The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Excelsior Academy
Excelsior Academy is a K-8 district in Tooele County, Utah, operating as a single-school district that serves an enrollment that is comparatively large for an elementary and middle school grade band. Its student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population that makes up the next largest share, and the remaining students represent a mix of small racial and ethnic groups. The school is a charter school, which means it operates with its own board and admissions process rather than under the county’s traditional district. Families choosing Excelsior are opting into a standalone charter system for grades kindergarten through eighth grade, without a high school on site.
Academically, the district’s performance on Utah’s RISE assessments places it in a strong position relative to other districts in Tooele County. Its overall proficiency rate across math, English language arts, and science, when averaged together, sits at the top of the county’s districts. The school’s proficiency in science was the highest among the three subjects, with a moderately high share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark. Math and English language arts proficiency rates were similar to each other and slightly lower than science. While these results are favorable compared to the district’s neighbors, a parent looking at the raw scores may note that the rates are in a range where a notable portion of students are not yet meeting proficiency expectations, which is common across many schools.
The comparison data also shows that chronic absenteeism at Excelsior Academy sits above the midpoint among Tooele County’s districts, meaning a moderate share of students are missing a substantial number of school days. This is a soft spot that a family may want to discuss with the school to understand what supports are in place and what factors may be driving that pattern. Per-pupil spending at the district is in the middle range but on the lower side among the county’s districts, which is typical for many charter schools that operate without some of the facility funding that traditional districts receive.
The district has publicly discussed an expansion plan. According to a 2021 community survey and an application filed with the state, Excelsior Academy sought to add a ninth grade, based on interest from families in the community. As of the 2024-2025 school year, the school still only serves through eighth grade, so that expansion has not yet materialized. If it does in the future, it would offer a complete middle school through high school option within the same charter school, but for now, students must transition to another high school after eighth grade.
Because Excelsior does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing data covers only kindergarten through eighth grade, so the district’s record is limited to those years. This is a straightforward reflection of its grade configuration rather than a missing data point. For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of relative strength within Tooele County, but the student body is experiencing a chronic absenteeism rate that is higher than some neighbors. The school is a single-site charter with a pending but not yet realized plan to grow into high school, which may affect a family’s planning for the long term. The housing context for the district was not provided in the available data, so a reader would need to look at the broader Tooele County area for information on home values, rents, and community growth.
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