Enrollment
461
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Junction, CO
Grand River Academy
Federal NCES profile for Grand River Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435006498
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grand River Academy earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #3 of 21
- schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 461
- students enrolled
Grand River Academy has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grand River Academy ranks #3 of 21 schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435006498 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grand River Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grand River Academy
Grand River Academy is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 461 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 461 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 221 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 2 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 Grand River Academy.
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 Grand River Academy compares
Grand River Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
461
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Colorado - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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 221 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 75.9%
Hispanic or Latino 18.9%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.6, Grand River Academy 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 Grand River Academy.
$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 Grand River Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita Monument High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grand River Academy'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 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 (~461 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grand River Academy's federal record.
- Compare Grand River Academy 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 Grand River Academy
How many students attend Grand River Academy?
Grand River Academy has 461 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grand River Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Grand River Academy is 14.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grand River Academy?
The largest demographic group at Grand River Academy is White at 75.9% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grand River Academy?
Grand River Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Grand River Academy rank among schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Grand River Academy ranks #3 of 21 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 schools in Grand Junction on the city page.
Is Grand River Academy a good school?
Grand River Academy earns 60/100 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 Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Besides Grand River Academy, 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.
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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.