Enrollment
300
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fruita, CO
Monument Ridge Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Monument Ridge Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435006801
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Monument Ridge Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Fruita · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 15.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Monument Ridge Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Monument Ridge Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 schools in Fruita, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435006801 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Monument Ridge Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Monument Ridge Elementary School
Monument Ridge Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fruita, Colorado, enrolling 300 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 300 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 266 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.7% 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 Monument Ridge 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 Monument Ridge Elementary School compares
Monument Ridge 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 14% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.5% | ▼ 60% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 35% in Colorado - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 87.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.0%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 87.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.5, Monument Ridge Elementary 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 Monument Ridge Elementary 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 Monument Ridge Elementary School 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Monument Ridge Elementary 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 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 (~300 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Monument Ridge Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Monument Ridge Elementary 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 Monument Ridge Elementary School
How many students attend Monument Ridge Elementary School?
Monument Ridge Elementary School has 300 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fruita, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Monument Ridge Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Monument Ridge Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 14% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 9% 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 Monument Ridge Elementary School?
15.5% of students at Monument Ridge Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Monument Ridge Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Monument Ridge Elementary School is White at 87.0% of enrollment, in Fruita, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Monument Ridge Elementary School?
Monument Ridge Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Monument Ridge Elementary School rank among schools in Fruita?
By Resource Investment Index, Monument Ridge Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 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 schools in Fruita on the city page.
Is Monument Ridge Elementary School a good school?
Monument Ridge Elementary School earns 52/100 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 Monument Ridge Elementary 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.