Enrollment
569
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Clifton, CO
Mount Garfield Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mount Garfield Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080435001345
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mount Garfield Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Clifton · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mount Garfield Middle School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mount Garfield Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Clifton, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435001345 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mount Garfield Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mount Garfield Middle School
Mount Garfield Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Clifton, Colorado, enrolling 569 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 569 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 239 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #152.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.6% 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.
Discipline events run high: 139 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 569 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion 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 Mount Garfield Middle 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 Mount Garfield Middle School compares
Mount Garfield Middle 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▲ 31% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 569 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
569
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in Colorado - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.6%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
36
in-school suspensions + 103 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 59.5%
Hispanic or Latino 35.4%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 59.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Mount Garfield Middle School is more 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 Mount Garfield Middle 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 Mount Garfield Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita Monument High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mount Garfield Middle 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 middle 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 (~569 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mount Garfield Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mount Garfield Middle 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 Mount Garfield Middle School
How many students attend Mount Garfield Middle School?
Mount Garfield Middle School has 569 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Clifton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mount Garfield Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mount Garfield Middle School is 16.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 4% higher 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 Mount Garfield Middle School?
50.4% of students at Mount Garfield Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mount Garfield Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Mount Garfield Middle School is White at 59.5% of enrollment, in Clifton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mount Garfield Middle School?
Mount Garfield Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Mount Garfield Middle School rank among public schools in Clifton?
By Resource Investment Index, Mount Garfield Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Clifton, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Clifton on the city page.
Is Mount Garfield Middle School a good school?
Mount Garfield Middle School earns 37/100 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 Mount Garfield Middle 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.