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Below Average

#1607 of 1,815 schools in CO

Nisley Elementary School

Elementary School · Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Grand Junction, CO

A Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

543 28-3/4 ROAD, Grand Junction, CO 81501

  • Math 19% vs CO 40% (2025)
  • Reading 19% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.3Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-4.49 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics5.1Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency19.7% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency20% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg-16.4 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-24.9 pts
Overall Proficiency20% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)20% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected+0.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile32th
Resources & Environment3.9Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.2:1
District spending per student$12,834
Chronic Absenteeism51.4%

Students at Nisley Elementary School score 20% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 20%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency19%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
40%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency19%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 62 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 19% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
82%
ELA
80%
2010
Math
86%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
56%
ELA
62%
2012
Math
62%
ELA
67%
2013
Math
51%
ELA
53%
2014
Math
13%
ELA
19%
2015
Math
18%
ELA
21%
2016
Math
10%
ELA
21%
2017
Math
12%
ELA
24%
2018
Math
14%
ELA
25%
2019
Math
14%
ELA
25%
2020*
Math
12%
ELA
17%
2021*
Math
12%
ELA
17%
2022
Math
17%
2025
Math
19%
ELA
19%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 35% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 35 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

84.6%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

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 rate

The neighborhood

Where Nisley Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 56Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 25Some Transit
  • Bike 80Very Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,773/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Grand Junction), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$48,500

Median home value

$283,300

Median rent

$974/mo

College educated

27.2%

Homeownership

47.1%

Poverty rate

18.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 81501; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Career Center PreschoolEnrollment path unverified3.6PK0.8 mi31Compare →
Life AcademyPrivate · tuition6.6privatePK–121.0 mi85Compare →
Fruitvale Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.0PK–51.3 mi376Compare →
Independence AcademyCharter · enrollment unverified6.6PK–81.3 mi487Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Schools in district
46
Rank in district
#39 of 43
District spending per student
$12,834NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

Nisley Elementary School is listed in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Nisley Elementary School

Nisley Elementary School is a public elementary school in Grand Junction, CO, part of Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, serving approximately 350 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.0 out of 10 and ranks #1,607 of 1,815 schools in CO. State assessment records show 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 35% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Nisley Elementary School

What grades does Nisley Elementary School serve?

Nisley Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Nisley Elementary School?

Nisley Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 350 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Nisley Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Nisley Elementary School is 15.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Nisley Elementary School rank in CO?

Nisley Elementary School ranks #1,607 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Nisley Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Nisley Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Nisley Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Nisley Elementary School has 30% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 35% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Nisley Elementary School a charter school?

No, Nisley Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Nisley Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Nisley Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Nisley Elementary School?

84.6% of students at Nisley Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
350
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
23
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Mesa County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
51.4%
Area population (ZIP 81501)
24,142
Area average commute
15 min
Area median age
35.6
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CMAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CMAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 81501; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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