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Backman School

Q: Is Backman School a good school?

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

Q: How many students attend Backman School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 396 students attended Backman School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Backman School?

Students at Backman School are 61% Hispanic, 14% White, 12% African American, 4% Pacific Islander, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

Q: What schools do graduates of Backman School attend?

Students who attend Backman School usually go on to attend: Middle : Northwest Middle High : Innovations Early College High School High : West High

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-6

556^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 563 Utah Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Utah elementary schools

Summary

Backman School is a public elementary school in Salt Lake City serving about 396 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade in a high-need neighborhood. The school is part of the Salt Lake District, which ranks 60th of 92 Utah districts.

The school’s main challenge is academic performance. In 2025–26, Backman School ranked 556th of 563 Utah schools, placing it at the 1st percentile. RISE proficiency rates were below both district and state averages in every reported grade and subject. Results were especially low in sixth grade, including ELA, math, and science results reported as under 10% or under 9.5%. Fourth-grade ELA at 23.1% and fifth-grade math at 22.9% were relative bright spots, but both remained well below comparison averages. Nearby Edison School, despite serving a similarly high-need population, generally posted stronger results, while Washington School and Newman School had notably stronger performance in some subjects.

There are also meaningful operational strengths. The student-teacher ratio was 13.6 to 1 in 2024–25, better than most nearby schools, and chronic absenteeism declined from 42.0% in 2021–22 to 32.7% in 2024–25. Although still higher than the Utah and district rates, Backman had the second-lowest absenteeism rate among the listed nearby schools, behind only Edison School. Nearly all students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating substantial economic need. Overall, improving attendance and relatively strong staffing provide a foundation, but the school’s broad, persistent academic gaps suggest a need for stronger instructional consistency, targeted intervention, and close progress monitoring.

396

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,562

Per pupil spending ?

98.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

601 N 1500 W
Salt Lake City, UT 84116

(801) 578-8100

District: Salt Lake District

Students who attend Backman School usually attend:

Middle:	Northwest Middle
High:	Innovations Early College High School
	West High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.6%

White:

14.4%

African American:

11.9%

See top rated Utah elementary schools

Compare Backman School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 9th percentile in 2016 → 1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Utah average (15% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 24% Utah)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg45%

Utah avg48%

556^th of 563

Utah public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 9% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Utah Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st of 23Elementary Schools in the Salt Lake District

60^th of 92Salt Lake District among Utah districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2026	3.6	556 of 563	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	3.5	544 of 547	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.6	559 of 561	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.8	548 of 561	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.5	529 of 551	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.3	534 of 559	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	466 of 572	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	447 of 528	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.1	482 of 526	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.7	483 of 533	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.0	498 of 537	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	10.9	464 of 509	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.8	550 of 576	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	13.0	546 of 579	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.3	551 of 563	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	8.7	503 of 518	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	9.9	490 of 509	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	6.3	485 of 498	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2022	28.0	21 of 26	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2022	24.8	36 of 44	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2026	15.6	128 of 139	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	94 of 109	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.3	154 of 162	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.4	130 of 132	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	94 of 111	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2022)19th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2022)18th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)8th percentile+7 vs school

By subject vs Utah (2025-2026) ?

Science15%-39 vs state

English Language Arts15%-31 vs state

Mathematics15%-31 vs state

★

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Schools Near Backman School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				RISE English Language Arts (2026)						RISE Mathematics (2026)						RISE Science (2026)					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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 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
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	396	29	13.6	98.2%	57 (14.4%)	47 (11.9%)	240 (60.6%)	13 (3.3%)	7 (1.8%)	17 (4.3%)	15 (3.8%)	3.6	556^th of 563 public elementary schools	1.2%		3.5	544^th of 547 public elementary schools	0.5%	12	11.1	23.1	10.4	< 10%			8.0	13.5	22.9	< 9.5%			17.3	12.5	< 9.5%			$11,562	$1,664	$9,898
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	352	20	17.8	80.7%	43 (12.2%)	16 (4.5%)	240 (68.2%)	7 (2.0%)	7 (2.0%)	21 (6.0%)	18 (5.1%)	10.8	505^th of 563 public elementary schools	10.3%		13.7	479^th of 547 public elementary schools	12.4%	26	27.9	14.0	20.0	31.7			27.9	30.2	22.5	19.5			32.6	25.0	39.0			$11,030	$1,491	$9,539
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	434	25	17.3	99.1%	38 (8.8%)	30 (6.9%)	298 (68.7%)	30 (6.9%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.0%)	10 (2.3%)	5.5	541^st of 563 public elementary schools	3.9%		4.7	536^th of 547 public elementary schools	2.0%	5	12.5	8.2	< 10%	24.1			32.4	22.9	8.3	15.8			< 10%	9.7	28.1			$12,398	$1,743	$10,656
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	327	16	20.4	41.9%	38 (11.6%)	11 (3.4%)	153 (46.8%)	24 (7.3%)	1 (0.3%)	82 (25.1%)	18 (5.5%)								(n/a)	23.3	10–29%	20–39%	20–39%	34.9	20–38%	39.5	30–48%	20–38%	< 20%	20.9	10–29%	10–40.5%	30–48%	30–49%	30.3	20–38%	$7,244	$996	$6,248
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	358	21	17.2	99.4%	50 (14.0%)	31 (8.7%)	234 (65.4%)	7 (2.0%)	9 (2.5%)	21 (5.9%)	6 (1.7%)	4.7	547^th of 563 public elementary schools	2.8%		5.6	529^th of 547 public elementary schools	3.3%	18	10.9	9.5	13.4	20.9			16.6	9.3	21.0	22.9			< 10%	18.2	30.6			$12,584	$1,707	$10,877
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	405	28	14.4	63.2%	94 (23.2%)	7 (1.7%)	263 (64.9%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.7%)	15 (3.7%)	17.7	459^th of 563 public elementary schools	18.5%		22.4	425^th of 547 public elementary schools	22.3%	34	37.7	21.9	26.9	15.4			51.1	41.5	25.0	< 10%			39.0	21.1	17.3			$11,774	$1,184	$10,590
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	390	12	32.5	89.5%	11 (2.8%)	8 (2.1%)	361 (92.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	3 (0.8%)								(n/a)	30–48%	10–29%	10–29%	< 20%			10–29%	20–39%	10–29%				30–49%	20–38%	10–40.5%			$10,171	$1,819	$8,353
Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-6	1115 W 300 S	Salt Lake City	84104	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 578-8158	325	26	12.7	99.4%	45 (13.8%)	18 (5.5%)	209 (64.3%)	16 (4.9%)	5 (1.5%)	21 (6.5%)	11 (3.4%)	2.9	559^th of 563 public elementary schools	0.7%		5.2	532^nd of 547 public elementary schools	2.7%	27	< 10%	10.0	19.5	15.2			9.6	14.7	17.1	6.5			17.1	24.4	16.7			$11,896	$1,493	$10,402
Edison School	Public	PK, KG-6	430 E Cheyenne	Salt Lake City	84104	Salt Lake County	Salt Lake District	No	No	No	Yes	(801) 974-8300	459	25	18.7	99.6%	63 (13.7%)	15 (3.3%)	296 (64.5%)	31 (6.8%)	5 (1.1%)	40 (8.7%)	9 (2.0%)	12.9	492^nd of 563 public elementary schools	12.6%		7.7	515^th of 547 public elementary schools	5.9%	23	23.9	25.0	31.6				37.8	32.9	16.5				27.6	27.5				$11,280	$1,472	$9,808
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	336	22	15.2	81.8%	29 (8.6%)	25 (7.4%)	216 (64.3%)	12 (3.6%)	3 (0.9%)	40 (11.9%)	11 (3.3%)	8.6	519^th of 563 public elementary schools	7.8%		5.9	528^th of 547 public elementary schools	3.5%	9	19.6	31.8	9.8	19.2			17.4	40.9	12.5	< 10%			31.9	14.6	28.8			$11,165	$1,560	$9,605

Frequently Asked Questions about Backman School

Is Backman School a good school?

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

What schools do graduates of Backman School attend?

Students who attend Backman School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northwest Middle
High : Innovations Early College High School
High : West High

What is the racial makeup of Backman School?

Students at Backman School are 61% Hispanic, 14% White, 12% African American, 4% Pacific Islander, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Backman School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 396 students attended Backman School.

What district is Backman School in?

Salt Lake District

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Latest Utah data All new data »

2025–26 RISE & Utah Aspire Plus test scoresSep 8, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesDec 16, 2025

2024–25 attendance dataOct 30, 2025

2024–25 RISE & Utah Aspire Plus test scoresSep 10, 2025

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.