Top Rankings
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Colorado for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 13 public middle schools serving 5,340 students in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. This district's average middle testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Colorado.
Public Middle Schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have an average math proficiency score of 22% (versus the Colorado public middle school average of 29%), and reading proficiency score of 36% (versus the 43% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 29% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Colorado public middle school average of 50% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (CO)
# Schools
45 Schools
678 Schools
# Students
19,487 Students
306,112 Students
# Teachers
1,189 Teachers
19,030 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
District Rank
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 179 school districts in Colorado (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 80% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#71 out of 179 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
28%
32%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
41%
45%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)23%
29%
Graduation Rate
80%
82%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.46
0.63
# American Indian Students
108 Students
1,727 Students
% American Indian Students
1%
n/a
# Asian Students
155 Students
11,670 Students
% Asian Students
1%
4%
# Hispanic Students
4,873 Students
109,002 Students
% Hispanic Students
25%
36%
# Black Students
101 Students
14,331 Students
% Black Students
n/a
5%
# White Students
13,520 Students
152,091 Students
% White Students
69%
50%
# Hawaiian Students
40 Students
1,107 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
690 Students
16,069 Students
% of Two or more races Students
4%
5%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
795
2,990
# Students in K Grade:
1,253
12,529
# Students in 1st Grade:
1,290
13,092
# Students in 2nd Grade:
1,459
13,869
# Students in 3rd Grade:
1,486
13,456
# Students in 4th Grade:
1,481
13,809
# Students in 5th Grade:
1,462
15,110
# Students in 6th Grade:
1,469
56,830
# Students in 7th Grade:
1,456
63,353
# Students in 8th Grade:
1,277
64,256
# Students in 9th Grade:
1,205
8,819
# Students in 10th Grade:
1,651
9,037
# Students in 11th Grade:
1,616
8,879
# Students in 12th Grade:
1,587
10,083
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $14,439 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,473. The school district revenue/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,893 is less than the state median of $15,791. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$281 MM
$13,426 MM
Spending
$271 MM
$13,702 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,439
$15,473
Spending / Student
$13,893
$15,791
Best Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Redlands Middle School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
2200 Broadway
Grand Junction, CO 81507
(970) 254-7000
Grand Junction, CO 81507
(970) 254-7000
Grades: 6-8
| 594 students
Rank: #22.
Mesa Valley Community School
Charter School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
609 25 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-7202
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-7202
Grades: 6-12
| 170 students
Rank: #33.
Gateway School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
42575 Highway 141
Gateway, CO 81522
(970) 254-7080
Gateway, CO 81522
(970) 254-7080
Grades: PK-12
| 19 students
Rank: #44.
Independence Academy
Charter School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 45%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
675 29 Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6850
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6850
Grades: PK-8
| 487 students
Rank: #55.
West Middle School
(Math: 28% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
123 W Orchard Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-5090
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-5090
Grades: 6-8
| 460 students
Rank: #66.
Mount Garfield Middle School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
3475 Front Street
Clifton, CO 81520
(970) 254-4720
Clifton, CO 81520
(970) 254-4720
Grades: 6-8
| 562 students
Rank: #77.
Bookcliff Middle School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
2935 Orchard Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6220
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6220
Grades: 6-8
| 565 students
Rank: #88.
Fruita Middle School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
239 N Maple
Fruita, CO 81521
(970) 254-6570
Fruita, CO 81521
(970) 254-6570
Grades: 6-7
| 459 students
Rank: #99.
Grand River Academy
(Math: 10-14% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
600 N 14th St
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 254-5343
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 254-5343
Grades: K-12
| 516 students
Rank: #1010.
Orchard Mesa Middle School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
2736 C Road
Grand Junction, CO 81503
(970) 254-6320
Grand Junction, CO 81503
(970) 254-6320
Grades: 6-8
| 581 students
Rank: #1111.
Grand Mesa Middle School
(Math: 13% | Reading: 20%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
585 31-1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6270
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6270
Grades: 6-8
| 525 students
Rank: #1212.
Juniper Ridge Community School
Charter School
(Math: 2% | Reading: 20%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
640 24 1/2 Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81502
(970) 639-0884
Grand Junction, CO 81502
(970) 639-0884
Grades: K-8
| 392 students
Rank: n/an/a
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center
Alternative School
360 28 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 242-8445
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 242-8445
Grades: 5-12
| 10 students
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