Five Canyons School District students earned a perfect 36 on the ACT, and the district's Class of 2026 posted the strongest results among Salt Lake County's five school districts.

The district reported that 71.7% of students scored 18 or higher on the college entrance exam. That figure sits more than seven percentage points above the next-closest Salt Lake County district, according to the Canyons School District announcement.

Only 0.22% of ACT test-takers nationwide earn a perfect 36, the district said.

One of those five is Sydney Hanks, a Corner Canyon High School senior who set out to beat her older brother's score of 34. She found out she had scored a perfect 36 while playing pickleball with friends, ABC4 reported Sept. 25.

She nailed it.

"I am a really competitive person, and so I wanted to beat his score," Hanks told ABC4. "So that was my goal. I wanted those family bragging rights."

The district did not name the other four students who earned perfect scores.

Canyons also outperformed two local charter school systems included in the data, according to the district. At American Preparatory Academy, 56.5% of students scored 18 or higher across English, reading and math. At Summit Academy, 55.5% reached that mark.

Statewide picture

The results arrived as ACT scores improved across Utah. The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) reported Oct. 14 that the state's average composite score rose to 20.1, up from 19.9 in 2025. The national average was 18.8.

A total of 44,756 Utah public school students from the Class of 2026 took the exam, representing 91% of graduates. Utah was one of 16 states that tested 90% or more of its graduates. Among that group, Utah ranked first in average composite score, ahead of Wisconsin and Montana, both at 19.4.

"We are proud of the growth shown by Utah students, teachers, and schools as we focus on ensuring every student is prepared for postsecondary success," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Molly Hart said in the USBE release.

Utah funds ACT testing for all public school juniors each spring at no cost, according to USBE. The state also led the high-participation group in benchmark attainment across English, reading, math and science.

District track record

At the Sept. 16, 2025, board meeting, Superintendent Rick Robins told the Board of Education that district students outpace Utah peers on year-end tests by up to 15 percentage points and that Canyons ranked first among all Utah school districts in ACT participation rates, according to district board records.

Hanks told ABC4 in September she plans to study entrepreneurship, business or art history after graduation.