The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Science. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Falcon Ridge School
Falcon Ridge School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in West Jordan, a large, fast-growing suburb of Salt Lake City. The school is part of the Jordan School District, a system that has seen considerable enrollment growth over the last decade, with new construction and boundary adjustments common in its western communities.
The student body is about half white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who are Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or of two or more races. Roughly a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of household economic need common in public schools.
On statewide assessments in math and science for the most recent testing year, and in English language arts from the year prior, Falcon Ridge’s overall proficiency rates were below the midpoint among elementary and middle schools in Salt Lake County. The share of students scoring proficient or above was roughly three in ten in math and a bit higher in English and science. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, especially regarding how the school supports students who are not yet at the proficient mark and whether there are particular grade levels or student groups where the results are stronger.
No data was reported on chronic absenteeism or graduation rate. Since the school serves only elementary and middle grades, a graduation rate does not apply, and the absence of attendance data is a gap a parent might ask the school about.
The school’s location in West Jordan places it in a car-dependent suburb without a traditional downtown. Neighborhoods are suburban, with wide arterial roads and separated commercial centers. TRAX light rail runs through the city with six stops, and UTA bus routes connect to neighboring TRAX stations, but most families rely on cars. The western part of the city, where the Oquirrh Mountains rise, is where the fastest residential growth is happening, and school overcrowding and transportation are ongoing civic concerns.
Housing in the area costs more than the national median but is comparable to Utah’s statewide benchmark. Rent is modestly higher than what a typical household in the area can comfortably afford, while buying carries a larger monthly cost than renting. For a family moving into the neighborhood, the affordability picture is mixed, and the choice to rent or buy comes with different tradeoffs in this market.
For a family considering Falcon Ridge, the picture is one of a suburban elementary school in a rapidly growing district, with a diverse student body and academic results that sit below the county average. The strengths a parent might weigh include the size of the school, the grade span through sixth, and the school’s role in a large district that has many programs and options. The areas to investigate are the academic performance trend and the availability of support for students who need to reach grade-level benchmarks.
See more original research from School Decision →