Enrollment
1,352
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Grand Junction, CO
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080435000600
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 34.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000600 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
83.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a large high school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 1,352 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.5% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,352 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 60 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #19.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 spends $11,650 per pupil, 28% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 also operates Grand Junction High School (1,832 students) and Fruita Monument High School (1,427 students) alongside Central High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central High School compares
Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.5% | ▼ 10% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,352 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,352
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in Colorado - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
60.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,650
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.3 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 127 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 57.1%
Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 57.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, Central High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which includes Central High School.
$11,650
Per student
-28%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 46.3%
Federal 14.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita Monument High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,832
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,427
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,352 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central High School
How many students attend Central High School?
Central High School has 1,352 students enrolled. It is a high school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 16.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
34.5% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is White at 57.1% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central High School rank among high schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Grand Junction, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Grand Junction on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Besides Central High School, Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 also operates Grand Junction High School (1,832 students), Fruita Monument High School (1,427 students), and Palisade High School (1,073 students). See the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.