Enrollment
491
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Junction, CO
Independence Academy
Federal NCES profile for Independence Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435001980Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Academy earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #8 of 21
- schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 14.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Academy has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Academy ranks #8 of 21 schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435001980 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.4%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Academy
Independence Academy is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 491 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 491 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.
Against 391 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #274.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 528 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.9% 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.
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 Independence 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 Independence Academy compares
Independence 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.4% | ▼ 63% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
17.5:1
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
16.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 84.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.4, Independence 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 Independence 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 Independence Academy 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence 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 (~491 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Academy's federal record.
- Compare Independence 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 Independence Academy
How many students attend Independence Academy?
Independence Academy has 491 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Academy is 17.5:1, 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 Independence Academy?
14.4% of students at Independence Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Academy?
The largest demographic group at Independence Academy is White at 84.3% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Academy?
Independence Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Independence Academy rank among schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Academy ranks #8 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 Independence Academy a good school?
Independence Academy earns 39/100 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 Independence 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.