B−
Mesa County Valley School District 51
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns
Serves Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade.
Students
19,753
Schools
44
Spent per student
$13,648
CO $15,889
Students per teacher
17:1
Free or reduced lunch
53%
Debt
$238.4M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Mesa County Valley School District 51
- School Grade B−: better than 45% of Colorado districts
- Reading / language arts 9 pts below the state
- Spends 14% less per student than the CO average
- 17 students per teacher
- Debt of $238.4M, about $12,067 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Orchard Mesa.
PK–5Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary SchoolThis district
6–88 middle schoolsThis district
9–125 high schoolsThis district
Test scores vs. CO
2020–21Math proficiency26%
State average 30.4%
Reading / language arts38%
State average 47%
Graduation rate (4-year)80%
State average 81.7%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$13,648 per student · 14% below CO
Spending
Classroom instruction 54%Support & administration 42%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 43%State 46%Federal 12%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
19,803’20
20,160’21
19,631’22
19,487’23
19,753’24
About steady.
Students
White 69%Hispanic 25%Two or more races 3%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Black <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
44 public schools.
Independence Academy
B491 students17:1
Appleton Elementary School
A−439 students18:1
Thunder Mountain Elementary School
C−432 students16:1
Pear Park Elementary School
C−428 students15:1
Pomona Elementary School
B395 students15:1
Rocky Mountain Elementary School
C−395 students14:1
Juniper Ridge Community School
D375 students15:1
Mesa View Elementary School
B−375 students18:1
Chatfield Elementary School
C+371 students18:1
Shelledy Elementary School
C+371 students16:1
Tope Elementary School
B+370 students19:1
Chipeta Elementary School
C−364 students15:1
Wingate Elementary School
A363 students15:1
Fruitvale Elementary School
C+358 students13:1
Clifton Elementary School
C−346 students15:1
Nisley Elementary School
D346 students16:1
Orchard Avenue Elementary School
B−319 students14:1
Dual Immersion Academy School
C+310 students21:1
Taylor Elementary School
B310 students16:1
Broadway Elementary School
B+300 students17:1
Monument Ridge Elementary School
B300 students14:1
Dos Rios Elementary School
B−293 students16:1
Rim Rock Elementary School
B292 students15:1
Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary School
B289 students14:1
Scenic Elementary School
A243 students16:1
Loma Elementary School
B+207 students15:1
New Emerson School at Columbus
A+138 students15:1
Fruita Middle School
C+690 students17:1
Redlands Middle School
B632 students17:1
Mount Garfield Middle School
C+569 students17:1
Orchard Mesa Middle School
C−560 students16:1
Bookcliff Middle School
C525 students14:1
Grand Mesa Middle School
C476 students15:1
West Middle School
B−468 students16:1
Grand Junction High School
B1,832 students20:1
Fruita Monument High School
A−1,427 students19:1
Central High School
B−1,352 students17:1
Palisade High School
B+1,073 students18:1
R-5 High School
D−207 students12:1
Mesa Valley Community School
B+178 students15:1
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center
18 students10:1
Grand River Academy
B461 students15:1
Career Center Preschool
53 students
Gateway School
12 students4:1
Towns served
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.