The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in Science. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on West Hills Middle
West Hills Middle is a large public school in the Jordan District, serving grades seven through nine in West Jordan, a fast-growing Salt Lake City suburb. The school sits in a city that is heavily car-dependent and lacks a traditional downtown, with its civic and commercial infrastructure spread across wide arterial roads. The western neighborhoods near the Oquirrh foothills are growing fastest, and school overcrowding tied to this development is a top civic concern.
The school’s enrollment is large for a middle-school-grade span. Its student body is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population making up the next largest group, and small shares of students who are Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, two or more races, or American Indian. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on special education enrollment, English learner enrollment, attendance, and discipline were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those areas.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates are below the midpoint relative to other districts in Salt Lake County. In the most recent testing year, proficiency in math was below a third of students, in English language arts it was just over a third, and in science it was also just over a third. A parent should look into these results further with the school to understand how the school supports students who are not yet meeting the state’s proficiency benchmarks. The state changed cut scores for English language arts in the years covered, so year-over-year trend comparisons are not reliable.
Because this school ends at ninth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Jordan District as a whole has experienced sustained enrollment growth and has had to build new schools and adjust boundaries to keep up. West Jordan’s own growth continues, with major projects including a new Salt Lake Community College main campus and hospital expansion, and the partially completed Mountain View Corridor freeway designed to serve the western neighborhoods.
West Hills Middle does not have a website listed in the available data. Housing in the school’s zip code is priced above the national typical home value, and the median rent is substantial. A household earning the national median income would face a mortgage significantly higher than the local rent, making renting more accessible than buying in this part of the Salt Lake Valley.
For a family considering this school, the profile is that of a large, suburban middle school in a fast-growing but car-dependent city, where state test results are below the midpoint for the county. The school serves a broad middle-grade span through ninth grade, and a parent will want to ask about the missing student support data and how the school addresses the academic performance levels reported.
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