Ascent Academies of Utah - West Valley

Ascent Academies of Utah – West Valley is a public K–6 charter school in West Valley City, serving 425 students in a smaller-school setting within the Ascent Academies of Utah district. The school’s 2025–26 ranking was 450th of 563 Utah schools, placing it at the 20th percentile with a one-star rating. That is still below the state midpoint, but it represents meaningful progress from the 4th percentile in 2022–23. Ascent currently ranks ahead of nearby Gearld Wright STEM Academy, Hillside School, Hunter School, Dos Mundos Academy, and Jackling School.

Academic results are mixed, with the strongest recent performance in the upper grades. Grade 6 is a bright spot: 42.8% of students were proficient in English language arts and 53.6% in science, both close to Utah results. Grade 5 science also improved substantially. By contrast, Grade 4 is a consistent concern, with proficiency of 19.6% in English language arts, 27.5% in math, and 17.7% in science. Overall, Ascent trails stronger nearby schools such as Wallace Stegner Academy West Valley and Neil Armstrong Academy, but generally compares favorably with several lower-performing area schools. Results for Hispanic students and students from low-income households indicate additional areas where targeted academic support may be needed.

Attendance is the school’s most urgent challenge. Chronic absenteeism was 42.7% in 2024–25—nearly 19 percentage points above Utah’s rate and much higher than Wallace Stegner’s 15.8% or Neil Armstrong’s 25.3%. Although attendance has improved from 52.0% in 2022–23, frequent absences may make it harder for students to benefit from instruction. A notable operational strength is the 16.8 student-teacher ratio, considerably better than those reported by nearby schools, including West Valley School and Esperanza School. The clearest priorities are reducing absenteeism, strengthening Grade 4 instruction, and extending recent Grade 5–6 gains to other grades.