Parley's Park School vs McPolin School

McPolin School ranks #8 of 1,014 Utah schools while Parley's Park School ranks #28 of 1,014 — both are exceptional by any statewide measure, but McPolin School holds a clear edge at the top of the distribution. The overall rating gap is 0.5 points, with McPolin School scoring 9.5/10 against Parley's Park School's 9.0/10. For parents who want every fraction of a point, McPolin's position 20 spots higher in the state ranking is a meaningful distinction between two otherwise elite schools 3.2 miles apart.

McPolin School's academic advantage is concrete: it scores 9.7/10 in academics versus Parley's Park School's 9.3/10, a 0.4-point gap. The growth score delta is wider — McPolin School posts a 9.3/10 against Parley's Park School's 8.6/10, a 0.7-point difference. Growth scores measure how much students improve relative to peers with similar starting points, so McPolin's lead here suggests stronger instructional momentum, not just an advantaged incoming cohort.

McPolin School serves a more economically diverse population: 28% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 17% at Parley's Park School. McPolin also carries a meaningfully lower student-teacher ratio — 13.0:1 versus Parley's Park School's 15.7:1 — which translates to roughly two and a half fewer students per teacher. Enrollment is similar: Parley's Park School has 408 students and McPolin School has 391, so neither school has a size advantage worth noting.

One structural difference separates the two programs at the entry point: McPolin School begins at Pre-K, while Parley's Park School starts at Kindergarten. Families seeking a Pre-K placement within the Park City district will find McPolin School is the only option of the two. Both schools serve through 5th grade, so the divergence matters only for families with children not yet at Kindergarten age.