Enrollment
370
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Junction, CO
Tope Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tope Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080435000627
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tope Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Colorado schools.
- #14 of 21
- schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.8:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Tope Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tope Elementary School ranks #14 of 21 schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000627 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tope Elementary School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tope Elementary School
Tope Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 370 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.8:1 is larger than about 92% of Colorado schools and 31% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.0% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 370 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 346 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #296, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 771 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% 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 Tope 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 Tope Elementary School compares
Tope 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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 31% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 12% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 370 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
370
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 92% in Colorado - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.6%
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 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 68.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.6%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 68.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, Tope Elementary School is about as mixed as 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 Tope 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 Tope Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Junction High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fruita Monument High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tope 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 (~370 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tope Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tope 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 Tope Elementary School
How many students attend Tope Elementary School?
Tope Elementary School has 370 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tope Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tope Elementary School is 21.8:1, which is 31% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tope Elementary School?
34.0% of students at Tope Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tope Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tope Elementary School is White at 68.1% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tope Elementary School?
Tope Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Tope Elementary School rank among schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Tope Elementary School ranks #14 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 Tope Elementary School a good school?
Tope Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Tope 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.