Is Mesa Elementary School a good school?

Mesa Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.9% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend Mesa Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 409 students attended Mesa Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Mesa Elementary School?

Students at Mesa Elementary School are 39% American Indian, 29% White, 22% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Mesa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Mesa Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Montezuma-Cortez Middle School High : Montezuma-Cortez High School

Mesa Elementary School

Summary:

Mesa Elementary School is a public elementary school serving around 400 students in grades K-5 in Cortez, Colorado. The school has a diverse student population, with a significant Native American enrollment of 39.25% in the 2022-2023 school year.

Despite its diverse student body, Mesa Elementary School consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on academic assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.1% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 44.1% statewide. In Math, the school's proficiency rate was just 18.9%, well below the 34.2% state average. This poor academic performance has led to Mesa Elementary being ranked in the bottom half of Colorado elementary schools, with a 0 or 1 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.com. The school's performance is particularly low for female, male, and White students, who rank in the bottom 10-15% of their respective subgroups statewide.

Interestingly, the nearby Lewis-Arriola Elementary and Kemper Elementary schools, which are also part of the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1, significantly outperform Mesa Elementary on academic measures. The district's two charter schools, Pleasant View Charter School and Battle Rock Charter School, have mixed performance compared to Mesa Elementary. While Mesa Elementary's diverse student population, particularly its high percentage of Native American students, is an important factor to consider, the school's academic struggles highlight the need for targeted interventions and support to improve outcomes for its students.

Detail:

Public K-5

703 West 7th Street
Cortez, CO 81321-4056

(970) 565-3858

District: Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
812^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,745

Students who attend Mesa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Montezuma-Cortez Middle School
High:	Montezuma-Cortez High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 409

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

39.4%

White:

28.6%

Hispanic:

21.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.5%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Mesa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mesa Elementary School ranks worse than 86.1% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.71. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Mesa Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1. Student population at Mesa Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: American Indian (39.4%), White (28.6%), Hispanic (21.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mesa Elementary School is 16. 4 elementary schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Mesa Elementary School employs 25.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mesa Elementary School is $14,745. 4 elementary schools in the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mesa Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa Elementary School 812^th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Mesa Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

What do you think?

Your rating for Mesa Elementary School?

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Rank History for Mesa Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	26.12	628^th	808	22.3%
2005	34.45	581^st	823	29.4%
2006	25.44	653^rd	829	21.2%
2007	17.66	721^st	852	15.4%
2008	14.78	742^nd	849	12.6%
2009	21.51	708^th	872	18.8%
2010	26.25	718^th	925	22.4%
2011	16.48	804^th	935	14.0%
2012	19.08	776^th	935	17.0%
2013	17.50	800^th	954	16.1%
2014	17.35	813^th	962	15.5%
2015	27.24	660^th	938	29.6%
2016	18.05	753^rd	914	17.6%
2017	26.31	665^th	929	28.4%
2018	22.22	704^th	917	23.2%
2019	26.93	694^th	965	28.1%
2021	23.91	574^th	710	19.2%
2022	10.71	869^th	921	5.6%
2023	11.52	868^th	933	7.0%
2024	14.71	812^th	943	13.9%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	22.73	551^st	690	20.1%
2019	24.34	567^th	758	25.2%
2022	7.43	581^st	595	2.4%
2023	6.27	633^rd	642	1.4%
2024	11.34	632^nd	684	7.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	19.89	567^th	693	18.2%
2019	22.65	586^th	764	23.3%
2022	9.89	567^th	594	4.5%
2023	10.21	613^th	649	5.5%
2024	10.25	644^th	683	5.7%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Mesa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	36.85	381^st	596	36.1%
2023	8.46	507^th	525	3.4%
2024	14.23	492^nd	539	8.7%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Mesa Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	274	1	3	23	96	n/a	n/a	397
1989	279	1	3	37	90	n/a	n/a	410
1990	266	1	3	40	85	n/a	n/a	395
1991	305	0	2	52	92	n/a	n/a	451
1992	269	0	2	49	107	n/a	n/a	427
1993	262	0	1	60	112	n/a	n/a	435
1994	278	1	4	63	121	n/a	n/a	467
1995	280	1	0	53	133	n/a	n/a	467
1996	280	1	0	53	133	n/a	n/a	467
1997	210	1	0	51	105	n/a	n/a	367
1998	207	4	0	44	112	n/a	n/a	367
1999	218	1	0	36	109	n/a	n/a	364
2000	210	1	0	33	117	n/a	n/a	361
2001	175	1	0	37	121	n/a	n/a	334
2002	183	0	1	39	128	n/a	n/a	351
2003	183	0	1	39	128	n/a	n/a	351
2004	185	0	0	47	123	n/a	n/a	355
2005	167	0	0	40	113	n/a	n/a	320
2006	163	2	1	44	119	n/a	n/a	329
2007	186	4	2	37	125	n/a	n/a	354
2008	212	2	2	49	141	n/a	n/a	406
2009	225	2	5	50	139	n/a	n/a	421
2010	214	3	5	45	140	n/a	n/a	407
2011	204	1	5	57	128	0	7	402
2012	201	1	3	62	123	0	4	394
2013	181	2	1	74	125	0	3	386
2014	183	1	1	82	124	1	10	402
2015	156	1	0	91	113	0	14	375
2016	159	0	0	98	107	3	15	382
2017	159	0	0	103	110	2	13	387
2018	161	0	0	106	104	1	16	388
2019	141	0	0	93	93	0	19	346
2020	132	0	0	82	107	0	22	343
2021	116	0	0	66	97	0	24	303
2022	117	0	0	62	87	0	22	288
2023	118	0	0	82	157	0	43	400
2024	117	0	0	89	161	0	42	409

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mesa Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	397	27.6	14.3	n/a
1989	410	27.4	14.9	58.5
1990	395	27.4	14.4	44.6
1991	451	27.3	16.5	36.8
1992	427	26.0	16.4	43.6
1993	435	28.0	15.5	43.9
1994	467	27.9	16.7	46.3
1995	467	27.5	17.0	46.5
1996	467	27.5	17.0	46.5
1997	367	22.5	16.3	50.7
1998	367	23.2	15.8	51.2
1999	364	25.5	14.3	54.1
2000	361	24.9	14.5	64
2001	334	24.5	13.6	62.6
2002	351	23.0	15.3	65
2003	351	23.0	15.3	65
2004	355	24.5	14.5	68.2
2005	320	24.9	12.9	71.9
2006	329	25.3	13.0	66.3
2007	354	24.8	14.3	65
2008	406	26.7	15.2	65.3
2009	421	27.3	15.4	65.1
2010	407	27.0	15.0	73.5
2011	402	24.5	16.4	75.1
2012	394	23.2	16.9	69.3
2013	386	22.7	16.9	68.4
2014	402	23.7	16.9	65.7
2015	375	23.0	16.3	75.2
2016	382	21.0	18.1	68.1
2017	387	21.4	18.0	77.5
2018	388	21.9	17.6	74.5
2019	346	23.0	15.0	76.6
2020	343	24.1	14.2	74.9
2021	303	22.3	13.5	71
2022	288	19.5	14.7	72.6
2023	400	20.4	19.5	80.3
2024	409	25.5	16.0	77.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Mesa Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	397	27.6	14.3	n/a
1989	410	27.4	14.9	58.5
1990	395	27.4	14.4	44.6
1991	451	27.3	16.5	36.8
1992	427	26.0	16.4	43.6
1993	435	28.0	15.5	43.9
1994	467	27.9	16.7	46.3
1995	467	27.5	17.0	46.5
1996	467	27.5	17.0	46.5
1997	367	22.5	16.3	50.7
1998	367	23.2	15.8	51.2
1999	364	25.5	14.3	54.1
2000	361	24.9	14.5	64
2001	334	24.5	13.6	62.6
2002	351	23.0	15.3	65
2003	351	23.0	15.3	65
2004	355	24.5	14.5	68.2
2005	320	24.9	12.9	71.9
2006	329	25.3	13.0	66.3
2007	354	24.8	14.3	65
2008	406	26.7	15.2	65.3
2009	421	27.3	15.4	65.1
2010	407	27.0	15.0	73.5
2011	402	24.5	16.4	75.1
2012	394	23.2	16.9	69.3
2013	386	22.7	16.9	68.4
2014	402	23.7	16.9	65.7
2015	375	23.0	16.3	75.2
2016	382	21.0	18.1	68.1
2017	387	21.4	18.0	77.5
2018	388	21.9	17.6	74.5
2019	346	23.0	15.0	76.6
2020	343	24.1	14.2	74.9
2021	303	22.3	13.5	71
2022	288	19.5	14.7	72.6
2023	400	20.4	19.5	80.3
2024	409	25.5	16.0	77.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mesa Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,688
2020	$10,694
2021	$12,370
2022	$13,455
2023	$14,745

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesa Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 694^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 868^th of 933 Elementary schools	21.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mesa Elementary School)	24.6	13.9	10.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	25.1	17.6	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Mesa Elementary School)	38.5	16	22.5%
3rd Grade Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	28.4	22.8	5.6%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa Elementary School)	41.4	23.4	18%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	36.5	29.2	7.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Mesa Elementary School)	10	14.3	4.3%
4th Grade Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	12.6	21.1	8.5%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Mesa Elementary School)	31.4	7.4	24%
5th Grade Science (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	22.7	21	1.7%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa Elementary School)	31.4	16.2	15.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	32.4	33.2	0.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Mesa Elementary School)	19.6	20.6	1%
5th Grade Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	20.9	19.5	1.4%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mesa Elementary School)	32.2	17.9	14.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	31.5	27.4	4.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Mesa Elementary School)	23.3	16.8	6.5%
All Grades Math (Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1)	17.3	18.1	0.8%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	346	400	15.6%
African American	0	0
American Indian	93	157	68.8%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	93	82	11.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	141	118	16.3%
Two or More Races	19	43	126.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	76.6%	80.3%	3.7%

Schools Near Mesa Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)				CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
Mesa Elementary School	Public	K-5	703 West 7th Street	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3858	409	26	16.0	77.5%	117 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (21.8%)	0 (0.0%)	161 (39.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.3%)	14.7	812^th of 943 public elementary schools	13.9%		11.5	868^th of 933 public elementary schools	7.0%	56	21.4	25.0	19.5	22.1	26.8	22.8	9.1	18.9	7.9	$14,745
Beech Street Preschool	Public	PK	510 North Beech Street	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 565-3372	87	0		77.0%	47 (54.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (24.1%)	1 (1.1%)	9 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (10.3%)								(n/a)										$16,505
Kemper Elementary School	Public	K-5	620 East Montezuma	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3737	347	21	16.4	57.9%	164 (47.3%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (22.5%)	2 (0.6%)	72 (20.7%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.9%)	34.3	566^th of 943 public elementary schools	40.0%		25.1	671^st of 933 public elementary schools	28.1%	105	34.3	24.3	44.1	33.5	37.3	12.2	32.2	26.5	44.1	$15,422
Children's Kiva Montessori School	Public, Charter	K-8	601 North Mildred	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 564-9377	142	14	10.4	64.8%	70 (49.3%)	1 (0.7%)	24 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (23.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (9.2%)								(n/a)		23.5		26.2						$12,405
Lewis-Arriola Elementary School	Public	K-5	21434 Road U	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 882-4494	120	8	15.0	40.8%	99 (82.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.3%)	65.2	311^th of 943 public elementary schools	67.0%		58.8	354^th of 933 public elementary schools	62.1%	43	52.4	35.0	43.8	43.9	57.1	50.0	62.5	56.1	43.8	$15,650
Dolores Elementary School	Public	K-5	12th And Hillside	Dolores	81323	Montezuma County	Dolores School District No. Re-4A	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 882-4688	261	19	13.6	51.0%	202 (77.4%)	1 (0.4%)	33 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	42.4	501^st of 943 public elementary schools	46.9%		35.7	557^th of 933 public elementary schools	40.3%	56	46.9	29.2	34.6	36.9	46.0	27.1	30.8	34.7	41.5	$12,649
Teddy Bear Preschool	Public	PK	1550 Hillside Avenue	Dolores	81323	Montezuma County	Dolores School District No. Re-4A	No	No	No	No	(970) 882-7277	58	4	14.7		46 (79.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$19,936
Kwiyagat Community Academy	Public, Charter	K-3	450 Sunset Blvd	Towaoc	81334	Montezuma County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 564-5348	55	3	15.8	98.2%	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$18,753
Battle Rock Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	11247 County Road G	Cortez	81321	Montezuma County	Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 565-3237	89	8	11.8	58.4%	56 (62.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (10.1%)								(n/a)								16.7		$10,436
Mancos Early Learning Center	Public	PK	131 S. Walnut Street	Mancos	81328	Montezuma County	Mancos School District Re-6	No	No	No	No	(970) 533-1587	35	0	41.0	60.0%	23 (65.7%)	2 (5.7%)	4 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.6%)								(n/a)										$13,315

Mesa Elementary School

Mesa Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

What do you think?

Rank History for Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Mesa Elementary School

Enrollment information for Mesa Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mesa Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Mesa Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mesa Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesa Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Mesa Elementary School