Trailside School vs Parley's Park School

Trailside School holds a 9.7/10 overall rating against Parley's Park School's 9.0/10 — a 0.7-point gap that translates to a dramatic difference in state standing. Trailside School ranks #2 of 1,014 Utah elementary schools, while Parley's Park School ranks #28 of 1,014. Both placements are exceptional in absolute terms, but families comparing the two schools should understand that Trailside sits in a tier very few Utah schools reach.

On academics, the two schools are close: Trailside School earns a 9.5/10 academic score versus Parley's Park School's 9.3/10, a 0.2-point difference. The wider separation comes in growth — Trailside School scores 9.8/10 on student growth versus Parley's Park School's 8.6/10, a 1.2-point gap. Growth scores measure how much individual students improve relative to peers with similar starting points, so Trailside's advantage here suggests students make measurably faster gains year over year, independent of the school's already-high baseline proficiency.

The two schools serve nearly identical populations on economic and demographic indicators. Both Parley's Park School and Trailside School serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and each reports 17% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Enrollment is slightly larger at Parley's Park School (408 students) than at Trailside School (358 students). That size difference is reflected in student-teacher ratios: Trailside School's 14.9:1 edges out Parley's Park School's 15.7:1, meaning Trailside classes average roughly one fewer student per teacher.

Both schools are Park City elementary schools separated by 2.4 miles and operating within the same district, which limits structural differences in curriculum frameworks and funding. The distinctions that do emerge — Trailside's #2 state rank, its 9.8/10 growth score, and its slightly smaller class sizes — consistently favor Trailside School. Parley's Park School's #28 state rank is genuinely strong, and its academic score trails Trailside's by only two-tenths of a point, making it a high-performing option for families in its attendance zone.