Western Hills School

Summary:

Western Hills School is an elementary school in Kearns, Utah, serving around 300 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Granite School District. Over the past several years, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Utah elementary schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Western Hills School faces significant challenges in student achievement, with consistently low test scores across all grade levels and subjects compared to the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science were around 13-18%, while the district's rates were 34-40% and the state's were 46-52%. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 69% to 81% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools.

Despite the higher spending per student at Western Hills School, the school's performance remains low, indicating that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes. Analyzing the practices and strategies employed at the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Jim Bridger School and Fox Hills School, could provide valuable insights for improving Western Hills School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

5190 S Heath Ave
Kearns, UT 84118

(385) 646-5091

District: Granite District

SchoolDigger Rank:
558^th of 561 Utah Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,911

Students who attend Western Hills School usually attend:

Middle:	Kearns Junior High
High:	Kearns High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.0

Number of students: 298

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.0%

White:

29.9%

Pacific Islander:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.1%

See top rated Utah elementary schools

Compare Western Hills School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Western Hills School ranks worse than 99.5% of elementary schools in Utah. It also ranks 54^th among 56 ranked elementary schools in the Granite District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.75. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (56%), White (29.9%), Pacific Islander (9.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Western Hills School is 22, which is the 28^th best among 56 elementary schools in the Granite District. (See more...)

Compare Western Hills School employs 13.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Western Hills School is $9,911, which is the 5^th highest among 56 elementary schools in the Granite District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Western Hills School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Granite District:

SchoolDigger ranks Granite District 72^nd of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Western Hills School.

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Your rating for Western Hills School?

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Rank History for Western Hills School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2008	6.58	482^nd	498	3.2%
2009	7.05	499^th	509	2.0%
2010	7.96	505^th	518	2.5%
2011	3.87	558^th	563	0.9%
2012	11.93	552^nd	579	4.7%
2013	20.16	505^th	576	12.3%
2014	15.25	442^nd	509	13.2%
2015	13.85	478^th	537	11.0%
2016	18.18	458^th	533	14.1%
2017	16.66	456^th	526	13.3%
2018	11.42	481^st	528	8.9%
2019	16.15	494^th	572	13.6%
2021	5.77	539^th	559	3.6%
2022	8.15	520^th	551	5.6%
2023	2.98	556^th	561	0.9%
2024	2.75	558^th	561	0.5%

See the entire list of Utah Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Utah State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, August 17, 2023

This school wasn't so great about 6 years ago. The school has now become a wonderful school. I highly recommend any parent to have their kids attend this school. The school is clean, safe, and respectful. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Western Hills School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	708	0	20	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	745
1989	701	3	24	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	753
1990	727	2	23	20	6	n/a	n/a	0	778
1991	646	1	24	29	9	n/a	n/a	0	709
1992	632	1	31	36	8	n/a	n/a	0	708
1993	623	3	27	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	687
1994	569	2	30	40	5	n/a	n/a	0	646
1995	525	2	46	50	0	n/a	n/a	0	623
1996	525	2	46	50	0	n/a	n/a	0	623
1997	491	7	44	74	1	n/a	n/a	0	617
1998	470	5	51	101	2	n/a	n/a	0	629
1999	443	5	54	129	1	n/a	n/a	0	632
2000	402	5	47	143	0	n/a	n/a	0	597
2001	384	4	32	159	5	n/a	n/a	0	584
2002	352	8	34	214	2	n/a	n/a	0	610
2003	352	8	34	214	2	n/a	n/a	0	610
2004	314	10	31	242	4	n/a	n/a	0	601
2005	294	14	31	211	4	n/a	n/a	0	554
2006	296	12	27	219	4	n/a	n/a	0	558
2007	276	11	27	225	4	n/a	n/a	0	543
2008	279	10	26	293	5	n/a	n/a	0	613
2009	282	9	22	280	5	n/a	n/a	0	598
2010	216	9	17	260	6	n/a	n/a	116	624
2011	277	11	8	305	6	12	2	0	621
2012	267	23	9	288	4	14	0	0	605
2013	257	19	11	290	5	25	0	0	607
2014	215	13	9	270	5	13	1	0	526
2015	192	17	11	269	6	16	1	0	512
2016	189	13	9	245	3	21	0	0	480
2017	201	13	7	203	3	27	2	0	456
2018	183	12	5	190	4	26	3	0	423
2019	160	6	6	192	6	27	2	0	399
2020	144	5	7	179	7	34	2	0	378
2021	127	5	6	172	3	34	1	0	348
2022	96	1	5	164	1	34	2	0	303
2023	85	5	3	173	1	31	2	0	300
2024	89	5	3	167	2	28	4	0	298

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 Western Hills School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	745	36.3	20.5	n/a
1989	753	36.5	20.6	n/a
1990	778	32.2	24.1	23.4
1991	709	30.0	23.6	24.4
1992	708	29.0	24.4	30.2
1993	687	29.0	23.7	32.2
1994	646	29.0	22.3	37.9
1995	623	27.0	23.1	37.6
1996	623	27.0	23.1	37.6
1997	617	30.3	20.4	40.5
1998	629	31.1	20.2	38.8
1999	632	30.5	20.7	57.6
2000	597	29.7	20.1	56.3
2001	584	30.3	19.3	61.1
2002	610	28.5	21.4	62
2003	610	28.5	21.4	62
2004	601	28.5	21.1	68.2
2005	554	29.5	18.8	73.5
2006	558	28.0	19.9	84.2
2007	543	27.0	20.1	8.8
2008	613	30.0	20.4	82.9
2009	598	18.9	8.6	39.3
2010	624	26.0	24.0	104.1
2011	621	24.2	25.6	69.2
2012	605	23.2	26.0	79.8
2013	607	21.4	28.2	99.5
2014	526	19.0	27.6	68.1
2015	512	n/a	n/a	75.2
2016	480	n/a	n/a	78.8
2017	456	19.0	24.0	79.4
2018	423	n/a	n/a	80.6
2019	399	15.6	25.4	81.2
2020	378	15.1	25.0	84.1
2021	348	n/a	n/a	80.7
2022	303	12.8	23.6	69.3
2023	300	12.8	23.4	74.7
2024	298	13.5	22.0	72.1

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 Western Hills School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	745	36.3	20.5	n/a
1989	753	36.5	20.6	n/a
1990	778	32.2	24.1	23.4
1991	709	30.0	23.6	24.4
1992	708	29.0	24.4	30.2
1993	687	29.0	23.7	32.2
1994	646	29.0	22.3	37.9
1995	623	27.0	23.1	37.6
1996	623	27.0	23.1	37.6
1997	617	30.3	20.4	40.5
1998	629	31.1	20.2	38.8
1999	632	30.5	20.7	57.6
2000	597	29.7	20.1	56.3
2001	584	30.3	19.3	61.1
2002	610	28.5	21.4	62
2003	610	28.5	21.4	62
2004	601	28.5	21.1	68.2
2005	554	29.5	18.8	73.5
2006	558	28.0	19.9	84.2
2007	543	27.0	20.1	8.8
2008	613	30.0	20.4	82.9
2009	598	18.9	8.6	39.3
2010	624	26.0	24.0	104.1
2011	621	24.2	25.6	69.2
2012	605	23.2	26.0	79.8
2013	607	21.4	28.2	99.5
2014	526	19.0	27.6	68.1
2015	512	n/a	n/a	75.2
2016	480	n/a	n/a	78.8
2017	456	19.0	24.0	79.4
2018	423	n/a	n/a	80.6
2019	399	15.6	25.4	81.2
2020	378	15.1	25.0	84.1
2021	348	n/a	n/a	80.7
2022	303	12.8	23.6	69.3
2023	300	12.8	23.4	74.7
2024	298	13.5	22.0	72.1

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 Western Hills School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,615 (16.3%)	$8,296 (83.7%)	$9,911

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Western Hills School

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 494^th of 572 Elementary schools	Ranks 556^th of 561 Elementary schools	12.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Western Hills School)	9.6	18.1	8.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Granite District)	33.6	35.2	1.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	46.8	46.2	0.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Western Hills School)	11.5	18.6	7.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Granite District)	40.3	38.7	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Utah)	50.2	49	1.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Western Hills School)	16.7	16.3	0.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Granite District)	36.9	33.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.3	42.8	4.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Western Hills School)	24.1	21.9	2.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Granite District)	41.8	39.6	2.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49.3	50.1	0.8%
4th Grade Science (Western Hills School)	22.2	12.2	10%
4th Grade Science (Granite District)	38	41.7	3.7%
4th Grade Science (Utah)	51.1	49.6	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Western Hills School)	21.7	18.2	3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Granite District)	34.7	37.5	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.9	49	1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Western Hills School)	23.9	9	14.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Granite District)	38.4	34.3	4.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49	45.3	3.7%
5th Grade Science (Western Hills School)	23.9	15.8	8.1%
5th Grade Science (Granite District)	37.6	42.1	4.5%
5th Grade Science (Utah)	51.9	51.2	0.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	399	300	24.8%
African American	6	5	16.7%
American Indian	6	1	83.3%
Asian	6	3	50%
Hispanic	192	173	9.9%
Pacific Islander	27	31	14.8%
White	160	85	46.9%
Two or More Races	2	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.2%	74.7%	6.5%

Schools Near Western Hills School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	RISE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	RISE English Language Arts 4th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 5th Grade	RISE Mathematics 3rd Grade	RISE Mathematics 4th Grade	RISE Mathematics 5th Grade	RISE Science 4th Grade	RISE Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Western Hills School	Public	PK, KG-6	5190 S Heath Ave	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	Yes	(385) 646-5091	298	14	22.0	72.1%	89 (29.9%)	5 (1.7%)	167 (56.0%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (9.4%)	4 (1.3%)	2.8	558^th of 561 public elementary schools	0.5%		3	556^th of 561 public elementary schools	0.9%	2	13.1		13.9	17.4	18.8		12.5	15.9	$9,911	$1,615	$8,296
Beehive School	Public	PK, KG-6	5655 S 5220 W	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4768	477	18	26.5	58.3%	260 (54.5%)	27 (5.7%)	119 (24.9%)	15 (3.1%)	9 (1.9%)	18 (3.8%)	29 (6.1%)	12.2	497^th of 561 public elementary schools	11.4%		10.4	516^th of 561 public elementary schools	8.0%	19	32.8	13.0	13.6	44.2	22.0		28.4	13.6	$7,636	$742	$6,894
West Kearns School	Public	PK, KG-6	4900 S 4620 W	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	Yes	(385) 646-5073	532	30	18.0	72.2%	323 (60.7%)	8 (1.5%)	159 (29.9%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	18 (3.4%)	18 (3.4%)	24.7	433^rd of 561 public elementary schools	22.8%		14.3	485^th of 561 public elementary schools	13.5%	52	37.7	30.9	25.3	38.1	44.1	25.3	48.5	25.3	$9,261	$1,758	$7,503
South Kearns School	Public	PK, KG-6	4430 W 5570 S	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	Yes	(385) 646-5026	468	23	20.8	60.9%	181 (38.7%)	12 (2.6%)	234 (50.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.8%)	23 (4.9%)	11.6	500^th of 561 public elementary schools	10.9%		9.9	518^th of 561 public elementary schools	7.7%	18	26.9	26.3	17.6	30.8	23.5	15.1	33.4	34.3	$10,194	$2,261	$7,933
Silver Hills School	Public	PK, KG-6	5770 W 5100 S	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	Yes	(385) 646-5014	386	16	24.9	60.1%	165 (42.7%)	12 (3.1%)	150 (38.9%)	24 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (3.6%)	20 (5.2%)	33	390^th of 561 public elementary schools	30.5%		23.6	435^th of 561 public elementary schools	22.5%	45	39.6		35.4	53.5		29.2		39.6	$9,709	$1,313	$8,396
David Gourley School	Public	PK, KG-6	4905 S 4300 W	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	Yes	(385) 646-4846	448	22	20.3	67.9%	129 (28.8%)	20 (4.5%)	250 (55.8%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.7%)	25 (5.6%)	16 (3.6%)	25.8	425^th of 561 public elementary schools	24.2%		22.7	436^th of 561 public elementary schools	22.3%	11	26.7	37.9	35.9	40.0	37.9	19.2	36.4	48.7	$8,589	$1,445	$7,143
Academy Park School	Public	PK, KG-6	4580 Westpoint Dr	West Valley City	84120	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	Yes	(385) 646-4750	371	18	20.6	60.6%	176 (47.4%)	18 (4.9%)	124 (33.4%)	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.1%)	27 (7.3%)	17 (4.6%)	2.8	557^th of 561 public elementary schools	0.7%		4.5	550^th of 561 public elementary schools	2.0%	7	11.5	8.8	13.8	8.3	24.6	5.1	17.6	17.0	$9,978	$1,630	$8,348
Hunter School	Public	PK, KG-6	4351 S 5400 W	West Valley City	84120	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4876	494	21	24.0	55.7%	194 (39.3%)	9 (1.8%)	223 (45.1%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.9%)	32 (6.5%)	16	474^th of 561 public elementary schools	15.5%		8.4	533^rd of 561 public elementary schools	5.0%	59	32.9	25.0	21.3	48.5	28.9	14.5	31.5	24.6	$8,610	$823	$7,787
Thomas W. Bacchus School	Public	K-6	5925 S 5975 W	Kearns	84118	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4762	332	14	23.4	54.8%	121 (36.4%)	10 (3.0%)	161 (48.5%)	15 (4.5%)	3 (0.9%)	9 (2.7%)	13 (3.9%)	4.9	544^th of 561 public elementary schools	3.0%		5.9	541^st of 561 public elementary schools	3.6%	3	16.7	12.5	23.9	13.4	20.0	21.2	12.8	23.9	$7,971	$793	$7,178
Jim Bridger School	Public	PK, KG-6	5368 W Cyclamen Way	West Jordan	84081	Salt Lake County	Granite District	No	No	No	No	(385) 646-4780	341	17	20.0	61.0%	163 (47.8%)	13 (3.8%)	124 (36.4%)	7 (2.1%)	2 (0.6%)	24 (7.0%)	8 (2.3%)	20.7	451^st of 561 public elementary schools	19.6%		21	446^th of 561 public elementary schools	20.5%	5	41.8	24.5	20.4	45.4	38.4	20.8	34.0	28.9	$8,481	$940	$7,541

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Hills School

What schools do graduates of Western Hills School attend?

Students who attend Western Hills School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kearns Junior High
High : Kearns High

What district is Western Hills School in?

Granite District

How many students attend Western Hills School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 298 students attended Western Hills School.

What is the racial makeup of Western Hills School?

Students at Western Hills School are 56% Hispanic, 30% White, 9% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 1% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Western Hills School a good school?

Western Hills School ranks in the bottom 0.5% of Utah elementary schools.

Rate Western Hills School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Utah State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.