Graham Mesa Elementary School

Q: Is Graham Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Graham Mesa Elementary School ranks 687 th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Graham Mesa Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 425 students in grades PK-5 in Rifle, Colorado, which is part of the Garfield School District No. Re-2. Despite its location, the school consistently underperforms compared to state and district averages, ranking in the bottom third of Colorado elementary schools.

Academically, Graham Mesa Elementary struggles, with only 33.9% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 19.9% in Math, compared to state averages of 44.1% and 34.2%, respectively. The school's statewide ranking is low, placing 687 out of 943 elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, the school's student subgroups, such as White and Hispanic students, perform poorly, ranking in the bottom 10% and 40% of Colorado elementary schools, respectively.

Interestingly, Graham Mesa Elementary is located near several higher-performing elementary schools within the Garfield School District, such as Kathryn Senor Elementary and Cactus Valley Elementary. The school has also seen a shift in its racial makeup, with a decrease in White students and an increase in Hispanic students, which may be impacting its academic performance. Additionally, the school's relatively high free and reduced lunch rates suggest it may be facing challenges in terms of staffing, resources, and support for its students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1575 Farmstead Parkway
Rifle, CO 81650-5600

(970) 665-7500

District: Garfield School District No. Re-2

SchoolDigger Rank:
687^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,954

Students who attend Graham Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Rifle Middle School
High:	Rifle High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 425

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.2%

White:

46.6%

Two or more races:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Graham Mesa Elementary School ranks worse than 72.9% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Garfield School District No. Re-2. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.33. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Graham Mesa Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Garfield School District No. Re-2. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Graham Mesa Elementary School is $13,954. 3 elementary schools in the Garfield School District No. Re-2 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Graham Mesa Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Graham Mesa Elementary School 687^th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Graham Mesa Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Garfield School District No. Re-2:

SchoolDigger ranks Garfield School District No. Re-2 90^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Graham Mesa Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Graham Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2010	25.51	723^rd	925	21.8%
2011	32.14	680^th	935	27.3%
2012	34.58	653^rd	935	30.2%
2013	40.04	609^th	954	36.2%
2014	45.63	547^th	962	43.1%
2015	40.96	510^th	938	45.6%
2016	35.87	550^th	914	39.8%
2017	27.55	652^nd	929	29.8%
2019	26.03	705^th	965	26.9%
2021	26.51	555^th	710	21.8%
2022	20.83	708^th	921	23.1%
2023	25.66	660^th	933	29.3%
2024	24.33	687^th	943	27.1%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	19.15	303^rd	332	8.7%
2024	24.62	296^th	365	18.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Graham Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	18.31	634^th	758	16.4%
2022	16.79	507^th	595	14.8%
2023	24.88	469^th	642	26.9%
2024	29.12	484^th	684	29.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Graham Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	24.56	573^rd	764	25.0%
2022	19.50	479^th	594	19.4%
2023	19.47	531^st	649	18.2%
2024	17.21	568^th	683	16.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Graham Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	37.26	122^nd	197	38.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Graham Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	18.82	513^th	596	13.9%
2023	15.91	477^th	525	9.1%
2024	7.87	520^th	539	3.5%

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: 3.5)

50%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Graham Mesa Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	188	3	1	133	6	n/a	n/a	331
2011	213	0	0	134	4	0	13	364
2012	225	2	0	145	1	0	8	381
2013	208	1	2	146	2	0	5	364
2014	230	1	3	131	1	0	10	376
2015	239	4	3	151	1	1	12	411
2016	241	1	3	142	4	1	10	402
2017	224	0	2	131	3	1	14	375
2018	201	0	2	134	0	1	11	349
2019	226	2	2	181	0	1	8	420
2020	228	0	1	191	0	0	9	429
2021	205	0	2	188	0	0	8	403
2022	217	0	1	196	1	0	4	419
2023	198	0	1	222	0	0	4	425

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 Graham Mesa Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	331	21.4	15.4	48
2011	364	20.2	18.0	48.9
2012	381	20.4	18.6	53.5
2013	364	22.5	16.1	51.1
2014	376	23.5	16.0	54
2015	411	24.0	17.1	54.3
2016	402	21.0	19.1	57.2
2017	375	23.6	15.8	53.6
2018	349	21.2	16.4	49.6
2019	420	21.7	19.3	47.1
2020	429	21.7	19.7	43.1
2021	403	26.0	15.4	41.4
2022	419	25.2	16.5	35.3
2023	425	24.2	17.5	35.3

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 Graham Mesa Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	331	21.4	15.4	48
2011	364	20.2	18.0	48.9
2012	381	20.4	18.6	53.5
2013	364	22.5	16.1	51.1
2014	376	23.5	16.0	54
2015	411	24.0	17.1	54.3
2016	402	21.0	19.1	57.2
2017	375	23.6	15.8	53.6
2018	349	21.2	16.4	49.6
2019	420	21.7	19.3	47.1
2020	429	21.7	19.7	43.1
2021	403	26.0	15.4	41.4
2022	419	25.2	16.5	35.3
2023	425	24.2	17.5	35.3

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 Graham Mesa Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,449
2020	$10,333
2021	$12,719
2022	$12,238
2023	$13,954

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Graham 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 705^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 660^th of 933 Elementary schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	34.4	35.1	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	36.1	31.2	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	35.4	27.6	7.8%
3rd Grade Math (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	35.8	23.2	12.6%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	38.1	28.3	9.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	46.8	33.1	13.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	12.7	20	7.3%
4th Grade Math (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	20.4	16.8	3.6%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	28.9	26	2.9%
5th Grade Science (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	31.9	25.1	6.8%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	33.3	34	0.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	41.8	37.1	4.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	11.8	16	4.2%
5th Grade Math (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	24.9	22.9	2%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	35.1	32.3	2.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	35.6	31.9	3.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Graham Mesa Elementary School)	19.6	21.4	1.8%
All Grades Math (Garfield School District No. Re-2)	22.2	17.9	4.3%
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	420	425	1.2%
African American	2	0	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	181	222	22.7%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	226	198	12.4%
Two or More Races	8	4	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	47.1%	35.3%	11.8%

Schools Near Graham 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
Graham Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1575 Farmstead Parkway	Rifle	81650	Garfield County	Garfield School District No. Re-2	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 665-7500	425	24	17.5	35.3%	198 (46.6%)	0 (0.0%)	222 (52.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	24.3	687^th of 943 public elementary schools	27.1%		25.7	660^th of 933 public elementary schools	29.3%	27	35.1	33.9	32.7	33.9	28.8	16.1	14.3	19.9	23.6	$13,954
Highland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 East 7th Street	Rifle	81650	Garfield County	Garfield School District No. Re-2	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 665-6800	451	28	16.1	45.5%	151 (33.5%)	2 (0.4%)	288 (63.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	18.3	766^th of 943 public elementary schools	18.8%		25.4	667^th of 933 public elementary schools	28.5%	99	24.6	17.6	43.1	27.2	14.8	8.8	26.4	15.9	20.8	$14,177
Wamsley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	225 East 30th Street	Rifle	81650	Garfield County	Garfield School District No. Re-2	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 665-7950	395	24	16.3	50.9%	115 (29.1%)	2 (0.5%)	267 (67.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	18.2	767^th of 943 public elementary schools	18.7%		23.4	692^nd of 933 public elementary schools	25.8%	75	16.7	20.8	32.8	23.7	20.0	27.8	20.0	22.3	16.9	$12,855
Cactus Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	222 Grand Avenue	Silt	81652	Garfield County	Garfield School District No. Re-2	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 665-7850	463	29	15.9	33.3%	272 (58.7%)	0 (0.0%)	184 (39.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	32.9	579^th of 943 public elementary schools	38.6%		26.1	653^rd of 933 public elementary schools	30.0%	74	37.9	38.3	41.5	39.3	32.4	22.2	18.5	24.5	30.8	$13,476
Elk Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	804 West Main Street	New Castle	81647	Garfield County	Garfield School District No. Re-2	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 665-6900	246	20	12.6	36.2%	125 (50.8%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (45.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	18.8	756^th of 943 public elementary schools	19.8%		47	467^th of 933 public elementary schools	49.9%	289	17.9	34.1	17.1	23.6	13.8	26.2	14.6	18.8	22.5	$19,183
Kathryn Senor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Alder Avenue	New Castle	81647	Garfield County	Garfield School District No. Re-2	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 665-7700	273	20	13.5	34.1%	137 (50.2%)	1 (0.4%)	130 (47.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	40.7	517^th of 943 public elementary schools	45.2%		36.9	542^nd of 933 public elementary schools	41.9%	25	42.5	31.3	46.6	41.5	37.5	30.3	30.5	32.6	32.2	$16,527
Grand Valley Center for Family Learning	Public	PK, KG-1	100 East Second Street	Parachute	81635	Garfield County	Grand Valley School District No. 16	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 285-5702	221	13	17.0	60.2%	126 (57.0%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (42.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$16,144
Bea Underwood Elementary School	Public	2-5	0741 Tamarisk Trail	Parachute	81635	Garfield County	Grand Valley School District No. 16	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 285-5703	369	23	16.0	61.5%	189 (51.2%)	2 (0.5%)	159 (43.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.3%)	7.1	920^th of 943 public elementary schools	2.4%		6.3	924^th of 933 public elementary schools	1.0%	4	14.6	8.3	13.2	11.9	17.6		10.9		7.7	$13,231

Frequently Asked Questions about Graham Mesa Elementary School

What district is Graham Mesa Elementary School in?

Garfield School District No. Re-2

What schools do graduates of Graham Mesa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Graham Mesa Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Rifle Middle School
High : Rifle High School

Is Graham Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Graham Mesa Elementary School ranks 687^th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Graham Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Graham Mesa Elementary School are 52% Hispanic, 47% White.

How many students attend Graham Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 425 students attended Graham Mesa Elementary School.

Rate Graham Mesa Elementary School!

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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.