Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

This page covers 27 elementary schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, including 2 charter schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

27
Schools Ranked
Colorado
State
2
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 27
1
rank
Orchard Avenue Elementary School
Grades PK–05337 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
54
/100
Student:Teacher
13.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
54%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Pomona Elementary School
Grades KG–05347 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
14.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
44%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Wingate Elementary School
Grades PK–05379 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
15.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
17%
Low economic need
4
rank
New Emerson School at Columbus
Grades KG–05139 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
16.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
6%
Low economic need
5
rank
Juniper Ridge Community School
Grades KG–08419 studentsCharter
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
40%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Monument Ridge Elementary School
Grades PK–05310 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
14.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
21%
Low economic need
7
rank
Appleton Elementary School
Grades PK–05453 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
52
/100
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
24%
Low economic need
8
rank
Taylor Elementary School
Grades PK–05321 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
52
/100
Student:Teacher
14.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
33%
Low economic need
9
rank
Independence Academy
Grades PK–08485 studentsCharter
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
52
/100
Student:Teacher
17.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
24%
Low economic need
10
rank
Broadway Elementary School
Grades PK–05301 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
17.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$13,239
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
23%
Low economic need
17 more elementary schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 not shown here.
View all schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
27
Elementary Schools
47
Total Schools
54
#1 Score
50
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
Compare Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.