Enrollment
395
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Junction, CO
Pomona Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pomona Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080435000621
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pomona Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 35.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pomona Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pomona Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000621 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pomona Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pomona Elementary School
Pomona Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 395 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.7% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 395 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 350 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #185.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 416 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Pomona 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 Pomona Elementary School compares
Pomona 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.7% | ▼ 7% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 395 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
395
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Colorado - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.3%
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
11
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 60.8%
Hispanic or Latino 31.1%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
African American 1.3%
Largest group: White at 60.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Pomona Elementary 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 Pomona 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 Pomona Elementary 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pomona 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 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 (~395 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pomona Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pomona 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 Pomona Elementary School
How many students attend Pomona Elementary School?
Pomona Elementary School has 395 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pomona Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pomona Elementary School is 17.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pomona Elementary School?
35.7% of students at Pomona Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pomona Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pomona Elementary School is White at 60.8% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pomona Elementary School?
Pomona Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Pomona Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Pomona Elementary School ranks #2 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 Pomona Elementary School a good school?
Pomona Elementary School earns 41/100 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 Pomona 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.