The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mountain Sunrise Academy
Mountain Sunrise Academy is a tuition-free public Waldorf charter school district in Utah County. It opened in 2020 serving kindergarten through sixth grade and has since expanded to serve kindergarten through eighth grade. The district operates a single school located on the border of Lehi and Saratoga Springs. Because it serves only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report.
The student body is relatively small for a district of this grade span, with enrollment that skews heavily toward the primary grades—kindergarten through fifth grade—and drops off notably in seventh and eighth grades. Racially, the vast majority of students are white, with a modest Hispanic share and very small representations of other racial and ethnic groups. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners were not available.
Academically, Mountain Sunrise Academy’s performance on Utah’s RISE assessments places it in the bottom quartile among Utah County’s districts for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. Proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science all fall well below the midpoint of the county’s districts. A parent evaluating this school may want to explore what academic supports are in place and how the Waldorf curriculum aligns with state standards and testing expectations.
Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern. The rate of students who miss a substantial portion of the school year places the district in the bottom quartile among its county peers, meaning the absenteeism rate is among the highest in the county. This is an area a prospective family would want to discuss directly with the school to understand the underlying causes and what steps are being taken.
Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range among Utah County’s districts. This likely reflects the school’s size and charter status rather than a lack of resources, but it is worth noting in the context of the school’s academic and attendance challenges.
Mountain Sunrise Academy’s defining feature is its Waldorf approach, offered in a public, tuition-free setting. This model emphasizes arts, hands-on learning, and a slower introduction to academics in early grades. For families in the Saratoga Springs and Lehi area who want a public Waldorf option for kindergarten through eighth grade, this school fills a niche that did not previously exist locally. The expansion to include seventh and eighth grades makes it a complete K-8 pathway within a single school.
The locale and surrounding community context were not available in the data, so it is not possible to describe the housing market, growth context, or specific town characteristics here. The district brief confirms the school’s founding and grade expansion, but broader community details were not provided.
Overall, Mountain Sunrise Academy offers a distinctive educational philosophy in a small, growing charter setting. Its academic results and attendance patterns are areas where the school is working well below county norms, and families should look into those further. The value proposition is the Waldorf model itself, which for some families outweighs conventional metrics.
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