Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
School District · Grand Junction, Colorado
Avg Rating
5.9
out of 10
Schools
45
27 elem, 7 mid, 7 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$12,834
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.8:1
Avg Rating
5.9
out of 10
Schools
45
27 elem, 7 mid, 7 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$12,834
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.8:1
Evaluating Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
A district shares budget, policy, and attendance zones across its schools — use this page to judge Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 as a whole, then compare how its individual schools differ.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Wingate Elementary School
Grand Junction · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Monument Ridge Elementary School
Fruita · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Scenic Elementary School
Grand Junction · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
How this district compares
Colorado rank
#83 of 155
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
-0.4
below Colorado avg
Per-pupil spending
$12,834
$2,324 vs Colorado median
District size
20,078 students
Much larger than Colorado median
The short answer
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 ranks #83 of 155 Colorado districts by overall school rating. Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's schools with real test data average 5.9/10 across 42 schools. Its top-rated schools are Wingate Elementary School (8.8/10), Monument Ridge Elementary School (8.8/10), and Scenic Elementary School (8.0/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 6.8/10 despite 76% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.9 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (42 of 45). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wingate Elementary School | 8.8 / 10 |
| 2 | Monument Ridge Elementary School | 8.8 / 10 |
| 3 | Scenic Elementary School | 8.0 / 10 |
| 4 | New Emerson School at Columbus | 8.0 / 10 |
| 5 | Redlands Middle School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 6 | Broadway Elementary School | 7.6 / 10 |
| 7 | Pomona Elementary School | 7.3 / 10 |
| 8 | Tope Elementary School | 7.2 / 10 |
| 9 | Mesa View Elementary School | 7.1 / 10 |
| 10 | Chatfield Elementary School | 7.0 / 10 |
See all 45 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
About Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 serves 20,078 students across Colorado's Mesa County. The district operates 46 total campuses, with 43 carrying a MySchoolScout rating — solid data coverage across the system. Across those ranked schools, the district averages a 6.9 out of 10. That number is a useful starting point, but the range of individual school scores tells the more important story for parents choosing where to enroll.
The elementary tier is the district's standout layer. Wingate Elementary School leads all 46 campuses with a 9.2, the highest score in the district. Broadway Elementary and Scenic Elementary each score a 9.1, and Monument Ridge Elementary comes in at 8.6. That puts three of the district's four highest-rated schools at the elementary level — a pattern that gives parents of younger children a meaningful slate of options to compare. The gap between Wingate's 9.2 and the 6.9 district average is nearly 2.3 points, which signals that school selection within District 51 matters more than the system-wide number suggests.
Redlands Middle School scores an 8.6 at the middle school level, ranking among the top five schools in the district and well above the system average. For families thinking beyond early grades, a concentration of high-performing elementary campuses with a strong middle school path is a combination worth noting.
With 20,078 students spread across 46 campuses, District 51 carries real variation within its walls. Parents who treat the 6.9 average as a ceiling will miss the pockets of strong performance at the elementary level and beyond. Those who evaluate campuses individually — Wingate, Broadway, Scenic, and Monument Ridge for early grades, and Redlands for middle school — will find options that consistently outperform the district mean by a significant margin.
District Map
Schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.
District Average Test Scores
Average proficiency across all schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 with test data.
Schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
45 schools Elementary Schools 27
Middle Schools 7
High Schools 7
District Details
- State
- Colorado
- City
- Grand Junction
- Total Enrollment
- 20,078
- Teachers (FTE)
- 1,271
- Child Poverty Rate
- 0.1%
- Data Year
- 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools are in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 has 45 schools in total — 27 elementary, 7 middle, and 7 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.
What is the average rating for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
The average composite rating for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 is 5.9/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the per-pupil spending in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 spends $12,834 per student per year.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
The average student-teacher ratio in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 is 15.8:1.
What is the top-rated school in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Wingate Elementary School is the highest-rated school in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 with a composite score of 8.8/10.
What are the test scores in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Across schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 with test data, the average math proficiency is 40.2% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 51.0%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
How does Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 compare to other districts in Colorado?
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 has an average school rating of 5.9/10 across 45 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in Colorado by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools?
MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.
District Averages
- Overall Rating
- 5.9/10
- Math Proficiency
- 40.2%
- ELA Proficiency
- 51.0%
Resources
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateOther School Districts in CO
Compare Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 with neighboring districts in the state.
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C (197)
- Jefferson County School District No. R-1 (148)
- Douglas County School District No. Re 1 (89)
- Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah (70)
- Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a (58)
- Colorado Springs School District No. 11 in the County of E (58)
- Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 (56)
- St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1j (54)
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools (54)
- Poudre School District R-1 (52)
- State Charter School Institute (44)
- Academy School District No. 20 in the County of EL Paso an (39)
- Pueblo School District No. 60 in the County of Pueblo and (35)
- Greeleyschool District No. 6 in the County of Weld and Sta (34)
- School District 27j (33)
- Thompson School District R-2j (32)
- EL Paso County Colorado School District 49 (30)
- Harrison School District No. 2 in the County of EL Paso an (28)
- Pueblo County School District 70 (27)
- Eagle County School District No. Re 50 (21)
- Littleton School District No. 6 in the County of Arapahoe (20)
- Mapleton School District No. 1 in the County of Adams & St (20)
- School District No. 3 in the County of EL Paso and State of (18)
- Westminster Public Schools (18)
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Colorado Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.
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