The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts is a small district in Salt Lake County that operates a single high school serving grades nine through twelve. It is a public charter school that centers on arts training, and its small size—about what you would expect for a specialized program—shapes nearly every aspect of the experience a student and family will find there.
The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic enrollment and smaller shares of students who are American Indian, Black, Asian, or multiracial. The district serves high school only, so there is no data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education identification, or English learner status. A parent looking for those numbers would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, which are the most recent available, proficiency rates were modest. In math, a little over a third of students met the bar. In English language arts, the share was somewhat higher but still below half. Science results were lower. Compared with other districts across Salt Lake County, the school’s overall performance across tested subjects sat below the midpoint. Chronic absenteeism, at roughly a quarter of students, was around the county median—noticeable but not out of line with the norm. Per-pupil spending was in the upper range among county districts, which reflects the costs of running a small, specialized program.
The school has been in flux recently, and that context matters. It relocated to downtown Salt Lake City, which ended a previous arrangement where students took core academic classes at Highland High School. The school then built its own core curriculum. Around the same time, its charter authorization was transferred from the Salt Lake City School District to Canyon Grove Academy, effective for the 2024-2025 school year, a move that kept the school open under new governance. Canyon Grove also added a hybrid elementary school on the same campus. For a family, this means the school’s academic program is still relatively new, and the governing structure just changed. It would be worth asking how the core curriculum has stabilized and what the relationship with Canyon Grove means for day-to-day operations.
No information on Advanced Placement, concurrent enrollment, career and technical education pathways, or arts-specific course offerings was available in the data. Given the school’s name and purpose, a performing arts focus is the draw, but a parent would want to confirm directly what specific disciplines—theater, dance, music, film—are offered and how much of the school day they occupy.
For a student deeply committed to the performing arts, this is a place built around that interest. The academic proficiency numbers are softer than what many county districts post, and a parent may want to investigate how the new core curriculum is trending and what support the school provides for students who may need academic catch-up. The recent changes in location, curriculum, and charter authorizer mean the school is not operating under the same conditions as even a few years ago; anyone considering it should speak with current families and the administration to get a clear picture of what a typical day looks like now.
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