Enrollment
488
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Delta, CO
Garnet Mesa Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Garnet Mesa Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080333000298
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garnet Mesa Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Delta · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 41.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Garnet Mesa Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garnet Mesa Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Delta, CO.
School address
District: Delta County Joint District No. 50 · Colorado
NCES ID 080333000298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garnet Mesa Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garnet Mesa Elementary School
Garnet Mesa Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Delta, Colorado, enrolling 488 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.8% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 488 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #257, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 452 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Delta County Joint District No. 50 spends $12,649 per pupil, 22% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Delta County Joint District No. 50 also operates Delta High School (626 students) and Delta Middle School (498 students) alongside Garnet Mesa Elementary 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 Garnet Mesa Elementary School compares
Garnet Mesa Elementary 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.8% | ▲ 9% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 488 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
488
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Colorado - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.1%
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
$12,649
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 452 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 65.0%
Hispanic or Latino 30.5%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.3, Garnet Mesa Elementary School is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Delta County Joint District No. 50, which includes Garnet Mesa Elementary School.
$12,649
Per student
-22%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.6%
State 53.7%
Federal 16.7%
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 Garnet Mesa Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Delta Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cedaredge Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vision Charter Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garnet Mesa Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 498
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 346
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 311
- Students per teacher
- 44.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary 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 (~488 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garnet Mesa Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Garnet Mesa Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Delta County Joint District No. 50'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 Garnet Mesa Elementary School
How many students attend Garnet Mesa Elementary School?
Garnet Mesa Elementary School has 488 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Delta, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garnet Mesa Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Garnet Mesa Elementary School is 17.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Garnet Mesa Elementary School?
41.8% of students at Garnet Mesa Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garnet Mesa Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Garnet Mesa Elementary School is White at 65.0% of enrollment, in Delta, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garnet Mesa Elementary School?
Garnet Mesa Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Garnet Mesa Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Delta?
By Resource Investment Index, Garnet Mesa Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Delta, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Delta on the city page.
Is Garnet Mesa Elementary School a good school?
Garnet Mesa Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. 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 Delta County Joint District No. 50?
Besides Garnet Mesa Elementary School, Delta County Joint District No. 50 also operates Delta High School (626 students), Delta Middle School (498 students), and Lincoln Elementary School (371 students). See the Delta County Joint District No. 50 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.