The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Utah Arts Academy
Utah Arts Academy is a small, independent public charter school district in Washington County that serves only high school grades, from ninth through twelfth. The district consists of a single school, also named Utah Arts Academy, located in St. George. Because it is a charter school, admission is determined by a lottery system, and there is no tuition.
The school has undergone a significant recent transformation. In 2021, the previous entity, Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts, closed permanently and transferred its charter to what is now Utah Arts Academy. The school moved to a new facility on Bluff Street in St. George, broke its formal ties with the Tuacahn Center for the Arts, and rebranded. It also expanded its arts focus beyond performing arts to include visual arts, technical theatre, film, and audio production. For families, this means the current school has a newer campus and a broader arts curriculum than its predecessor, but it also has a relatively short operating history under its current name and structure.
Academically, the picture is mixed. The most recent state testing data, from the 2024-25 school year, shows that a substantial portion of students are not yet meeting the state's proficiency benchmarks in math, with a proficiency rate that places the school above the midpoint among Washington County's districts on a combined proficiency index. Science results were stronger, with about half of students scoring proficient or above. The data for English language arts is older, from the 2016-17 school year under the prior school name, and may not reflect current performance. For a family evaluating the school, the biggest gap in the data is the absence of a reported four-year graduation rate. The district brief does not provide one, and the comparison data notes that this metric is missing. Given that this is a high school, a parent should ask the school directly about its graduation and postsecondary outcomes.
The student body is relatively small and predominantly white, with a Hispanic population making up a notable share. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available in the data provided, so a family should ask the school about the level of student support services.
An area of clear concern is chronic absenteeism. The school's rate was well above the median among Washington County's districts and placed in the bottom quartile, meaning students are missing a significant amount of instructional time. This is a soft spot that a parent may want to investigate with the school to understand the underlying causes and the steps being taken to improve attendance.
On the financial side, the school's per-pupil current spending is in the upper range compared to other districts in the county. This suggests a relatively high level of investment per student, which may support the specialized arts programs and the newer facility.
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