Enrollment
704
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fruita, CO
Fruita 8/9 School
Federal NCES profile for Fruita 8/9 School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435002020
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fruita 8/9 School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Fruita · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 16.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Fruita 8/9 School has class sizes larger than 73% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fruita 8/9 School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Fruita, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435002020 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fruita 8/9 School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fruita 8/9 School
Fruita 8/9 School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Fruita, Colorado, enrolling 704 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 16.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 704 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 301 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #249, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.1% 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.
Discipline events run high: 207 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 704 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 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 Fruita 8/9 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 Fruita 8/9 School compares
Fruita 8/9 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 9% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.5% | ▼ 57% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
704
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Colorado - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
39.1%
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
Counselors2.1 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
150
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which includes Fruita 8/9 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 Fruita 8/9 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita Monument High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fruita Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fruita 8/9 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
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other 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 (~704 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fruita 8/9 School's federal record.
- Compare Fruita 8/9 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 Fruita 8/9 School
How many students attend Fruita 8/9 School?
Fruita 8/9 School has 704 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fruita, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fruita 8/9 School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fruita 8/9 School is 18.1:1, which is 9% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fruita 8/9 School?
16.5% of students at Fruita 8/9 School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fruita 8/9 School?
Fruita 8/9 School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Fruita 8/9 School rank among schools in Fruita?
By Resource Investment Index, Fruita 8/9 School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Fruita, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fruita on the city page.
Is Fruita 8/9 School a good school?
Fruita 8/9 School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Colorado schools. 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 Fruita 8/9 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 Central High School (1,352 students). See the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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.