Grand River Academy

Q: Is Grand River Academy a good school?

Grand River Academy ranks 189 th of 349 Colorado alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Grand River Academy is an alternative public school in Grand Junction, Colorado, serving 508 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. While the school is part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked 52 out of 116 districts in Colorado, Grand River Academy faces some unique challenges compared to its peers.

One key difference is the school's racial makeup, with a higher percentage of white students (72.64%) compared to the state average of Colorado (72.12% in 2021-2022). However, Grand River Academy's test scores are generally lower than the district and state averages across various assessments, including CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) for Science, English Language Arts, and Math, as well as SAT and PSAT10 for Reading/Writing and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Grand River Academy's proficiency rates were 28.2% in CMAS/Science for 11th grade, compared to 32.6% for the district and 24.8% for the state. Additionally, the school has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (47.17%) than the state average, which may be a contributing factor to its lower academic performance.

Interestingly, a nearby public charter school, Caprock Academy, has significantly higher test scores across various assessments compared to Grand River Academy, the district, and the state. This suggests that factors such as socioeconomic status and student-teacher ratio, which has declined from 15.3 in 2021-2022 to 16.3 in 2022-2023 at Grand River Academy, may be playing a significant role in the school's academic performance. Addressing these challenges and implementing targeted interventions could help improve the overall success of Grand River Academy.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

600 N 14th St
Grand Junction, CO 81501

(970) 254-5343

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

SchoolDigger Rank:
189^th of 349 Colorado Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,035

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 508

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.6%

Hispanic:

19.5%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.2%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Grand River Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2022 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.05. (See more...)

Compare Details Grand River Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.27. (See more...)

Compare Details Grand River Academy ranks worse than 54.2% of high schools in Colorado. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.18. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Grand River Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Grand River Academy is $10,035.

Schooldigger 2022 Rankings:

Grand River Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Grand River Academy 189^th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See Grand River Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male 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.)

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Rank History for Grand River Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2014	15.06	836^th	962	13.1%
2022	55.05	391^st	921	57.5%

See the entire list of Colorado Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Grand River Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2014	15.06	401^st	461	13.0%
2017	58.92	139^th	424	67.2%
2018	27.91	291^st	418	30.4%
2019	15.84	383^rd	458	16.4%
2023	33.27	299^th	480	37.7%

See the entire list of Colorado Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Grand River Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Grand River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2014	23.04	289^th	369	21.7%
2016	28.34	175^th	255	31.4%
2017	53.16	86^th	256	66.4%
2018	29.48	257^th	388	33.8%
2019	39.02	236^th	411	42.6%
2023	43.90	183^rd	349	47.6%
2024	43.18	189^th	349	45.8%

See the entire list of Colorado Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Female students at Grand River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2022	19.15	202^nd	257	21.4%
2023	33.82	165^th	254	35.0%
2024	32.74	167^th	257	35.0%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Grand River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2022	35.88	152^nd	253	39.9%
2023	68.60	83^rd	252	67.1%
2024	68.06	75^th	256	70.7%

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

Rank History for high school White students at Grand River Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CO State Percentile
2021	20.07	176^th	225	21.8%
2022	45.70	115^th	228	49.6%
2023	22.28	187^th	234	20.1%
2024	24.91	179^th	229	21.8%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Alternative 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

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Enrollment information for Grand River Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	131	0	1	17	2	0	5	156
2013	193	3	2	32	3	1	11	245
2014	155	1	1	16	2	0	7	182
2015	152	1	1	32	1	0	8	195
2016	176	1	0	29	0	1	11	218
2017	195	1	1	42	0	0	20	259
2018	215	3	1	44	3	0	14	280
2019	225	2	0	58	2	2	21	310
2020	220	3	1	74	3	1	26	328
2021	228	1	0	59	2	0	21	311
2022	370	1	2	105	7	1	27	513
2023	369	0	0	99	10	0	30	508

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 River Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	156	4.4	35.1	5.1
2013	245	7.0	35.0	9.4
2014	182	7.6	23.8	18.1
2015	195	6.0	32.5	32.8
2016	218	11.0	19.8	42.2
2017	259	11.2	23.0	41.7
2018	280	12.5	22.4	22.9
2019	310	12.9	23.9	30
2020	328	14.0	23.4	32.9
2021	311	14.2	21.8	n/a
2022	513	33.3	15.3	47.2
2023	508	31.0	16.3	n/a

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 River Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	156	4.4	35.1	5.1
2013	245	7.0	35.0	9.4
2014	182	7.6	23.8	18.1
2015	195	6.0	32.5	32.8
2016	218	11.0	19.8	42.2
2017	259	11.2	23.0	41.7
2018	280	12.5	22.4	22.9
2019	310	12.9	23.9	30
2020	328	14.0	23.4	32.9
2021	311	14.2	21.8	n/a
2022	513	33.3	15.3	47.2
2023	508	31.0	16.3	n/a

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 River Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,535
2020	$11,440
2021	$10,940
2022	$9,299
2023	$10,035

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Grand River Academy

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 383^rd of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 299^th of 480 Middle schools	21.3%
Ranks 236^th of 411 High schools	Ranks 183^rd of 349 High schools	5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade Science (Grand River Academy)	11.5	17.9	6.4%
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 River Academy)	33.3	41.9	8.6%
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%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	310	508	63.9%
African American	2	0	100%
American Indian	2	10	400%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	58	99	70.7%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	225	369	64%
Two or More Races	21	30	42.9%

Schools Near Grand River Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2024)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2024)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2024)	SAT Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	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 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Grand River Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	600 N 14th St	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-5343	508	31	16.3		369 (72.6%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.9%)								(n/a)	61.0				62.0	15.0						29.6	33.3							9.9		13.0	28.2	$10,035
Caprock Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	714 24 1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 243-1771	899	62	14.4		703 (78.2%)	5 (0.6%)	132 (14.7%)	19 (2.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (4.1%)								(n/a)	89.0	56.0	89.0	50.0	83.0	42.0	52.6	53.3	48.6	31.2	53.4	34.4	45.8	46.1	28.0	36.1	11.5	33.3	32.8	31.1	37.5	29.7	50.0	$9,034

Frequently Asked Questions about Grand River Academy

What district is Grand River Academy in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Is Grand River Academy a good school?

Grand River Academy ranks 189^th of 349 Colorado alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Grand River Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 508 students attended Grand River Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Grand River Academy?

Students at Grand River Academy are 73% White, 19% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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