The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Harry S. Truman School
Harry S. Truman School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in West Valley City, part of the Granite District. It is a neighborhood elementary school in a community that has transformed rapidly from a collection of unincorporated areas into Utah’s second-largest city. For parents looking at this school, the picture that emerges is one of a high-needs student body, with academic performance that falls in the bottom quarter of Salt Lake County districts when measured across tested subjects and grades.
State testing results cover grades three through six in math, English language arts, and science. Across those subjects, proficiency rates are notably lower than the midpoint for the county. In math and science, a little under a third of students reached the proficient or above level; in English language arts, the share was smaller still. These are elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate or college readiness data to consider. Parents may want to ask the school specifically about how instruction supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks, and about any targeted interventions or programs in place, as the data alone does not capture those details.
The school enrollment is mid-sized for an elementary building serving these grades. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with significant economic need. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse. White students and Hispanic students each make up roughly two-fifths of enrollment, with smaller but notable shares of students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, Black, and multiracial. The data on English learner and special education populations is not reported, so a parent considering this school would want to follow up directly on those supports.
West Valley City sits in the Salt Lake Valley, bordered by the Jordan River on the east. It has a mix of residential neighborhoods, strip commercial corridors, and industrial areas. Major employers include finance, logistics, and manufacturing companies, and the city has been working since a planned downtown district around Fairbourne Station was launched to concentrate civic and retail uses near public transit. The city’s growth has been strong, with ongoing development and a culturally diverse population. For a family living in this part of West Valley City, Harry S. Truman School is the local elementary, feeding into the district’s junior highs and high schools elsewhere.
Housing in the school’s ZIP code carries a typical value that sits somewhat below the state average, though still above the national median. Rents relative to income are moderate, but the gap between mortgage costs and rents suggests that buying a home here requires a significant income premium over renting. The housing market has seen slight softening recently, but it remains expensive relative to national benchmarks. For residents working at one of the city’s large employers, the commute is likely short; for those working elsewhere in the county, the area’s highway and transit access provides reasonable connectivity.
The district itself operates many elementary, junior high, and high schools across West Valley City and surrounding communities. We looked for recent district-level changes such as bond measures or strategic plans but found little publicly reported information to include, so that dimension remains open for a parent to explore directly with Granite District.
In sum, Harry S. Truman School is a diverse, high-poverty elementary school in a fast-growing suburban city. Academic proficiency is low compared to other Salt Lake County districts, a pattern consistent with the challenges many high-needs schools face. Families considering this school will want to understand what academic supports are available, how the school addresses the needs of its economically diverse population, and what the feeder pathways look like into middle and high school within the Granite District. The data does not speak to programs, enrichment, or school climate, so those are natural next questions for a visit or conversation with the principal.
See more original research from School Decision →