Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

2115 Grand Avenue
Grand Junction, CO 81501-8063
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

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 2026 school year, there are 12 public middle schools serving 5,455 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 23% (versus the Colorado public middle school average of 30%), 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 52% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CO)
# Schools
44 Schools
671 Schools
# Students
19,753 Students
308,536 Students
# Teachers
1,199 Teachers
19,163 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 176 school districts in Colorado (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 80% has decreased from 81% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CO)
#65 out of 179 school districts
(Top 50%)
29%
33%
41%
45%
(20-21)
23%
29%
80%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.46
0.63
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
25%
37%
% Black
1%
5%
% White
69%
48%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,245 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,520. The school district revenue/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,706 is less than the state median of $15,839. The school district spending/student has declined by 9% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CO)
Total Revenue
$281 MM
$13,426 MM
Spending
$271 MM
$13,702 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,245
$15,520
Spending / Student
$13,706
$15,839

Best Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Redlands Middle School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2200 Broadway
Grand Junction, CO 81507
(970) 254-7000
Gr: 6-8 | 632 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 16%
Rank: #22.
Mesa Valley Community School
Charter School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
609 25 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-7202
Gr: 6-12 | 178 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 23%
Rank: #33.
Gateway School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
42575 Highway 141
Gateway, CO 81522
(970) 254-7080
Gr: PK-12 | 12 students Student-teacher ratio: 4:1 Minority enrollment: 17%
Rank: #44.
Independence Academy
Charter School
(Math: 32% | Reading: 45%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
675 29 Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6850
Gr: PK-8 | 491 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 16%
Rank: #55.
West Middle School
(Math: 27% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
123 W Orchard Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-5090
Gr: 6-8 | 468 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 33%
Rank: #66.
Fruita Middle School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1835 J Rd
Fruita, CO 81521
(970) 254-6570
Gr: 6-8 | 690 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 20%
Rank: #77.
Mount Garfield Middle School
(Math: 15% | Reading: 38%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
3475 Front Street
Clifton, CO 81520
(970) 254-4720
Gr: 6-8 | 569 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 40%
Rank: #88.
Bookcliff Middle School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2935 Orchard Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6220
Gr: 6-8 | 525 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 56%
Rank: #99.
Orchard Mesa Middle School
(Math: 16% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2736 Unaweep Ave #a
Grand Junction, CO 81503
(970) 254-6320
Gr: 6-8 | 560 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 30%
Rank: #1010.
Grand Mesa Middle School
(Math: 12% | Reading: 20%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
585 31-1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6270
Gr: 6-8 | 476 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 43%
Rank: #1111.
Juniper Ridge Community School
Charter School
(Math: 8% | Reading: 20%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
640 24 1/2 Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81502
(970) 639-0884
Gr: K-8 | 375 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 19%
Rank: n/an/a
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center
Alternative School
360 28 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 242-8445
Gr: 5-12 | 18 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 33%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 44 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 19,753 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 31%
  • : 80% (Top 50% in CO)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 29% (Top 50%)
  • : 41% (Top 50%)
  • : 23% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CO Dept. of Education

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