In addition to educating students from kindergarten to grade twelve, the Provo School District assists students in pre-school and latch-key programs, as well as through programs for the physically challenged. In addition to the traditional schools, Provo has one school for children with physical and emotional challenges too severe for mainstreaming. For 18 percent of Provo students, English is their second language; Provo students speak 43 different languages. Scores on college entrance exams are above state and national averages. Provo School District was named one of the top 100 school districts in the nation in 2000 by Offspring magazine, a Wall Street Journal publication. The District has seen declining enrollment between 1996 and 2003 of two percent.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Provo School District as of the 2003–2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 13,227
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 13
middle schools: 3
senior high schools: 2
other: 1 alternative high school, 1 special needs school, 1 adult high school, 1 single-track year-round school
Student/teacher ratio: 19.3:1
Teacher salaries
average: $35,800
Funding per pupil: $5,103 (2001-2002)
Because public education in the Utah Valley is highly regarded, there are few private schools. Among the private schools are Challenger School, a K-12 school based on a structured learning environment; Provo Canyon School, an alternative school; and several Montessori Schools.
Public Schools Information: Provo City School District, 280 West 940 North, Provo, UT 84604-3394; telephone (801)374-4800. Utah State Office of Education, 250 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-4200; telephone (801)538-7500
Brigham Young University (BYU) is located in the city at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. Founded in 1875 by Brigham Young, BYU is the largest private university in the United States. Owned by the Mormon Church, the university has more than 32,000 full-time, part-time and evening students and offers a wide variety of academic programs. Particularly notable are its business administration programs, broadcast journalism program, and law and engineering schools. Utah Valley State College enrolls more than 26,000 students and awards bachelor's degrees in accounting, behavioral science, biology, business management, business/marketing education, chemistry, computer science, early childhood and elementary education, environmental tech, criminal justice, integrated and paralegal studies, fire science, history, hospitality management, mathematics, nursing, information technology, and technology management. Other Provo institutions of higher learning include Provo College and Stevens Henager College of Business, which train students in special and entry-level skills.
The Provo City Library at Academy Square, opened in 2001, holds 176,496 volumes, 350 periodicals, and more than 10,000 records and audio tapes, video tapes, and compact discs. Its special collections center on Utah and Utah County history. Other libraries in the city include the Utah State Hospital's Patients Library and Brigham Young University Library, which houses more than two million volumes and features special collections on linguistics, poetry, children's literature, Victorian literature, and oral history.
Provo has many research centers affiliated with Brigham Young University. They encompass such areas as engineering, computers, cancer, sociology, literature, thermodynamics, Western studies, communications, international studies, earth science, agriculture, psychology, religion, life science, anthropology, business, religion, and women's studies. BYU was recognized in 2002 by The Chronicle of Higher Education as the country's best university at turning research dollars into inventions and new companies. The U.S. Forest Service has a Shrub Sciences Laboratory maintained in cooperation with Brigham Young University. Utah State University supports 25 research projects. The University houses the Ross A. Smart Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory engaging in animal disease diagnosis.
Public Library Information: Provo City Library at Academy Square, 550 North University Ave., Provo, UT 84601; telephone (801)852-6650