Enrollment
319
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Junction, CO
Orchard Avenue Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Orchard Avenue Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435000618
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orchard Avenue Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools.
- #10 of 21
- schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 46.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Orchard Avenue Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orchard Avenue Elementary School ranks #10 of 21 schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000618 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orchard Avenue Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orchard Avenue Elementary School
Orchard Avenue Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 319 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 319 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 272 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #205, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.9% 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: 70 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 319 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 Orchard Avenue 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 Orchard Avenue Elementary School compares
Orchard Avenue 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.9% | ▲ 22% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 319 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
319
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Colorado - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.9%
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.9 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 74.6%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 74.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.1, Orchard Avenue 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 Orchard Avenue 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 Orchard Avenue Elementary 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orchard Avenue 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 (~319 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orchard Avenue Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Orchard Avenue 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 Orchard Avenue Elementary School
How many students attend Orchard Avenue Elementary School?
Orchard Avenue Elementary School has 319 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orchard Avenue Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Orchard Avenue Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 20% 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 Orchard Avenue Elementary School?
46.9% of students at Orchard Avenue Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orchard Avenue Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Orchard Avenue Elementary School is White at 74.6% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orchard Avenue Elementary School?
Orchard Avenue Elementary 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 Orchard Avenue Elementary School rank among schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Orchard Avenue Elementary School ranks #10 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 Orchard Avenue Elementary School a good school?
Orchard Avenue Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Orchard Avenue 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.
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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.