Is Grand Mesa Middle School a good school?

Grand Mesa Middle School ranks in the bottom 10.9% of Colorado middle schools.

How many students attend Grand Mesa Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 525 students attended Grand Mesa Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Grand Mesa Middle School?

Students at Grand Mesa Middle School are 55% White, 39% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Grand Mesa Middle School attend?

Students who attend Grand Mesa Middle School usually go on to attend Central High School

Grand Mesa Middle School

Summary:

Grand Mesa Middle School is a public middle school located in Grand Junction, Colorado, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 511 and is part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51.

While the district and state averages for academic performance are relatively strong, Grand Mesa Middle School consistently underperforms, with only 20.3% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 10.8% in Math, compared to district averages of 41.1% and 31.8%, respectively. The school's statewide ranking is also low, placing in the bottom quarter of Colorado middle schools, and it struggles to support the academic achievement of its diverse student population, including Hispanic students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 59.3%, may be a contributing factor to its academic challenges.

In contrast, nearby schools like Fruita Middle School and Redlands Middle School, which are also part of the Mesa County Valley School District, significantly outperform Grand Mesa Middle School in academic assessments and statewide rankings. This highlights the potential for improvement at Grand Mesa Middle School by learning from the practices and strategies employed at these higher-performing schools and addressing the unique needs of its student population.

Detail:

Public 6-8

585 31-1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81504-6001

(970) 254-6270

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

SchoolDigger Rank:
432^nd of 485 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,845

Students who attend Grand Mesa Middle School usually attend:

High:

Central High School

Feeder schools for Grand Mesa Middle School:

Elementary:	Chatfield Elementary School
	Fruitvale Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.1

Number of students: 525

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.4%

Hispanic:

38.9%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.2%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Grand Mesa Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Grand Mesa Middle School ranks worse than 89.1% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks last among 7 ranked middle schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.78. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Racial makeup is: White (55.4%), Hispanic (38.9%), two or more races (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 68.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Grand Mesa Middle School is 17.1. 5 middle schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Grand Mesa Middle School employs 30.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Grand Mesa Middle School is $14,845, which is the 3^rd highest among 7 middle schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Grand Mesa Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Grand Mesa Middle School 432^nd of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See Grand Mesa Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 52^nd of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Grand Mesa Middle School.

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Your rating for Grand Mesa Middle School?

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Rank History for Grand Mesa Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	41.48	207^th	336	38.4%
2005	47.43	193^rd	340	43.2%
2006	43.11	213^th	346	38.4%
2007	43.20	226^th	360	37.2%
2008	31.66	269^th	362	25.7%
2009	35.52	262^nd	377	30.5%
2010	33.62	293^rd	409	28.4%
2011	27.51	328^th	422	22.3%
2012	29.78	316^th	425	25.6%
2013	30.21	338^th	454	25.6%
2014	33.29	319^th	461	30.8%
2015	27.20	322^nd	436	26.1%
2016	23.33	318^th	400	20.5%
2017	14.91	371^st	424	12.5%
2018	15.63	359^th	418	14.1%
2019	16.93	378^th	458	17.5%
2021	18.39	319^th	369	13.6%
2022	15.54	380^th	448	15.2%
2023	14.28	410^th	480	14.6%
2024	12.78	432^nd	485	10.9%

See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	24.68	181^st	222	18.5%
2019	22.39	202^nd	240	15.8%
2021	31.70	85^th	114	25.4%
2022	28.53	141^st	197	28.4%
2023	19.40	213^th	241	11.6%
2024	17.37	222^nd	244	9.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	16.02	270^th	315	14.3%
2019	17.68	292^nd	352	17.0%
2021	19.45	221^st	254	13.0%
2022	11.18	295^th	326	9.5%
2023	16.34	302^nd	363	16.8%
2024	10.31	327^th	350	6.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	10.27	301^st	317	5.0%
2019	12.91	307^th	343	10.5%
2021	12.23	238^th	249	4.4%
2022	14.49	288^th	328	12.2%
2023	11.59	329^th	356	7.6%
2024	10.90	332^nd	357	7.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	16.69	197^th	220	10.5%
2024	17.85	175^th	199	12.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	6.84	192^nd	199	3.5%
2019	6.93	278^th	283	1.8%
2021	5.65	201^st	203	1.0%
2022	4.30	264^th	265	0.4%
2023	4.73	282^nd	286	1.4%
2024	3.08	273^rd	273	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle 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: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Saturday, November 3, 2018

The school over all is very nice I have experance extreme rudeness and cursing my teacher all treat me politely and I feel like I have a relationship were I can trust all my teachers. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Grand Mesa Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1999	581	3	5	106	9	n/a	n/a	704
2000	538	6	4	116	8	n/a	n/a	672
2001	510	6	4	108	10	n/a	n/a	638
2002	527	7	3	117	12	n/a	n/a	666
2003	527	7	3	117	12	n/a	n/a	666
2004	583	6	3	130	8	n/a	n/a	730
2005	540	6	0	129	5	n/a	n/a	680
2006	527	5	1	120	3	n/a	n/a	656
2007	523	8	4	128	7	n/a	n/a	670
2008	492	8	4	150	12	n/a	n/a	666
2009	521	13	4	162	11	n/a	n/a	711
2010	486	14	8	148	8	n/a	n/a	664
2011	445	8	5	163	16	3	17	657
2012	462	10	4	152	12	1	6	647
2013	413	6	6	155	10	0	28	618
2014	431	6	4	156	3	0	22	622
2015	383	8	1	165	2	0	22	581
2016	390	6	1	186	6	0	18	607
2017	371	4	0	222	5	0	27	629
2018	363	4	0	202	5	0	34	608
2019	386	4	2	213	3	0	35	643
2020	384	4	3	211	5	4	33	644
2021	390	3	5	218	4	4	28	652
2022	346	3	6	229	0	1	19	604
2023	286	4	9	197	2	0	13	511
2024	291	4	8	204	3	0	15	525

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 Grand Mesa Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	704	38.3	18.4	29.8
2000	672	41.4	16.2	49.1
2001	638	40.3	15.8	49.7
2002	666	42.3	15.7	54.1
2003	666	42.3	15.7	54.1
2004	730	43.8	16.7	51.9
2005	680	42.2	16.1	52.6
2006	656	41.4	15.8	51.4
2007	670	42.7	15.7	33.3
2008	666	40.3	16.5	47.6
2009	711	41.8	17.0	50.1
2010	664	42.8	15.5	60.2
2011	657	45.2	14.5	60
2012	647	41.4	15.6	57
2013	618	40.0	15.4	57.3
2014	622	41.0	15.1	53.9
2015	581	41.0	14.1	53.7
2016	607	40.0	15.1	61.3
2017	629	37.4	16.7	65.2
2018	608	38.6	15.7	60.7
2019	643	39.4	16.3	63.9
2020	644	39.2	16.4	57
2021	652	36.5	17.8	69.6
2022	604	34.6	17.4	62.3
2023	511	37.2	13.7	59.3
2024	525	30.7	17.1	68.2

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 Grand Mesa Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	704	38.3	18.4	29.8
2000	672	41.4	16.2	49.1
2001	638	40.3	15.8	49.7
2002	666	42.3	15.7	54.1
2003	666	42.3	15.7	54.1
2004	730	43.8	16.7	51.9
2005	680	42.2	16.1	52.6
2006	656	41.4	15.8	51.4
2007	670	42.7	15.7	33.3
2008	666	40.3	16.5	47.6
2009	711	41.8	17.0	50.1
2010	664	42.8	15.5	60.2
2011	657	45.2	14.5	60
2012	647	41.4	15.6	57
2013	618	40.0	15.4	57.3
2014	622	41.0	15.1	53.9
2015	581	41.0	14.1	53.7
2016	607	40.0	15.1	61.3
2017	629	37.4	16.7	65.2
2018	608	38.6	15.7	60.7
2019	643	39.4	16.3	63.9
2020	644	39.2	16.4	57
2021	652	36.5	17.8	69.6
2022	604	34.6	17.4	62.3
2023	511	37.2	13.7	59.3
2024	525	30.7	17.1	68.2

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 Grand Mesa Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,058
2020	$13,079
2021	$11,387
2022	$12,401
2023	$14,845

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Grand Mesa Middle 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 378^th of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 410^th of 480 Middle schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Grand Mesa Middle School)	18.9	18.8	0.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.8	36.2	3.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	43.6	43.4	0.2%
6th Grade Math (Grand Mesa Middle School)	7.5	11.1	3.6%
6th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	21.5	22.8	1.3%
6th Grade Math (Colorado)	29.5	28.2	1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Grand Mesa Middle School)	36.2	19.6	16.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.7	38.3	5.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.5	45	1.5%
7th Grade Math (Grand Mesa Middle School)	15.4	4.7	10.7%
7th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	21.1	19.6	1.5%
7th Grade Math (Colorado)	31.6	26.3	5.3%
8th Grade Science (Grand Mesa Middle School)	16.6	14	2.6%
8th Grade Science (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	22.1	26.5	4.4%
8th Grade Science (Colorado)	31.5	31.3	0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Grand Mesa Middle School)	31.9	22.9	9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	34.6	36.6	2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.9	42.4	4.5%
8th Grade Math (Grand Mesa Middle School)	17.6	18.3	0.7%
8th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	25.6	28.1	2.5%
8th Grade Math (Colorado)	36.9	32.7	4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Grand Mesa Middle School)	28.6	20.4	8.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	36	39.2	3.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Grand Mesa Middle School)	13.3	11.4	1.9%
All Grades Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	24.4	29.1	4.7%
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	643	511	20.5%
African American	4	4
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	2	9	350%
Hispanic	213	197	7.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	386	286	25.9%
Two or More Races	35	13	62.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.9%	59.3%	4.6%

Schools Near Grand Mesa Middle 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 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Grand Mesa Middle School	Public	6-8	585 31-1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6270	525	31	17.1	68.2%	291 (55.4%)	4 (0.8%)	204 (38.9%)	8 (1.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.9%)	12.8	432^nd of 485 public middle schools	10.9%		14.3	410^th of 480 public middle schools	14.6%	22	25.1	19.0	14.3	20.3	13.6	5.9	12.5	10.8	12.7	$14,845
Bookcliff Middle School	Public	6-8	2935 Orchard Ave	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6220	565	40	14.0	72.0%	267 (47.3%)	3 (0.5%)	261 (46.2%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.4%)	16.4	396^th of 485 public middle schools	18.4%		22.8	356^th of 480 public middle schools	25.8%	40	21.4	27.6	28.3	26.1	9.8	10.1	14.4	11.6	16.0	$16,760
Mount Garfield Middle School	Public	6-8	3475 Front Street	Clifton	81520	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-4720	562	35	16.2	70.8%	359 (63.9%)	3 (0.5%)	188 (33.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	26.7	333^rd of 485 public middle schools	31.3%		26.1	332^nd of 480 public middle schools	30.8%	1	30.1	33.7	38.1	34.1	19.8	12.9	18.2	17.0	24.6	$14,054
Orchard Mesa Middle School	Public	6-8	2736 C Road	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6320	581	34	17.3	58.5%	421 (72.5%)	2 (0.3%)	130 (22.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	52.3	197^th of 485 public middle schools	59.4%		23.4	348^th of 480 public middle schools	27.5%	151	45.9	46.4	47.2	46.5	32.6	28.0	36.5	32.3	37.2	$14,486
West Middle School	Public	6-8	123 W Orchard Ave	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-5090	460	28	16.4	51.7%	331 (72.0%)	4 (0.9%)	99 (21.5%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	36.4	270^th of 485 public middle schools	44.3%		42.9	243^rd of 480 public middle schools	49.4%	27	37.4	47.3	40.1	41.3	13.4	26.7	26.4	22.1	25.3	$15,285
Redlands Middle School	Public	6-8	2200 Broadway	Grand Junction	81507	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-7000	594	36	16.6	27.3%	512 (86.2%)	3 (0.5%)	50 (8.4%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.4%)	79.7	76^th of 485 public middle schools	84.3%		80.5	81^st of 480 public middle schools	83.1%	5	67.0	53.6	60.2	60.9	59.5	41.0	55.2	52.6	45.9	$14,463
Fruita Middle School	Public	6-7	239 N Maple	Fruita	81521	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6570	459	30	15.3	40.7%	366 (79.7%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (13.7%)	4 (0.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.4%)	40.8	243^rd of 485 public middle schools	49.9%		36.1	286^th of 480 public middle schools	40.4%	43	34.6	46.7		40.5	22.5	30.8		26.6		$14,089

Grand Mesa Middle School

Grand Mesa Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Grand Mesa Middle School

Rank History for all students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Rank History for White students at Grand Mesa Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Grand Mesa Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Grand Mesa Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Grand Mesa Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Grand Mesa Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Grand Mesa Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Grand Mesa Middle School