The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Science. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Calvin S. Smith School
Calvin S. Smith School is an elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the Granite District, located in Taylorsville, a mid-sized suburban city in the Salt Lake Valley. Taylorsville is a car-oriented community without a traditional downtown core, shaped by residential subdivisions, apartment complexes, and commercial corridors like Redwood Road. The city incorporated partly out of residents’ desire for greater control over development, and it continues to see commercial and residential projects, including a new performing arts center and a planned bus rapid transit line. Utah State University operates a satellite center in the city, and key employment areas include the West Employment Center and Sorenson Research Park.
The school itself serves a student population that is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students from other backgrounds, including Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. Just over a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is lower than in many nearby elementary schools and suggests a middle-income peer environment overall, though families at all income levels are represented. The school is not a charter or magnet school.
In terms of academic performance, Calvin S. Smith School posts results that place it comfortably above the midpoint among its peers. Looking at proficiency across tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall performance sits in the top quartile relative to other districts in Salt Lake County, a wide comparison set that includes many high-performing suburban systems. On state assessments, proficiency in English language arts was above the midpoint, and science proficiency was at a similar level. Math proficiency was lower, though still above the county median. This pattern — stronger in reading and science, softer in math — is common across many schools, but a parent may want to inquire with the school about math support and instruction specifically.
Because the school serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate, and no chronic absenteeism data was available for this profile. State testing data was reported for the most recent school years, and the assessments used are Utah’s RISE exams.
The school’s housing market context is notable. The typical home value in the area was moderately above the national benchmark but below the statewide Utah figure. A typical monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is steep, and renting is significantly cheaper than buying, with rent consuming a somewhat modest share of income. This puts homeownership out of reach for many local households and suggests that renter families may be a growing part of the school’s residential base. The national unemployment rate has been stable, and mortgage rates have been elevated, which is slowing turn-over in the housing market.
Granite District, of which Calvin S. Smith School is a part, is a large, long-established district covering a wide swath of the Salt Lake Valley. No recent referendum, bond, or major policy change was surfaced in web research, so this narrative leaves that context out rather than guess. The school is one of many elementary schools in a district that serves a broad socioeconomic range, and its own student body leans more middle-income than the district average.
For a family considering the area, Calvin S. Smith School offers a generally strong academic profile, with tested proficiency that is above the middle of the pack across a large county. The math scores are a relative soft spot worth a conversation with the school. The surrounding community is suburban and car-dependent, with a mix of older single-family homes and newer apartment construction. The housing market is expensive for buyers but moderately priced for renters. The school is well-suited for a family seeking a solid, middle-performing elementary in a large district, where the peer group is predominantly white and economically stable, and where the broader community offers employment anchors and a growing civic infrastructure without a walkable downtown.
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