Enrollment
375
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Junction, CO
Juniper Ridge Community School
Federal NCES profile for Juniper Ridge Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080435006581Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Juniper Ridge Community School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Colorado schools.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.4:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 33.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Juniper Ridge Community School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Juniper Ridge Community School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435006581 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.4%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Juniper Ridge Community School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Juniper Ridge Community School
Juniper Ridge Community School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 375 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.4% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 375 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 354 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #334, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 682 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.5% 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.
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 Juniper Ridge Community 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 Juniper Ridge Community School compares
Juniper Ridge Community 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.4% | ▼ 13% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 375 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
375
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 27% in Colorado - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.5%
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 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 80.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 80.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Juniper Ridge Community 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 Juniper Ridge Community 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 Juniper Ridge Community 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Juniper Ridge Community 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 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 (~375 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Juniper Ridge Community School's federal record.
- Compare Juniper Ridge Community 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 Juniper Ridge Community School
How many students attend Juniper Ridge Community School?
Juniper Ridge Community School has 375 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Juniper Ridge Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Juniper Ridge Community School is 13.4:1, which is 19% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Juniper Ridge Community School?
33.4% of students at Juniper Ridge Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Juniper Ridge Community School?
The largest demographic group at Juniper Ridge Community School is White at 80.8% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Juniper Ridge Community School?
Juniper Ridge Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Juniper Ridge Community School rank among elementary schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Juniper Ridge Community School ranks #4 of 4 elementary 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 elementary schools in Grand Junction on the city page.
Is Juniper Ridge Community School a good school?
Juniper Ridge Community School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller 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 Juniper Ridge Community 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.
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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.