Enrollment
160
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · American Fork, UT
Polaris High School
Federal NCES profile for Polaris High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 490003001435
👥 S:T ratio 70
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polaris High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Utah schools.
- #1 of 12
- public schools in American Fork · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.6:1
- small classes for Utah
- 33.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Polaris High School has class sizes smaller than 97% of Utah schools. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polaris High School ranks #1 of 12 public schools in American Fork, UT.
School address
District: Alpine District · Utah
NCES ID 490003001435 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.6:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
-64% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.5%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polaris High School compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polaris High School
Polaris High School is a small high school in American Fork, Utah, enrolling 160 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.6:1, Polaris High School is leaner than roughly 97% of Utah schools and 64% under the state's 21.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 33.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 160 puts it in the smaller third of Utah schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,065 Utah schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 51 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Utah schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 52/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 53 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Discipline events run high: 40 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 160 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Alpine District also operates Cedar Valley High (3,300 students) and Westlake High (3,052 students) alongside Polaris High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Polaris High School compares
Polaris High School on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.6:1 | ▼ 64% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.5% | ▲ 20% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 160 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.6:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
160
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
7.6:1
students per teacher
- 64% below state mean
Top 3% in Utah - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$8,458
per pupil, district-wide
- below Utah avg of $9,792
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 53 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 62.9%
Hispanic or Latino 28.9%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 62.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, Polaris High School is more mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alpine District, which includes Polaris High School.
$8,458
Per student
-14%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 51.6%
Federal 12.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Polaris High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westlake High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lone Peak High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Skyridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| American Fork High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polaris High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,300
- Students per teacher
- 32:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 3,052
- Students per teacher
- 31.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,484
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,483
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,316
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~160 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polaris High School's federal record.
- Compare Polaris High School against another school. Compare schools
- Alpine District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Polaris High School
How many students attend Polaris High School?
Polaris High School has 160 students enrolled. It is a high school in American Fork, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polaris High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Polaris High School is 7.6:1, which is 64% lower than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 52% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Polaris High School?
33.5% of students at Polaris High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polaris High School?
The largest demographic group at Polaris High School is White at 62.9% of enrollment, in American Fork, UT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polaris High School?
Polaris High School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Polaris High School rank among public schools in American Fork?
By Resource Investment Index, Polaris High School ranks #1 of 12 public schools in American Fork, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in American Fork on the city page.
Is Polaris High School a good school?
Polaris High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Utah schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Alpine District?
Besides Polaris High School, Alpine District also operates Cedar Valley High (3,300 students), Westlake High (3,052 students), and Lone Peak High (2,484 students). See the Alpine District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.