Enrollment
432
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Junction, CO
Thunder Mountain Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thunder Mountain Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435001346
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thunder Mountain Elementary School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #21 of 21
- schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Thunder Mountain Elementary School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thunder Mountain Elementary School ranks #21 of 21 schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435001346 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thunder Mountain Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thunder Mountain Elementary School
Thunder Mountain Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 432 students.
At 15.4:1, 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 42.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 432 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 310 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #310, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 455 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.9% 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.
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 Thunder Mountain 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 Thunder Mountain Elementary School compares
Thunder Mountain 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▲ 11% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 432 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
432
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 46% in Colorado - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.9%
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
11
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 64.6%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 2.1%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.0, Thunder Mountain Elementary School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which includes Thunder Mountain 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 Thunder Mountain 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 | 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thunder Mountain 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 (~432 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thunder Mountain Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thunder Mountain 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 Thunder Mountain Elementary School
How many students attend Thunder Mountain Elementary School?
Thunder Mountain Elementary School has 432 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thunder Mountain Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thunder Mountain Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 2% 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 Thunder Mountain Elementary School?
42.9% of students at Thunder Mountain Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thunder Mountain Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thunder Mountain Elementary School is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thunder Mountain Elementary School?
Thunder Mountain Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Thunder Mountain Elementary School rank among schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Thunder Mountain Elementary School ranks #21 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 Thunder Mountain Elementary School a good school?
Thunder Mountain Elementary School earns 19/100 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 Thunder Mountain 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
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Colorado
All public schools in Colorado
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
All schools in this district
Schools in Grand Junction
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.