Enrollment
468
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Grand Junction, CO
West Middle School
Federal NCES profile for West Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080435000629
👥 S:T ratio 11
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools.
- #2 of 6
- middle schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.3:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 26.3%
- free-lunch eligible
West Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Middle School ranks #2 of 6 middle schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000629 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Middle School
West Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 468 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Colorado schools and 34% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 468 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 373 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #189.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 314 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.7% 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.
Discipline events run high: 107 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 468 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 West 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 West Middle School compares
West 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 | 22.3:1 | ▲ 34% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.3% | ▼ 32% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 468 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
468
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 93% in Colorado - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
20.7%
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 314 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
64
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.9 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 66.9%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 1.5%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.2, West 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 West 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 West Middle 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 | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West 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 (~468 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Middle School's federal record.
- Compare West 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 West Middle School
How many students attend West Middle School?
West Middle School has 468 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Middle School is 22.3:1, which is 34% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Middle School?
26.3% of students at West Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Middle School?
The largest demographic group at West Middle School is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Middle School?
West Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 West Middle School rank among middle schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, West Middle School ranks #2 of 6 middle 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 middle schools in Grand Junction on the city page.
Is West Middle School a good school?
West Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 West 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.
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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.