Is Florida Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Florida Mesa Elementary School ranks 602 nd of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Florida Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 278 students attended Florida Mesa Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Florida Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Florida Mesa Elementary School are 60% White, 26% Hispanic, 8% American Indian, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Florida Mesa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Florida Mesa Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Escalante Middle School High : Durango High School

Florida Mesa Elementary School

Summary:

Florida Mesa Elementary School is a public elementary school in Durango, Colorado, serving 278 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Durango School District No. 9-R, which is ranked 30 out of 116 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

While Florida Mesa has a higher percentage of White (59.71%) and Native American (7.91%) students compared to nearby schools, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its academic performance, as measured by CMAS test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 23% of Florida Mesa students were proficient or better in CMAS Math, compared to 36.9% for the district and 34.2% for the state. Additionally, Florida Mesa has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 31.91% to 42.45% over the past three school years.

Interestingly, some of the nearby schools, such as Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School and Animas Valley Elementary School, are also struggling academically, with similar or lower CMAS test scores and rankings compared to Florida Mesa. This suggests that the school's underperformance may be influenced by broader socioeconomic factors in the region. The higher percentage of White and Native American students at Florida Mesa compared to the surrounding schools is also an area that warrants further investigation to understand any potential disparities in academic performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

216 Highway 172
Durango, CO 81303-8295

(970) 247-4250

District: Durango School District No. 9-R

SchoolDigger Rank:
602^nd of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,985

Students who attend Florida Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Escalante Middle School
High:	Durango High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 278

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.7%

Hispanic:

26.3%

American Indian:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.4%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Florida Mesa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Florida Mesa Elementary School ranks worse than 63.8% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks last among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Durango School District No. 9-R. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.17. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Florida Mesa Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Durango School District No. 9-R. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Florida Mesa Elementary School is $16,985, which is the 4^th highest among 6 elementary schools in the Durango School District No. 9-R.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Florida Mesa Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Durango School District No. 9-R:

SchoolDigger ranks Durango School District No. 9-R 30^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Florida Mesa Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	74.94	201^st	808	75.1%
2005	81.18	118^th	823	85.7%
2006	57.95	381^st	829	54.0%
2007	62.15	349^th	852	59.0%
2008	58.46	391^st	849	53.9%
2009	43.92	544^th	872	37.6%
2010	35.37	642^nd	925	30.6%
2011	35.67	644^th	935	31.1%
2012	25.14	729^th	935	22.0%
2013	25.61	743^rd	954	22.1%
2014	36.21	647^th	962	32.7%
2015	37.42	548^th	938	41.6%
2016	39.65	516^th	914	43.5%
2017	33.26	596^th	929	35.8%
2018	15.11	791^st	917	13.7%
2019	40.12	542^nd	965	43.8%
2021	26.96	551^st	710	22.4%
2022	44.46	475^th	921	48.4%
2023	43.15	490^th	933	47.5%
2024	31.17	602^nd	943	36.2%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	36.01	228^th	332	31.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	12.55	637^th	690	7.7%
2019	39.79	430^th	758	43.3%
2023	25.06	467^th	642	27.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	14.97	606^th	693	12.6%
2019	44.95	383^rd	764	49.9%
2023	49.54	317^th	649	51.2%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	49.54	298^th	596	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

This school is a great school caring staff. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Florida Mesa Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	325	3	1	23	2	n/a	n/a	354
1989	307	2	3	24	1	n/a	n/a	337
1990	309	2	3	29	0	n/a	n/a	343
1991	321	2	1	23	0	n/a	n/a	347
1992	312	2	4	20	3	n/a	n/a	341
1993	310	2	4	31	9	n/a	n/a	356
1994	353	2	3	33	4	n/a	n/a	395
1995	333	1	2	32	4	n/a	n/a	372
1996	333	1	2	32	4	n/a	n/a	372
1997	310	1	2	30	7	n/a	n/a	350
1998	284	1	3	32	6	n/a	n/a	326
1999	289	2	3	42	12	n/a	n/a	348
2000	285	2	1	43	13	n/a	n/a	344
2001	285	3	0	47	10	n/a	n/a	345
2002	244	4	1	39	18	n/a	n/a	306
2003	244	4	1	39	18	n/a	n/a	306
2004	238	2	0	42	21	n/a	n/a	303
2005	224	2	1	44	18	n/a	n/a	289
2006	246	7	0	45	14	n/a	n/a	312
2007	241	5	2	44	18	n/a	n/a	310
2008	250	0	3	51	21	n/a	n/a	325
2009	258	1	2	62	23	n/a	n/a	346
2010	220	4	5	60	24	n/a	n/a	313
2011	196	5	6	69	36	1	0	313
2012	214	3	3	63	32	0	2	317
2013	206	7	4	72	27	0	3	319
2014	207	2	1	84	27	0	7	328
2015	221	2	1	88	24	2	11	349
2016	219	2	1	87	28	0	13	350
2017	231	1	1	85	24	0	13	355
2018	223	1	2	91	24	0	22	363
2019	203	5	2	77	27	0	17	331
2020	182	1	0	80	24	0	9	296
2021	158	1	1	80	28	0	10	278
2022	153	1	0	72	21	0	10	257
2023	166	0	4	73	22	0	13	278

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Florida Mesa Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	354	18.7	18.9	n/a
1989	337	17.5	19.2	8.3
1990	343	18.5	18.5	9.9
1991	347	19.5	17.7	8.4
1992	341	20.3	16.7	11.1
1993	356	21.8	16.3	14
1994	395	22.0	18.0	16.5
1995	372	22.0	16.9	20.7
1996	372	22.0	16.9	20.7
1997	350	21.1	16.6	18.3
1998	326	20.5	15.9	21.8
1999	348	22.6	15.4	22.1
2000	344	25.3	13.6	40.1
2001	345	25.0	13.8	34.2
2002	306	26.1	11.7	35
2003	306	26.1	11.7	35
2004	303	25.3	12.0	23.4
2005	289	24.7	11.7	36.3
2006	312	24.3	12.8	42
2007	310	25.7	12.1	43.5
2008	325	25.2	12.9	44.9
2009	346	27.6	12.5	43.6
2010	313	22.7	13.7	41.2
2011	313	21.0	14.8	44.7
2012	317	22.6	14.0	47
2013	319	26.3	12.1	48
2014	328	26.0	12.5	49.7
2015	349	25.0	13.9	46.1
2016	350	26.0	13.4	50.6
2017	355	27.5	12.8	45.6
2018	363	25.8	14.0	46
2019	331	27.1	12.1	47.4
2020	296	26.3	11.2	48.3
2021	278	22.4	12.3	39.9
2022	257	22.6	11.3	31.9
2023	278	24.3	11.4	42.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Florida Mesa Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	354	18.7	18.9	n/a
1989	337	17.5	19.2	8.3
1990	343	18.5	18.5	9.9
1991	347	19.5	17.7	8.4
1992	341	20.3	16.7	11.1
1993	356	21.8	16.3	14
1994	395	22.0	18.0	16.5
1995	372	22.0	16.9	20.7
1996	372	22.0	16.9	20.7
1997	350	21.1	16.6	18.3
1998	326	20.5	15.9	21.8
1999	348	22.6	15.4	22.1
2000	344	25.3	13.6	40.1
2001	345	25.0	13.8	34.2
2002	306	26.1	11.7	35
2003	306	26.1	11.7	35
2004	303	25.3	12.0	23.4
2005	289	24.7	11.7	36.3
2006	312	24.3	12.8	42
2007	310	25.7	12.1	43.5
2008	325	25.2	12.9	44.9
2009	346	27.6	12.5	43.6
2010	313	22.7	13.7	41.2
2011	313	21.0	14.8	44.7
2012	317	22.6	14.0	47
2013	319	26.3	12.1	48
2014	328	26.0	12.5	49.7
2015	349	25.0	13.9	46.1
2016	350	26.0	13.4	50.6
2017	355	27.5	12.8	45.6
2018	363	25.8	14.0	46
2019	331	27.1	12.1	47.4
2020	296	26.3	11.2	48.3
2021	278	22.4	12.3	39.9
2022	257	22.6	11.3	31.9
2023	278	24.3	11.4	42.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Florida Mesa Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$13,537
2020	$13,059
2021	$12,016
2022	$14,216
2023	$16,985

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Florida Mesa Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 542^nd of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 490^th of 933 Elementary schools	3.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	37.5	38.5	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Durango School District No. 9-R)	38.6	43.6	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	25	40.4	15.4%
3rd Grade Math (Durango School District No. 9-R)	35.6	44.9	9.3%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	42.3	40.5	1.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Durango School District No. 9-R)	50.1	46.6	3.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	15.4	13.5	1.9%
4th Grade Math (Durango School District No. 9-R)	24.9	28.9	4%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	40.7	34.1	6.6%
5th Grade Science (Durango School District No. 9-R)	43.6	38.2	5.4%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	50	53.3	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Durango School District No. 9-R)	52.9	50.6	2.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	35.2	28.9	6.3%
5th Grade Math (Durango School District No. 9-R)	28.4	38.3	9.9%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	43.5	44	0.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Durango School District No. 9-R)	47.2	47.4	0.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Florida Mesa Elementary School)	25.3	29.1	3.8%
All Grades Math (Durango School District No. 9-R)	29.9	32.9	3%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	331	278	16%
African American	5	0	100%
American Indian	27	22	18.5%
Asian	2	4	100%
Hispanic	77	73	5.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	203	166	18.2%
Two or More Races	17	13	23.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	47.4%	42.4%	5%

Schools Near Florida Mesa Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)				CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Florida Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	216 Highway 172	Durango	81303	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-4250	278	24	11.4	42.4%	166 (59.7%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (26.3%)	4 (1.4%)	22 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.7%)	31.2	602^nd of 943 public elementary schools	36.2%		43.2	490^th of 933 public elementary schools	47.5%	112	50.0	33.3	38.2	39.3	28.6	20.8	20.6	23.0	23.5	$16,985
Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	510 E. 6th Ave.	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-3718	425	32	13.2	34.6%	256 (60.2%)	1 (0.2%)	94 (22.1%)	6 (1.4%)	34 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.0%)	78.8	177^th of 943 public elementary schools	81.2%		78.2	178^th of 933 public elementary schools	80.9%	1	64.3	58.7	57.1	60.6	55.3	50.8	55.2	53.9	55.2	$13,882
The Juniper School	Public, Charter	K-8	225 Sawyer Dr	Durango	81303	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 764-4185	162	12	13.9	25.9%	132 (81.5%)	1 (0.6%)	22 (13.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.1%)	63.7	331^st of 943 public elementary schools	64.9%		82.7	137^th of 933 public elementary schools	85.3%	194	66.7	50.0	52.4	54.9	50.0	29.2	42.9	37.8	52.4	$11,033
Riverview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Mesa Avenue	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	No	(970) 247-3862	439	30	14.5	18.2%	338 (77.0%)	3 (0.7%)	45 (10.3%)	2 (0.5%)	23 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.2%)	61.1	351^st of 943 public elementary schools	62.8%		64.1	308^th of 933 public elementary schools	67.0%	43	62.8	51.9	44.4	54.3	56.4	40.4	20.8	41.5	40.7	$14,276
Needham Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2425 West Third Avenue	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-4791	388	29	13.5	37.1%	280 (72.2%)	1 (0.3%)	55 (14.2%)	3 (0.8%)	32 (8.2%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.1%)	55.1	402^nd of 943 public elementary schools	57.4%		50.6	425^th of 933 public elementary schools	54.4%	23	55.6	42.6	56.8	51.3	50.9	29.8	25.0	35.9	42.2	$14,061
Sunnyside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	75 Cr 218	Durango	81303	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 259-5249	106	10	10.5	37.7%	59 (55.7%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (37.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)								(n/a)				35.1				15.8		$19,552
Bayfield Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	511 East Mustang Lane	Bayfield	81122	La Plata County	Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 884-0881	267	23	11.5	30.7%	198 (74.2%)	1 (0.4%)	49 (18.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.7%)								(n/a)										$14,271
Bayfield Intermediate School	Public	3-5	720 E Oak	Bayfield	81122	La Plata County	Bayfield School District No. 10Jt-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 884-9571	295	25	11.9	37.3%	222 (75.3%)	1 (0.3%)	51 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.1%)	37.2	548^th of 943 public elementary schools	41.9%		33.2	578^th of 933 public elementary schools	38.0%	30	32.1	36.7	37.9	35.7	39.5	27.3	32.3	32.7	34.0	$13,797
Ignacio Elementary School	Public	K-5	85 County Road 320	Ignacio	81137	La Plata County	Ignacio School District No. 11Jt	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 563-0650	290	24	11.8	72.8%	78 (26.9%)	0 (0.0%)	110 (37.9%)	2 (0.7%)	88 (30.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	18.7	759^th of 943 public elementary schools	19.5%		14.7	815^th of 933 public elementary schools	12.6%	56	22.7	32.1	31.1	29.0	13.6	12.3	15.6	13.7	26.7	$20,112
Animas Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	373 Hermosa Meadows Road	Durango	81301	La Plata County	Durango School District No. 9-R	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 247-0124	188	17	10.8	40.4%	102 (54.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (27.7%)	1 (0.5%)	21 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.4%)	53.6	420^th of 943 public elementary schools	55.5%		34.3	563^rd of 933 public elementary schools	39.7%	143	48.1	50.0	57.9	51.4	42.9	26.9	42.1	37.0	31.6	$19,705

Florida Mesa Elementary School

Durango School District No. 9-R:

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Rank History for Florida Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Florida Mesa Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Florida Mesa Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Florida Mesa Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Florida Mesa Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Florida Mesa Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Florida Mesa Elementary School