The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington School
Washington School is a public elementary school in Salt Lake City, serving students from prekindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of the Salt Lake District, the city’s main public school system. The school draws from a neighborhood in the northern part of the city, near the state capitol and within a short distance of downtown. The area around the school has seen strong home price appreciation in recent years, with median values well above the national figure, though rents remain a more moderate share of typical incomes. That housing market context shapes who can live in the attendance zone and, by extension, the school’s enrollment.
The student body is diverse. The largest racial or ethnic group is white, followed closely by Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. Roughly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a sign that the school serves a mix of income levels and that a substantial portion of families may benefit from support programs. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the public record, which makes it harder to assess the full range of services provided. A parent interested in those supports would want to ask the school directly.
Academically, Washington School performs above the midpoint among all districts in Salt Lake County when combining its test results across math, English language arts, and science. That overall proficiency figure puts the school in the stronger half of the area’s fifty or so districts. Look more closely, though, and the subjects tell a different story. In English language arts, about half of students scored proficient, and in science the figure was similar. Math, however, was notably lower: roughly a third of students met the proficiency bar. That gap between math and the other subjects is a clear soft spot. A family considering the school should ask what interventions are in place for students who struggle with math and how the school works to bring that subject up to the level of its other results. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to consider.
The district that oversees Washington School has recently made two major decisions that will affect families. In late 2024, voters approved a large bond to fund six construction projects, including full replacements of two high schools, additions at two middle schools, and renovations at two others. That bond comes with a property tax increase and will reshape the district’s facilities over several years. In early 2025, the school board adopted new high school boundaries, rerouting some feeder patterns. For a family with children in elementary school now, those boundary changes may determine which high school their child eventually attends. Parents should verify the current feeder pattern for Washington School and stay aware of any adjustments in the coming years.
The school itself is neither a charter nor, based on available information, a magnet. Its Title I status was not reported, so it is unclear whether it receives federal funds aimed at schools with high poverty. No data on staffing, class size, or disciplinary rates were provided. What is clear is a school that serves a mixed-income, diverse student body, posts decent overall results that sit above the county median, but has a math proficiency gap worth investigating. For a family weighing options in Salt Lake City’s competitive housing market, Washington School offers a neighborhood elementary option whose academic profile is solid but uneven, and whose district is actively investing in major facility upgrades.
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