The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Science. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sterling School
Sterling School is an elementary serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in Tooele, a city in Tooele County about 30 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. It is part of Tooele District, the county-wide public school system, and this narrative is built entirely from the data provided.
Tooele itself is a mix of residential and industrial development. It functions as a bedroom community for Salt Lake City while also housing major employers such as the Tooele Army Depot, a Kennecott copper mine, and industrial and waste-management facilities. The built environment is suburban and auto-oriented, spread across a sizable area, with a traditional downtown business district that has been supplemented by larger retail and grocery complexes. Several parks, a public library, and a nine-hole golf course are within the city. New development is constrained by water rights, and the city has seen notable growth over recent decades, partly through annexation of former Army Depot land.
Sterling School enrolls a student body that is predominantly White. A substantial share of students identify as Hispanic, with smaller shares identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, two or more races, Asian, and Black. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a middle ground demographically; it is neither a concentrated-poverty school nor an affluent one.
Academically, the state testing data paints a clear picture. In math, the proficiency rate for students in grades three through eight was below the midpoint relative to other districts in Tooele County when the overall proficiency index across tested subjects is considered. In English language arts, proficiency was lower than in math. Science proficiency was moderate and a bit higher than in the other two subjects. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places the school below the midpoint among the four districts within Tooele County. A parent looking at these results may want to talk with the school about academic support and intervention practices, particularly in reading and math.
Because Sterling School serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism, staffing, discipline, and course access were not available. The district brief turned up no recent major changes such as bond elections, property tax levies, or new school construction that would affect a family’s decision in the near term.
Housing in the area carries a moderate cost. Home values are roughly in line with the national average, having held fairly steady over the past year. Rents have risen at a pace near the national trend. The estimated monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home is higher than the typical rent, meaning homeownership is less affordable in monthly cash terms than renting for a family without a large down payment. The national mortgage rate was around six and a half percent at the time this data was collected.
The picture here is of a straightforward neighborhood elementary school serving a community shaped by industrial employers and commuter ties to Salt Lake City. Academic results are a soft spot relative to other schools in the surrounding districts. For a family whose priority is high state test scores, this school may not be the strongest fit. For a family looking for a locally grounded school in a city with a mix of blue-collar industry and commuter culture, and who is prepared to engage with the school on academic progress, Sterling School fits that profile.
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