The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Parkside School
Parkside School is an elementary school in the Murray District, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It sits in a nearly built-out suburb of Salt Lake City, a place that has reinvented itself from a smelting town into a regional healthcare and retail hub anchored by Intermountain Medical Center. Parents looking at Parkside will find a school whose student body is economically diverse, where state test scores suggest considerable room for growth, and where the surrounding housing market reflects a stable, in-demand part of the Salt Lake Valley.
The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary, with class sizes that appear typical. The student population is notably diverse by race and ethnicity. Hispanic or Latino students make up the largest share, followed by White students, and the school also serves smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a large portion of families face economic challenges. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the state reporting, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports and staffing for those populations.
On state assessments, Parkside’s overall proficiency across reading, math, and science places the school in the bottom quarter when compared to other districts across Salt Lake County. The most recent results for English language arts, math, and science each show that roughly a quarter to a third of students met the state’s proficiency standard. These are soft spots. A parent considering Parkside would be wise to ask what academic interventions and enrichment are in place, how the school tracks student growth from year to year, and what the school improvement plan targets.
Parkside offers no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The school is located within the Murray District, which operates a set of neighborhood elementary schools, two middle schools, and one comprehensive high school. The district has no notable recent changes or strategic initiatives publicly reported that would alter a family’s decision about this school.
The neighborhood around Parkside is the larger Murray community. This is a suburban city organized around major arterials, with TRAX light-rail and FrontRunner commuter rail stations providing transit access to the wider region. The housing stock is a mix of mid-century residential and newer transit-oriented development. Typical home values in the school’s ZIP code are near the state average and a bit above the national figure, making this a moderately priced area for the Salt Lake Valley. Rents, however, have dipped slightly year over year, which could signal a shift in the local rental market. The combination of a stable, built-out suburb and a school with a high-poverty student body means Parkside serves a community where many families are stretching to afford housing in an established neighborhood.
For a family, Parkside is a choice that comes with clear trade-offs. The peer environment is economically diverse and the setting is a well-located, transit-connected suburb with a strong civic infrastructure of parks, a library, and a major medical employer. The academic picture is weaker than most other Salt Lake County districts, and a parent should expect to advocate for their child’s learning and to stay in close touch with the school about academic progress. The school does not appear to have special program offerings like a magnet theme or a charter focus; it operates as a traditional neighborhood elementary. Families who value a diverse, centrally located community and are prepared to engage actively with the school on academics may find Parkside a good fit. Those seeking a school with above-average test outcomes may want to look at other options in the county.
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