Mesa County Valley School District 51
Listed by NCES as Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 (district ID 0804350)
Public school district · Mesa County · Colorado · NCES district ID 0804350
Mesa County Valley School District 51 spent $12,834 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 74% of the other Colorado districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $14,088). Its 44 schools enrolled 19,753 students in 2024-25; 47.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,648 per student, up 6.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 81% (Colorado: 82.7%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Colorado districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Mesa County Valley School District 51 in enrollment (13,450 to 25,719 students) and Mesa County Valley School District 51 itself.
Where the money came from
$329,369,000 in revenue: 47.9% state, 39.9% local and 12.2% federal. Total spending including $62,770,000 of capital outlay was $345,614,000, or $16,646 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$157,683,000 48%
- Local$131,582,000 40%
- Federal$40,104,000 12%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 71 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
20,762 students in 2022-23, 20,078 students in 2023-24, 19,753 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 20,762 | 1253.4 | 16.6 |
| 2023-24 | 20,078 | 1218.1 | 16.5 |
| 2024-25 | 19,753 | 1195.7 | 16.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$78,432,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,778 per student
Mesa County Valley School District 51 booked $78,432,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,294 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $60,634 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 43 in 100 Colorado districts with a figure (state median $62,708, 161 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Colorado teacher salary at $58,481 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $60,887,000 | 77.6% |
| Special education | $12,667,000 | 16.2% |
| Vocational | $2,052,000 | 2.6% |
| Other programs | $2,826,000 | 3.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,200 in 2018-19, $3,397 in 2019-20, $3,364 in 2020-21, $3,491 in 2021-22, $3,778 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Mesa County Valley School District 51 scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 28% in math, against 44.9% in reading and 31.8% in math across Colorado. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Colorado, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Colorado | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 41% | 44.9% | 9,866 |
| Math | 28% | 31.8% | 9,818 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
81% of the 1,635 students in Mesa County Valley School District 51's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 82.7% across Colorado. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Colorado | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 81% | 82.7% |
| Students in the class | 1,635 | 68,390 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
27 elementary schools, 9,220 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Academy | 491 | 17.3 | 86.2% | Not Title I |
| Appleton Elementary School | 439 | 18.1 | 31.7% | Not Title I |
| Thunder Mountain Elementary School | 432 | 16.2 | 45.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Pear Park Elementary School | 428 | 15.0 | 63.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Pomona Elementary School | 395 | 15.3 | 46.6% | Not Title I |
| Rocky Mountain Elementary School | 395 | 13.7 | 72.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Mesa View Elementary School | 375 | 18.0 | 49.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Juniper Ridge Community School | 375 | 14.8 | 49.3% | Not Title I |
| Chatfield Elementary School | 371 | 17.6 | 54.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Shelledy Elementary School | 371 | 16.1 | 34.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Tope Elementary School | 370 | 19.1 | 42.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Chipeta Elementary School | 364 | 14.6 | 69.0% | Schoolwide program |
The other 15 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wingate Elementary School | 363 | 15.3 | 18.7% | Not Title I |
| Fruitvale Elementary School | 358 | 13.0 | 65.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Clifton Elementary School | 346 | 14.7 | 66.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Nisley Elementary School | 346 | 16.5 | 75.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Orchard Avenue Elementary School | 319 | 14.3 | 55.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Taylor Elementary School | 310 | 16.5 | 38.1% | Not Title I |
| Dual Immersion Academy School | 310 | 20.8 | 90.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Broadway Elementary School | 300 | 17.5 | 26.7% | Not Title I |
| Monument Ridge Elementary School | 300 | 14.0 | 26.7% | Not Title I |
| Dos Rios Elementary School | 293 | 16.1 | 71.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Rim Rock Elementary School | 292 | 15.0 | 34.9% | Not Title I |
| Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary School | 289 | 13.5 | 53.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Scenic Elementary School | 243 | 16.3 | 23.5% | Not Title I |
| Loma Elementary School | 207 | 14.9 | 31.4% | Not Title I |
| New Emerson School at Columbus | 138 | 15.2 | 5.0% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
7 middle schools, 3,920 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruita Middle School | 690 | 17.4 | 32.6% | Not Title I |
| Redlands Middle School | 632 | 17.3 | 22.2% | Not Title I |
| Mount Garfield Middle School | 569 | 16.7 | 60.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Orchard Mesa Middle School | 560 | 16.0 | 49.8% | Not Title I |
| Bookcliff Middle School | 525 | 13.8 | 66.3% | Not Title I |
| Grand Mesa Middle School | 476 | 15.0 | 55.3% | Not Title I |
| West Middle School | 468 | 16.4 | 48.9% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
7 high schools, 6,087 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction High School | 1,832 | 20.0 | 37.9% | Not Title I |
| Fruita Monument High School | 1,427 | 19.3 | 24.7% | Not Title I |
| Central High School | 1,352 | 17.0 | 51.0% | Not Title I |
| Palisade High School | 1,073 | 18.3 | 43.9% | Not Title I |
| R-5 High School | 207 | 12.4 | 60.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Mesa Valley Community School | 178 | 14.9 | 22.5% | Not Title I |
| Grand Mesa Youth Services Center | 18 | 10.3 | 22.2% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 other schools, 526 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand River Academy | 461 | 15.0 | 53.8% | Not Title I |
| Career Center Preschool | 53 | not reported | not reported | Not Title I |
| Gateway School | 12 | 4.0 | 61.9% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Fruita 8/9 School
School in Fruita; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 704 students; 17.8 students per teacher.
East Middle School
Middle school in Grand Junction; 427 students; 16.4 students per teacher.
Career Center Preschool
School in Grand Junction; open in 2024-25; 53 students.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Mesa County Valley School District 51
- Website: d51schools.org
- Phone: (970) 254-5100
- Office: 2115 Grand Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Mesa County Valley School District 51
- Colorado districts by spending per studentMesa County Valley School District 51 ranks 53 of 71 Colorado districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,834).#53 of 71
- Every school district in ColoradoMesa County Valley School District 51 is the number 15 by size of 185 Colorado districts, with 20,762 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#15 of 185
- Greeley-Evans School District 6The next larger Colorado district: 22,200 students in fall 2022, $13,549 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,549
- State Charter School InstituteThe next smaller Colorado district: 19,239 students in fall 2022, $12,197 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,197
- Compare Mesa County Valley School District 51 with Greeley-Evans School District 6Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Grand Junction High School, its largest high school1,832 students in 2024-25, 20.0 per teacher.1,832
- Teacher salary spending across ColoradoMesa County Valley School District 51 spent $60,634 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,708); spending, not a salary.$60,634
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Mesa County Valley School District 51
How many schools and students are in Mesa County Valley School District 51?
44 schools were open in 2024-25 (27 elementary, 7 middle, 7 high, 3 other), enrolling 19,753 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Mesa County Valley School District 51 spend per student?
$12,834 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Colorado median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $14,088 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,648 per student, up 6.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Mesa County Valley School District 51's money come from?
$329,369,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 47.9% state, 39.9% local and 12.2% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Mesa County Valley School District 51 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,984 of the 23,474 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Mesa County Valley School District 51 spend on teacher salaries?
$78,432,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,778 per student. Divided by the 1,294 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $60,634 per teacher, more than 43 in 100 Colorado districts (state median $62,708). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Colorado teacher salary at $58,481 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Mesa County Valley School District 51 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Mesa County Valley School District 51 scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 28% in math, against 44.9% in reading and 31.8% in math across Colorado. Colorado's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Mesa County Valley School District 51?
81% of the 1,635 students in Mesa County Valley School District 51's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 82.7% across Colorado. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Mesa County Valley School District 51's NCES district ID?
0804350. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25