The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in Science. The lowest is 55% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillside Middle
Hillside Middle serves seventh and eighth graders in Salt Lake City’s east side, part of the Salt Lake District. With an enrollment that fits its two-grade span, the school is large enough to offer a full academic program while still feeling like a neighborhood school. The student body is majority white, with a notable Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who identify as Asian, Black, multiracial, or Pacific Islander. Just over a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that positions Hillside as economically mixed relative to other schools in the area.
Academically, Hillside posts numbers that stand out among Salt Lake County schools. The school’s overall proficiency across state-tested subjects lands in the top quarter of the county’s middle-grade programs, a strong showing. In math, more than six in ten students meet the state’s proficiency bar. Science proficiency is also above that mark, and English language arts lags slightly behind those two subjects but remains well above the county median. The assessments used are Utah’s RISE tests, which measure grade-level standards. Because the school only covers grades seven and eight, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the profile. A parent who wants a fuller picture of how student subgroups perform might want to check directly with the school.
Hillside has a partnership with the larger Salt Lake District, which recently authorized major facility changes. Voters in late 2024 approved a bond that funds, among several projects across the city, an addition at Hillside Middle. That means physical expansion is on the horizon. At the same time, the district redrew high school boundaries in early 2025, a move that could shift which upper-level schools Hillside’s graduates ultimately attend. Families entering the feeder pattern now should confirm their assigned high school under the new lines.
The housing context around Hillside is expensive. Home values in the zip code are well above the state and national medians, and rents reflect that premium. The typical monthly mortgage on a median-priced home in the area runs well ahead of the average rent, so buying here requires significant income or a large down payment. The neighborhood sits within Salt Lake City itself, where the national unemployment rate is modest and median household income is solid. The school is located on the east bench near the University of Utah, a part of the city known for walkable blocks and access to light rail, though the specific commute from any given house will vary.
Salt Lake City is a growing metropolitan core with new housing developments clustered in various neighborhoods, and it has civic anchors like major hospital systems and the state’s flagship university. The economy is diverse, with large employers in education, health care, and technology. For a family looking at Hillside, the school offers strong test scores, a middle-class peer environment, and the backing of a district that is investing in its facilities. The trade-offs are the high cost of housing and the uncertainty of boundary adjustments. The school itself appears to deliver a solid academic experience for the grades it serves.
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