The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 76% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hawthorne School
Hawthorne School is a K–6 public elementary school in Salt Lake City, part of the Salt Lake District. It sits in the city’s eastern-central neighborhoods, an area with a long-established residential character and close-in access to downtown. For a family looking at this school, the first thing to understand is that Hawthorne serves only the elementary years; students move on to middle and high school elsewhere in the district, and those feeder assignments shifted in early 2025 when the board approved new high school boundaries that align with east-side elementary and middle school patterns. That boundary change is a direct, practical concern for any family planning ahead.
The school itself is a solid performer on state assessments. In the most recent testing year, across math, English language arts, and science, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was consistently high. When placed against other schools in Salt Lake County—the 48-district comparison set—Hawthorne’s overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile. That is a clear strength. The numbers that underlie that placement are on the page for anyone who wants the precise figures, but the takeaway in plain terms is that this school posts attainment well above the county median. For a parent weighing academic rigor at the elementary level, this is a positive signal.
Enrollment is a few hundred students, spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through sixth grade, with the largest classes in the upper grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students who identify as Asian or as two or more races, a smaller but present Hispanic population, and very small numbers from other racial and ethnic groups. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a below-average rate for a public school and an indicator that the attendance zone draws from a relatively higher-income area. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent with specific questions about special education or language services would want to follow up directly with the school.
The neighborhood around Hawthorne is expensive. Home values in the ZIP code are well above both the Utah state and national benchmarks, and rents are correspondingly high. The affordability gap between owning and renting is substantial. For a family considering moving into the attendance area, this is the primary contextual fact: housing costs are steep, and the cost of a mortgage relative to local incomes is stretched. The area is not a new-growth suburb; it is an established Salt Lake City neighborhood with mature tree-lined streets, a walkable grid, and proximity to the TRAX light-rail line, downtown offices, and civic anchors like Liberty Park and the central library. Publicly reported information points to continued development pressure in the city, with new housing going up in various corridors, but the immediate school zone is unlikely to see rapid turnover of the housing stock. Residents here have been in place for a while, and the market reflects that premium.
The district itself is in the middle of a large facilities overhaul. Voters approved a bond in late 2024 that will fund multiple major construction projects, including full replacements of West and Highland high schools, additions at two middle schools, and renovations at two others. The tax impact on property owners is a real line-item increase, but for elementary families it means that the secondary schools Hawthorne feeds into will be rebuilt or upgraded within the next several years. That is a significant long-term change in the physical environment of the district, and it may factor into a family’s timeline.
There are no discipline, staffing, or attendance data in the available material to discuss. The school’s charter, magnet, and Title I status are either not reported or not applicable. Hawthorne is a straightforward neighborhood elementary school, not a magnet or a charter, and its performance record is strong enough to be a draw for families who can manage the housing costs. The peer environment reflects the economic and demographic profile of its attendance zone. For a parent who values proven academic achievement at the elementary level, a walkable urban setting with good access to transit and city amenities, and a district that is investing heavily in its physical plant, Hawthorne fits well. A parent who needs more information on special education services, class sizes, or the specific support structures for English learners should ask the school directly, because those data points are not publicly captured in the sources used here.
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