Is Utah Connections Academy a good school?

Utah Connections Academy ranks in the bottom 12.5% of Utah alternative schools.

How many students attend Utah Connections Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,020 students attended Utah Connections Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Utah Connections Academy?

Students at Utah Connections Academy are 70% White, 21% Hispanic, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

Utah Connections Academy

Summary:

Utah Connections Academy is a public charter virtual school serving 1,020 students in grades K-12 in Salt Lake City, Utah. While the school has seen a shift in its racial makeup over the past few years, with a decrease in the percentage of White students and an increase in Hispanic students, its academic performance has been a mixed bag compared to state averages and nearby schools.

Utah Connections Academy's test scores are generally lower than the state averages across various grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in RISE/English Language Arts ranged from 26.2% (5th grade) to 42.8% (3rd grade), compared to the state averages of 48.3% (5th grade) and 46.7% (3rd grade). Similarly, in RISE/Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 8.7% (6th grade) to 33.4% (3rd grade), while the state averages ranged from 35.6% (6th grade) to 49.1% (3rd grade). However, the school's performance is generally better than that of the nearby Utah Virtual Academy, particularly in English Language Arts and Science.

One interesting finding is that Utah Connections Academy has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch compared to some nearby schools, such as Entheos Academy Kearns, American Preparatory Academy - Accelerated School, and Granite Connection High. This suggests that the school may serve a more affluent student population, which could be a contributing factor to its relatively lower test scores, as socioeconomic status is often correlated with academic performance.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Virtual, Alternative K-12

675 E. 2100 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

(801) 298-6660

District: Utah Connections Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
491^st of 561 Utah Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,061

Student/teacher ratio: 26.4

Number of students: 1,020

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.9%

Hispanic:

20.9%

Pacific Islander:

3.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27%

See top rated Utah elementary schools

Compare Utah Connections Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Utah Connections Academy ranks worse than 87.5% of elementary schools in Utah. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.45. (See more...)

Compare Details Utah Connections Academy ranks worse than 86.7% of middle schools in Utah. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.41. (See more...)

Compare Details Utah Connections Academy ranks worse than 67.4% of high schools in Utah. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.9. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Utah Connections Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Utah Connections Academy is $7,061.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Utah Connections Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Utah Connections Academy 491^st of 561 Utah public elementary schools. (See Utah Connections Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Utah Connections Academy 182^nd of 210 Utah public middle schools. (See Utah Connections Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Utah Connections Academy 93^rd of 138 Utah public high schools. (See Utah Connections Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

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Your rating for Utah Connections Academy?

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Rank History for Utah Connections Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Utah Connections Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2012	14.62	534^th	579	7.8%
2013	24.63	486^th	576	15.6%
2015	12.14	485^th	537	9.7%
2017	15.86	462^nd	526	12.2%
2019	25.48	437^th	572	23.6%
2021	28.31	411^th	559	26.5%
2022	20.05	441^st	551	20.0%
2024	13.45	491^st	561	12.5%

See the entire list of Utah Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Utah Connections Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	3.26	434^th	435	0.2%

See the entire list of Best Utah Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Utah Connections Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Utah Connections Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2012	18.36	219^th	238	8.0%
2013	39.79	183^rd	243	24.7%
2014	16.20	159^th	185	14.1%
2015	17.97	178^th	210	15.2%
2016	23.84	172^nd	209	17.7%
2017	10.30	188^th	206	8.7%
2018	15.09	146^th	172	15.1%
2019	35.28	152^nd	222	31.5%
2021	30.33	155^th	213	27.2%
2022	14.06	180^th	209	13.9%
2023	21.53	170^th	216	21.3%
2024	13.41	182^nd	210	13.3%

See the entire list of Utah Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school White students at Utah Connections Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	6.20	183^rd	191	4.2%
2023	11.17	179^th	191	6.3%
2024	11.48	168^th	183	8.2%

See the entire list of Best Utah Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Utah Connections Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Utah Connections Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	UT State Percentile
2012	35.31	119^th	166	28.3%
2013	31.51	128^th	167	23.4%
2014	26.42	90^th	120	25.0%
2015	18.65	109^th	131	16.8%
2016	26.33	97^th	129	24.8%
2017	16.29	110^th	125	12.0%
2018	12.37	110^th	123	10.6%
2019	20.92	113^th	136	16.9%
2021	31.65	92^nd	129	28.7%
2022	36.60	89^th	131	32.1%
2023	32.73	94^th	139	32.4%
2024	33.90	93^rd	138	32.6%

See the entire list of Utah Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school White students at Utah Connections Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	29.18	93^rd	123	24.4%
2023	29.24	89^th	122	27.0%
2024	26.42	97^th	123	21.1%

See the entire list of Best Utah Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Utah State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Utah Connections Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	223	4	8	15	2	3	17	272
2013	371	8	4	35	1	6	11	436
2014	587	11	5	52	3	3	26	687
2015	693	11	15	91	3	7	9	829
2016	730	15	8	106	6	7	33	905
2017	744	12	20	106	11	12	22	927
2018	822	9	12	134	11	21	13	1022
2019	910	16	12	151	13	22	10	1134
2020	709	15	10	120	4	13	6	877
2021	993	22	22	184	3	13	6	1243
2022	817	26	27	179	8	14	7	1078
2023	713	22	19	213	9	32	12	1020

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Utah Connections Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	272	7.6	35.5	98.9
2013	436	10.7	40.7	86.5
2014	687	16.3	41.9	47.2
2015	829	n/a	n/a	44.5
2016	905	n/a	n/a	41.1
2017	927	16.3	56.5	33
2018	1022	n/a	n/a	33.8
2019	1134	28.2	40.1	34.4
2020	877	26.2	33.4	35.7
2021	1243	n/a	n/a	31.4
2022	1078	33.5	32.1	32.3
2023	1020	38.5	26.4	27

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Utah Connections Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	272	7.6	35.5	98.9
2013	436	10.7	40.7	86.5
2014	687	16.3	41.9	47.2
2015	829	n/a	n/a	44.5
2016	905	n/a	n/a	41.1
2017	927	16.3	56.5	33
2018	1022	n/a	n/a	33.8
2019	1134	28.2	40.1	34.4
2020	877	26.2	33.4	35.7
2021	1243	n/a	n/a	31.4
2022	1078	33.5	32.1	32.3
2023	1020	38.5	26.4	27

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Utah Connections Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$254 (3.6%)	$6,807 (96.4%)	$7,061

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Utah Connections Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 437^th of 572 Elementary schools	Ranks 441^st of 551 Elementary schools	3.6%
Ranks 152^nd of 222 Middle schools	Ranks 170^th of 216 Middle schools	10.2%
Ranks 113^th of 136 High schools	Ranks 94^th of 139 High schools	15.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	56.8	37.5	19.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	56.8	37.5	19.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.9	45.3	3.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	11.1	10	1.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	11.1	10	1.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	39.2	34.9	4.3%
6th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	52.3	28.6	23.7%
6th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	52.3	28.6	23.7%
6th Grade Science (Utah)	57.7	55.5	2.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	45.8	38.2	7.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	45.8	38.2	7.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	44.1	41.4	2.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	28.4	21.9	6.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	28.4	21.9	6.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	45.2	44.9	0.3%
7th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	33.8	22.4	11.4%
7th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	33.8	22.4	11.4%
7th Grade Science (Utah)	44.5	45.5	1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	48.6	40.2	8.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	48.6	40.2	8.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	43.3	41.8	1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	15.1	12.2	2.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	15.1	12.2	2.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	42.7	37.4	5.3%
8th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	39.2	27.8	11.4%
8th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	39.2	27.8	11.4%
8th Grade Science (Utah)	49.2	48.5	0.7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	41.5	44.3	2.8%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	41.5	44.3	2.8%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.2	44	4.2%
9th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	11.1	19.2	8.1%
9th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	11.1	19.2	8.1%
9th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	43.6	32.8	10.8%
9th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	19.8	30.9	11.1%
9th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	19.8	30.9	11.1%
9th Grade Science (Utah)	36.2	38.1	1.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	58.7	44.9	13.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Utah Connections Academy)	58.7	44.9	13.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	49.5	45	4.5%
10th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	6	15.4	9.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Utah Connections Academy)	6	15.4	9.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	36.3	27.7	8.6%
10th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	17.6	31.3	13.7%
10th Grade Science (Utah Connections Academy)	17.6	31.3	13.7%
10th Grade Science (Utah)	33	32.2	0.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1134	1020	10.1%
African American	16	22	37.5%
American Indian	13	9	30.8%
Asian	12	19	58.3%
Hispanic	151	213	41.1%
Pacific Islander	22	32	45.5%
White	910	713	21.6%
Two or More Races	10	12	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	34.4%	27%	7.4%

Schools Near Utah Connections Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts (2024)		Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics (2024)		Utah Aspire Plus Science (2024)		RISE English Language Arts (2024)						RISE Mathematics (2024)						RISE Science (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 10th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	RISE English Language Arts 4th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 5th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 7th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 8th Grade	RISE Mathematics 3rd Grade	RISE Mathematics 4th Grade	RISE Mathematics 5th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 7th Grade	RISE Mathematics 8th Grade	RISE Science 4th Grade	RISE Science 5th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	RISE Science 7th Grade	RISE Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Utah Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	675 E. 2100 South	Salt Lake City	84106	Salt Lake County	Utah Connections Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(801) 298-6660	1,020	39	26.4	27.0%	713 (69.9%)	22 (2.2%)	213 (20.9%)	19 (1.9%)	9 (0.9%)	32 (3.1%)	12 (1.2%)								(n/a)	38.7		31.4	21.4	37.8	21.7	42.8		26.2	32.6	30.2	42.6	33.4		19.5	8.7	20.8	12.9		21.9	15.2	16.4	30.1	$7,061	$254	$6,807
Blind Region 2	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1655 East 3300	Salt Lake City	84106	Salt Lake County	Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind	No	No	No	No	(801) 464-0840	8	28	.2		3 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (25.0%)								(n/a)
Jean Massieu School for the Deaf	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1655 E 3300 S	Salt Lake City	84106	Salt Lake County	Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind	No	No	No	No	(801) 302-1900	113	27	4.1	21.2%	57 (50.4%)	3 (2.7%)	40 (35.4%)	5 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	7 (6.2%)								(n/a)
Youth Educational Support School	Public, Alternative	K-12	450 East 3700 South	Salt Lake City	84115	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4682	74	22	3.3	16.2%	39 (52.7%)	5 (6.8%)	27 (36.5%)	2 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)
Granite Connection High	Public, Alternative	K-12	501 E 3900 S	Salt Lake City	84107	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-5435	482	56	8.5	52.1%	175 (36.3%)	27 (5.6%)	239 (49.6%)	6 (1.2%)	9 (1.9%)	21 (4.4%)	5 (1.0%)								(n/a)																								$9,319	$516	$8,803
Utah Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	310 E 4500 S	Murray	84107	Salt Lake County	Utah Virtual Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(801) 262-4922	1,772	93	19.0	44.3%	1,477 (83.4%)	37 (2.1%)	86 (4.9%)	8 (0.5%)	24 (1.4%)	29 (1.6%)	111 (6.3%)								(n/a)	29.5	48.9	16.9	9.0	33.0	35.3	38.6	28.2	22.3	25.8	26.5	32.3	28.8	25.0	7.3	6.1	20.7	24.1	33.9	22.9	32.0	29.7	32.4	$9,266	$469	$8,797
Mana Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2355 S Technology Drive	West Valley City	84119	Salt Lake County	Mana Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(801) 972-6262	295	10	28.8	98.6%	11 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	123 (41.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	152 (51.5%)	8 (2.7%)								(n/a)																								$8,856	$581	$8,275
American Preparatory Academy - Accelerated School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3636 W 3100 S	West Valley City	84120	Salt Lake County	American Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(385) 351-3090	1,537	78	19.6	51.1%	211 (13.7%)	114 (7.4%)	1,031 (67.1%)	116 (7.5%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (2.5%)	25 (1.6%)								(n/a)	30.9	31.1	10.4	15.7	30.1	28.5	55.0	20.0	37.4	45.7	24.5	23.0	46.2	34.4	38.4	35.9	33.5	18.3	33.3	39.0	55.4	26.9	30.8	$7,755	$1,450	$6,305
Vista School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-9	4925 S 2200 W	Taylorsville	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-5067	517	23	22.4	49.5%	239 (46.2%)	16 (3.1%)	196 (37.9%)	31 (6.0%)	4 (0.8%)	22 (4.3%)	9 (1.7%)								(n/a)							36.5	45.3	55.8				35.6	41.3	57.1				54.6	67.1				$7,445	$701	$6,744
Jordan Valley School	Public, Alternative	K-12	7501 S 1000 E	Midvale	84047	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-1200	98	17	5.6	35.7%	67 (68.4%)	1 (1.0%)	16 (16.3%)	4 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	7 (7.1%)								(n/a)																								$61,921	$4,850	$57,071

Utah Connections Academy

Utah Connections Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

What do you think?

Rank History for Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for elementary school White students at Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for middle school White students at Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for all high school students at Utah Connections Academy

Rank History for high school White students at Utah Connections Academy

Enrollment information for Utah Connections Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Utah Connections Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Utah Connections Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Utah Connections Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Utah Connections Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Utah Connections Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Utah Connections Academy

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