Enrollment
690
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fruita, CO
Fruita Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Fruita Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080435000608
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fruita Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Fruita · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 22.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Fruita Middle School has class sizes larger than 89% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fruita Middle School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Fruita, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000608 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fruita Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fruita Middle School
Fruita Middle School is a large middle school in Fruita, Colorado, enrolling 690 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 89% of Colorado schools and 26% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 690 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 281 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #203, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 347 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% 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: 155 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 690 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion 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 Middle 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 Middle School compares
Fruita Middle 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 | 20.9:1 | ▲ 26% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.6% | ▼ 41% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 690 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
690
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 89% in Colorado - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
29.0%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 347 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
128
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 80.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 80.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.3, Fruita Middle School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which includes Fruita Middle 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 Middle 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 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fruita Middle 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
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar middle 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 (~690 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fruita Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Fruita Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Fruita Middle School?
Fruita Middle School has 690 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fruita, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fruita Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fruita Middle School is 20.9:1, which is 26% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fruita Middle School?
22.6% of students at Fruita Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fruita Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Fruita Middle School is White at 80.3% of enrollment, in Fruita, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fruita Middle School?
Fruita Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fruita Middle School rank among public schools in Fruita?
By Resource Investment Index, Fruita Middle School ranks #3 of 7 public 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 public schools in Fruita on the city page.
Is Fruita Middle School a good school?
Fruita Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Middle 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.