. Canyon Rim Academy, Salt Lake Public School District

Canyon Rim Academy has just over 500 students enrolled and is located at 3005 South 2900 East in Salt Lake City, UT. It currently has a student-teacher ratio of 23 :1 and boasts math and reading proficiencies of around 70%. This school is currently ranked as the best overall public elementary school in all of Salt Lake City according to the Niche guide.

Canyon Rim aims to help students achieve their academic, social, and emotional potential and offers a wide variety of core knowledge (math, science, english) and liberal arts courses.

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2. Beacon Heights Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Beacon Heights Elementary School is located at 1850 South 2500 East in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has around 500 students currently enrolled and a student-teach ratio of 25:1.

Beacon Heights scores very well academically, as 80% of students are proficient in math and almost 70% are proficient in reading. Staff and faculty are also very well reviewed, as many parents went out of their way to share positive reviews of core subject instruction and quality extracurricular / after school programs.

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Elementary School

3. Ensign Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Ensign Elementary comes extremely highly recommended by students and teachers alike. With an impressive student-teacher ratio of 19:1 and under 400 students currently enrolled, Ensign ensures that each child gets plenty of attention and instruction.

Located at 775 - 12th Avenue, over 70% of students are proficient at math and reading, while the computer, extended learning, and music programs are all fantastic extracurricular activities available to Ensign attendees.

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4. Hawthorne Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Located at 1675 South 600 East in Salt Lake City, Hawthorne Elementary has just under 450 students. Named after famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne is currently ranked better than 96.6% of schools in the entire state of Utah.

With a student-teacher ratio of 23:1 and a math and reading proficiency level of around 70%, students are given the proper tools and environment to succeed. Hawthorne also offers an ELP program for gifted students, which has received extremely high praise from both parents and children.

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5. Indian Hills Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Indian Hills currently has just under 500 students enrolled and is one of the top performing elementary schools in Salt Lake City. Test scores are also quite good, as 70% of students are proficient at math and reading - far above state averages. The school is located at 2496 St. Mary’s Drive.

With a student-teacher ratio of 21:1, class sizes are certainly quite reasonable as well. 96% of the teachers at Indian Hills have 3+ years of experience, which is also well above the current average for the rest of Utah (84%).

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6. Uintah Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Uintah Elementary School has been one of the top performing elementary schools in Salt Lake City for quite some time now. The school is located at 1571 East 1300 South and has almost 600 students. Students have excelled in math, reading, and science at Uintah, as around 75% are proficient in all three subjects - far, far above the state average of around 50%.

The current student-teacher ratio is 24:1, which is right around average. Students rave about the computer program and flexible homework options - and school spirit is promoted year round with plenty of unique theme days and events.

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7. Bonneville Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Located at 1145 South 1900 East, Bonneville has over 525 students enrolled and a respectable student-teacher ratio of 22:1. Academically, the school performs well above the state average in English, Math, and Science - with over 80% of students being proficient. This is over 30% higher than the average scores for the rest of Utah.

Bonneville also has an excellent program for students with disabilities, as over 55% are proficient compared to just 22% for the rest of the state. With student artwork on display in the hallways, a dance program, and an excellent music program, Bonneville offers one of the best student experiences at the elementary age-level in all of Utah.

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8. Wasatch Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

With just under 500 students currently enrolled, Wasatch is certainly a medium-sized elementary school that consistently scores 20-25 percent higher on math, reading, and science proficiency tests than other schools throughout Utah.

Located at 30 R Street, the school has a fairly decent 23:1 student-teacher ratio. Students love how much the curriculum encourages and provides opportunities for them to explore the arts - there is even a yearly arts festival.

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9. Highland Park Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Highland Park Elementary currently has almost 750 students currently enrolled, making it one of the bigger schools on this list. However, it still has a lower than state average student-teacher ratio of 21:1. Tests scores are also quite good, as 70-75% of students are proficient at reading, math, and science.

There is also a heavy focus on the arts, as students put on a wide variety of musical performances, dance recitals and plays throughout the year. The “Hands-On-Science” programs are also a big hit with both students and parents. Teachers go above and beyond to establish good relationships with parents as well - culture/learning environment is especially important at Highland Park.

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10. Emerson Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Emerson Elementary School has almost 600 students currently enrolled and is located at 1017 Harrison Avenue S., which is in the southeastern part of Salt Lake City. Students score 15-20% higher on proficiency tests than the state average for K-6 math, reading, and scientific evaluations.

The student-teacher ratio is at a very respectable 22:1, and almost 100% of teachers at the school have 3+ years of experience.

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11. Cottonwood Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Students at Cottonwood consistently score well above the state average on proficiency tests for reading, math, and science. The science program really stands out from other schools in the Salt Lake City area, as 80%+ of students score well on exams.

Located at 5205 Holladay Blvd. East, Cottonwood has just under 500 students currently enrolled. There is a ton of parental involvement encouraged, including a “Dad’s Club” that puts on special events throughout the year. The school also employs several Nationally Board Certified Teachers as well. Cottonwood Elementary School -

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12. Howard R. Driggs Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Howard R. Driggs is located at 4340 South 2700 East in Salt Lake City and has almost 700 students currently enrolled from K-6. The school does extremely well on state-wide proficiency tests, as 75-80% of students excel in reading, math, and science.

Howard R. Driggs also has a fantastic program for students with disabilities, as students in the program score almost 30% higher on average than some of the other programs offered across Utah at the elementary school level. With a friendly office staff, unique online assignments, and a very tight-knit community, Howard R. Driggs certainly has a lot to offer prospective students.

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13. Oakwood Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

With around 600 students currently enrolled, Oakwood is a medium-sized elementary school with a slightly higher than average student-teacher ratio of 28:1. However, Oakwood students score between 70-75% on proficiency tests, which is well-above the state average of around 50%.

They also offer students several fantastic extracurricular options, including the extremely popular Chess Club. The arts and music program is also very highly praised as well. There is a ton of parental involvement and an environment that truly promotes growth, fun, and achievement.

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14. Butler Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Located in the southern part of Salt Lake City, Butler Elementary is a top performing elementary school that consistently scores above the state average in reading, math, and science proficiency. Students with disabilities also do quite well at Butler, as they score almost 20% higher than students enrolled in other programs across Utah.

The school also has a lower student-teacher ratio (20:1) than most of the other elementary schools in the greater Salt Lake City area. Butler also boasts an impressive new building, which really stands out from other elementary schools in nearby neighbourhoods.

Thanks to a $250 million grant approved by voters in 2010, the school re-opened in 2016 and has 30 classrooms with new lighting, audio-visual technology, windows, gym, common areas, and recreation room. There is also a highly-praised French immersion program available to all students as well.

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15. Morningside Elementary School, Salt Lake City Public School District

Morningside currently has almost 700 students enrolled, making it one of the bigger elementary schools in the Salt Lake Public School District. Students perform quite well in reading, math, and science, as the school is consistently 15-20% higher than the 50% proficiency average.

It also has one of the better programs in the entire city for kids with disabilities, especially in English - 65% of students in the program are considered proficient, compared to just 11% across the rest of the state. The French immersion and Magnet (accelerated learning for gifted students with a focus on greater independence, especially outside the classroom) programs are both fantastic as well.

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The Salt Lake City, Utah area certainly provides a number of exceptional elementary schools that have a wide variety of unique programs for students from K-6. It is fairly easy to find a school in the Salt Lake area that performs 30%+ higher than the overall state average. This is also true for students who have disabilities and need special care and attention.

Although this list is quite comprehensive, it only covers 15 out of over 100 elementary schools in the greater Salt Lake City area - there is certainly no shortage of education options. If you are considering a move to or within the city, please contact the Harvest Park Group today for assistance in making the best choice for your family. We have in-depth neighborhood guides and pride ourselves in providing the best available information to help you make an informed decision.

 

 

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