North Star School

Summary:

North Star School is an elementary school in Salt Lake City, Utah, serving 386 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Salt Lake District, which is ranked 54 out of 98 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, North Star School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Utah elementary schools over the past several years, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Star School faces significant challenges in providing a quality education for its students. The school has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic (62.69%), Pacific Islander (10.62%), and African American (9.84%) students compared to the state average. Additionally, North Star School has extremely low test scores, with only 6.8% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 44% in the district and 46.7% statewide. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 70.2% to 84.72% over the past three years, indicating a high-poverty student population.

While North Star School's performance is consistently low, the nearby schools in the Salt Lake District also struggle, with most of them ranking in the bottom half of Utah elementary schools. This suggests that the challenges faced by North Star School may be systemic issues within the district, rather than solely a problem with the school itself. Factors such as limited resources, language barriers, and social-emotional challenges faced by students could all play a role in the school's struggles, and targeted interventions and support may be needed to address these underlying issues and improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

1545 N Morton Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84116

(801) 578-8448

District: Salt Lake District

SchoolDigger Rank:
554^th of 561 Utah Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,165

Students who attend North Star School usually attend:

Middle:	Northwest Middle
High:	Innovations High School
	West High

Student/teacher ratio: 17.9

Number of students: 385

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

61.8%

Pacific Islander:

11.4%

White:

10.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.3%

See top rated Utah elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details North Star School ranks worse than 98.8% of elementary schools in Utah. It also ranks 22^nd among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Salt Lake District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.35. (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 (61.8%), Pacific Islander (11.4%), White (10.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at North Star School is 17.9, which is the 13^th best among 23 elementary schools in the Salt Lake District. (See more...)

Compare North Star School employs 21.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Star School is $11,165, which is the 13^th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Salt Lake District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

North Star School:

SchoolDigger ranks North Star School 554^th of 561 Utah public elementary schools. (See North Star School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

Salt Lake District:

SchoolDigger ranks Salt Lake District 54^th of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for North Star School

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Rank History for all students at North Star School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2008	30.98	388^th	498	22.1%
2009	31.42	398^th	509	21.8%
2010	38.68	371^st	518	28.4%
2011	36.61	419^th	563	25.6%
2012	36.77	431^st	579	25.6%
2013	37.17	427^th	576	25.9%
2014	23.04	412^th	509	19.1%
2015	27.09	413^th	537	23.1%
2016	38.16	353^rd	533	33.8%
2017	24.13	421^st	526	20.0%
2018	14.12	466^th	528	11.7%
2019	10.68	530^th	572	7.3%
2021	3.28	555^th	559	0.7%
2022	7.19	525^th	551	4.7%
2023	5.43	545^th	561	2.9%
2024	3.35	554^th	561	1.2%

See the entire list of Utah Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at North Star School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.75	116^th	132	12.1%
2024	10.57	157^th	162	3.1%

See the entire list of Best Utah Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at North Star School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	39.20	27^th	44	38.6%
2023	20.33	38^th	45	15.6%
2024	23.53	42^nd	49	14.3%

See the entire list of Best Utah Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 North Star School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	247	25	56	240	16	n/a	n/a	0	584
2001	273	29	77	298	15	n/a	n/a	0	692
2002	213	25	84	259	7	n/a	n/a	0	588
2003	213	25	84	259	7	n/a	n/a	0	588
2004	203	36	91	256	8	n/a	n/a	0	594
2005	175	47	82	269	6	n/a	n/a	0	579
2006	185	36	96	336	6	n/a	n/a	0	659
2007	196	35	97	341	5	n/a	n/a	0	674
2008	182	41	99	354	10	n/a	n/a	6	692
2009	170	48	112	386	12	n/a	n/a	8	736
2010	119	40	85	334	13	n/a	n/a	128	719
2011	130	36	35	421	12	72	17	0	723
2012	116	47	34	452	13	58	30	0	750
2013	104	41	27	449	7	28	30	0	686
2014	94	57	21	488	9	42	31	0	742
2015	78	60	18	471	8	37	24	0	696
2016	85	59	17	420	5	43	20	0	649
2017	81	71	15	385	5	50	21	0	628
2018	79	62	10	377	5	41	14	0	588
2019	74	53	13	365	6	37	15	0	563
2020	66	43	7	314	3	57	9	0	499
2021	56	44	11	273	3	51	5	0	443
2022	45	34	14	260	6	33	8	0	400
2023	38	38	14	242	4	41	9	0	386
2024	40	37	12	238	6	44	8	0	385

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 North Star School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	584	24.8	23.5	60.1
2001	692	26.9	25.7	63.4
2002	588	27.0	21.8	66
2003	588	27.0	21.8	66
2004	594	23.5	25.3	65.7
2005	579	25.5	22.7	76.7
2006	659	25.0	26.4	70
2007	674	28.0	24.1	99.3
2008	692	30.8	22.5	74.9
2009	736	11.1	14.0	76.1
2010	719	30.5	23.5	104.4
2011	723	32.0	22.5	80.4
2012	750	33.8	22.1	95.9
2013	686	31.0	22.1	99.6
2014	742	31.9	23.2	83.2
2015	696	n/a	n/a	86.2
2016	649	n/a	n/a	84.1
2017	628	31.9	19.6	84.2
2018	588	n/a	n/a	83.2
2019	563	29.5	19.0	82.4
2020	499	28.0	17.8	82.8
2021	443	n/a	n/a	70.2
2022	400	25.9	15.4	73.5
2023	386	23.2	16.6	84.7
2024	385	21.5	17.9	82.3

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 North Star School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	584	24.8	23.5	60.1
2001	692	26.9	25.7	63.4
2002	588	27.0	21.8	66
2003	588	27.0	21.8	66
2004	594	23.5	25.3	65.7
2005	579	25.5	22.7	76.7
2006	659	25.0	26.4	70
2007	674	28.0	24.1	99.3
2008	692	30.8	22.5	74.9
2009	736	11.1	14.0	76.1
2010	719	30.5	23.5	104.4
2011	723	32.0	22.5	80.4
2012	750	33.8	22.1	95.9
2013	686	31.0	22.1	99.6
2014	742	31.9	23.2	83.2
2015	696	n/a	n/a	86.2
2016	649	n/a	n/a	84.1
2017	628	31.9	19.6	84.2
2018	588	n/a	n/a	83.2
2019	563	29.5	19.0	82.4
2020	499	28.0	17.8	82.8
2021	443	n/a	n/a	70.2
2022	400	25.9	15.4	73.5
2023	386	23.2	16.6	84.7
2024	385	21.5	17.9	82.3

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 North Star School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,560 (14.0%)	$9,605 (86.0%)	$11,165

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on North Star 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 530^th of 572 Elementary schools	Ranks 545^th of 561 Elementary schools	4.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (North Star School)	21.4	17.5	3.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Salt Lake District)	46.4	45.6	0.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	46.8	46.2	0.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Star School)	21.4	15.5	5.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Salt Lake District)	54.6	50.7	3.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Utah)	50.2	49	1.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (North Star School)	29.1	24.6	4.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Salt Lake District)	45	43.4	1.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.3	44.2	3.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (North Star School)	36.7	26.4	10.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Salt Lake District)	49.4	48.5	0.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49.3	50.1	0.8%
4th Grade Science (North Star School)	39.2	24.6	14.6%
4th Grade Science (Salt Lake District)	46.7	47.9	1.2%
4th Grade Science (Utah)	51.1	49.6	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (North Star School)	27.4	15.6	11.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Salt Lake District)	43.6	45.4	1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.9	49	1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (North Star School)	34.7	19.6	15.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Salt Lake District)	49.8	43.3	6.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49	45.3	3.7%
5th Grade Science (North Star School)	17.8	19.6	1.8%
5th Grade Science (Salt Lake District)	44.5	44.9	0.4%
5th Grade Science (Utah)	51.9	51.2	0.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (North Star School)	14.9	17.3	2.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Salt Lake District)	43.4	41.4	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.9	45.3	3.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Star School)	6.8	15.8	9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Salt Lake District)	35.6	34.3	1.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	39.2	35.4	3.8%
6th Grade Science (North Star School)	27	22.4	4.6%
6th Grade Science (Salt Lake District)	52.1	48.4	3.7%
6th Grade Science (Utah)	57.7	55.5	2.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	563	386	31.4%
African American	53	38	28.3%
American Indian	6	4	33.3%
Asian	13	14	7.7%
Hispanic	365	242	33.7%
Pacific Islander	37	41	10.8%
White	74	38	48.6%
Two or More Races	15	9	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	82.4%	84.7%	2.3%

Schools Near North Star 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 3rd Grade	RISE Mathematics 4th Grade	RISE Mathematics 5th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Science 4th Grade	RISE Science 5th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Star School	Public	PK, KG-6	1545 N Morton Dr	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8448	385	22	17.9	82.3%	40 (10.4%)	37 (9.6%)	238 (61.8%)	12 (3.1%)	6 (1.6%)	44 (11.4%)	8 (2.1%)	3.4	554^th of 561 public elementary schools	1.2%		5.4	545^th of 561 public elementary schools	2.9%	9	6.8	11.7	20.4	18.2		16.6	16.6		8.4	20.0	26.7	$11,165	$1,560	$9,605
Pacific Heritage Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1755 W 1100 N	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Pacific Heritage Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(801) 363-1892	300	18	16.6	56.0%	43 (14.3%)	8 (2.7%)	144 (48.0%)	27 (9.0%)	2 (0.7%)	57 (19.0%)	19 (6.3%)								(n/a)												$7,244	$996	$6,248
Newman School	Public	PK, KG-6	1269 N Colorado St	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8537	248	15	17.1	65.3%	79 (31.9%)	3 (1.2%)	136 (54.8%)	5 (2.0%)	3 (1.2%)	12 (4.8%)	10 (4.0%)								(n/a)												$11,774	$1,184	$10,590
Escalante School	Public	PK, KG-6	1810 W 900 N	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8496	371	20	18.3	80.3%	51 (13.7%)	24 (6.5%)	245 (66.0%)	13 (3.5%)	4 (1.1%)	21 (5.7%)	13 (3.5%)	14.9	481^st of 561 public elementary schools	14.3%		13.5	491^st of 561 public elementary schools	12.5%	10	20.8	21.5	25.0	32.7	28.6	36.9	33.3	16.0	34.7	35.5	32.0	$11,030	$1,491	$9,539
Guadalupe School	Public, Magnet, Charter	PK, KG-6	1385 N 1200 W	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Guadalupe School	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(801) 531-6100	396	14	28.8	90.7%	13 (3.3%)	4 (1.0%)	375 (94.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3.5	551^st of 561 public elementary schools	1.8%					(n/a)	15.0	13.1			20.0	6.5			21.7			$10,171	$1,819	$8,353
Salt Lake Head Start	Public	PK	1240 American Beauty Dri	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	No	(801) 578-8173	68	0	36.0	8.8%	18 (26.5%)	8 (11.8%)	29 (42.6%)	7 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.9%)	2 (2.9%)								(n/a)
Rose Park School	Public	PK, KG-6	1105 W 1000 N	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8554	300	17	17.6	77.7%	42 (14.0%)	21 (7.0%)	208 (69.3%)	4 (1.3%)	4 (1.3%)	15 (5.0%)	6 (2.0%)	10.4	508^th of 561 public elementary schools	9.4%		5.2	546^th of 561 public elementary schools	2.7%	38	7.3			25.6	9.5			28.5			34.9	$12,584	$1,707	$10,877
Backman School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	601 N 1500 W	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(801) 578-8100	345	26	13.2	83.5%	54 (15.7%)	43 (12.5%)	198 (57.4%)	15 (4.3%)	7 (2.0%)	17 (4.9%)	11 (3.2%)	2.6	559^th of 561 public elementary schools	0.4%		4.8	548^th of 561 public elementary schools	2.3%	11	16.6	14.2	10.7	15.0	18.6	19.0				10.7	11.4	$11,562	$1,664	$9,898
Meadowlark School	Public	PK, KG-6	497 N Morton Dr	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8529	385	24	16.3	97.9%	48 (12.5%)	36 (9.4%)	237 (61.6%)	31 (8.1%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.2%)	8 (2.1%)	9.1	522^nd of 561 public elementary schools	7.0%		12.8	495^th of 561 public elementary schools	11.8%	27	22.0	15.7	14.5	25.9	39.6	30.8	18.3	13.4	23.6	18.4	30.0	$12,398	$1,743	$10,656
Mary W. Jackson School	Public	PK, KG-6	750 W 200 N	Salt Lake City	84116	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8165	343	20	16.8	77.6%	59 (17.2%)	24 (7.0%)	206 (60.1%)	7 (2.0%)	10 (2.9%)	26 (7.6%)	11 (3.2%)	8.4	526^th of 561 public elementary schools	6.2%		6.3	536^th of 561 public elementary schools	4.5%	10	21.9	20.9	17.5		31.9	16.9	26.8	10.0	27.3	23.8	31.0	$10,783	$1,330	$9,453

Frequently Asked Questions about North Star School

What district is North Star School in?

Salt Lake District

How many students attend North Star School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 385 students attended North Star School.

What is the racial makeup of North Star School?

Students at North Star School are 62% Hispanic, 11% Pacific Islander, 10% White, 10% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Is North Star School a good school?

North Star School ranks in the bottom 1.2% of Utah elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of North Star School attend?

Students who attend North Star School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northwest Middle
High : Innovations High School
High : West High

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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.