Is West Middle School a good school?

West Middle School ranks 270 th of 485 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 460 students attended West Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of West Middle School?

Students at West Middle School are 72% White, 22% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of West Middle School attend?

Students who attend West Middle School usually go on to attend Grand Junction High School

West Middle School

Summary:

West Middle School is a public middle school located in Grand Junction, Colorado, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 316 students. The school is part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked 52 out of 116 school districts in Colorado and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

While West Middle School has a higher percentage of White students (70.25%) compared to the surrounding schools, it also has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (20.57%) compared to the district average. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Colorado middle schools, with a ranking between 181 and 315 out of 369 to 485 schools over the past 10 years. Additionally, the school's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in CMAS assessments, is generally lower than the district and state averages. West Middle School also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (33.86% in 2022-2023) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 16.91% to 64.37%.

Interestingly, the nearby Redlands Middle School and Fruita Middle School have significantly higher performance, with Redlands Middle School ranking in the top 20% of Colorado middle schools. The data also shows significant achievement gaps between racial subgroups at West Middle School, with the school's White students ranking 213 out of 273 Colorado middle schools, while the Hispanic students ranked 135 out of 199. The school's low-income students have consistently underperformed compared to their peers, with the school's ranking for this subgroup dropping from 73 out of 197 Colorado middle schools in 2021-2022 to 184 out of 244 in 2023-2024.

Detail:

Public 6-8

123 W Orchard Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81505-1518

(970) 254-5090

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

SchoolDigger Rank:
270^th of 485 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,285

Students who attend West Middle School usually attend:

High:

Grand Junction High School

Feeder schools for West Middle School:

Elementary:	Pomona Elementary School
	Tope Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 460

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.0%

Hispanic:

21.5%

Two or more races:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.7%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare West Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Middle School ranks worse than 55.7% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks 4^th among 7 ranked middle schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.43. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Racial makeup is: White (72%), Hispanic (21.5%), two or more races (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Middle School is 16.4. 3 middle schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare West Middle School employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Middle School is $15,285, which is the 2^nd highest among 7 middle schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Middle School 270^th of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See West Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 52^nd of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for West Middle School?

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Rank History for West Middle School

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Rank History for all students at West Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	62.91	125^th	336	62.8%
2005	59.50	143^rd	340	57.9%
2006	61.51	130^th	346	62.4%
2007	66.97	109^th	360	69.7%
2008	48.20	206^th	362	43.1%
2009	60.42	154^th	377	59.2%
2010	50.76	212^th	409	48.2%
2011	53.73	209^th	422	50.5%
2012	52.99	216^th	425	49.2%
2013	50.59	235^th	454	48.2%
2014	51.54	221^st	461	52.1%
2015	38.82	255^th	436	41.5%
2016	28.30	280^th	400	30.0%
2017	28.12	300^th	424	29.2%
2018	27.38	293^rd	418	29.9%
2019	28.67	315^th	458	31.2%
2021	45.17	181^st	369	50.9%
2022	40.22	248^th	448	44.6%
2023	42.90	243^rd	480	49.4%
2024	36.43	270^th	485	44.3%

See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2022	51.78	73^rd	197	62.9%
2023	44.78	115^th	241	52.3%
2024	27.99	184^th	244	24.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	18.69	261^st	315	17.1%
2019	26.51	257^th	352	27.0%
2021	48.57	118^th	254	53.5%
2022	37.72	193^rd	326	40.8%
2023	39.24	198^th	363	45.5%
2024	35.36	203^rd	350	42.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at West Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	29.54	214^th	317	32.5%
2019	25.25	245^th	343	28.6%
2021	28.95	176^th	249	29.3%
2022	32.13	206^th	328	37.2%
2023	37.17	197^th	356	44.7%
2024	29.70	236^th	357	33.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.66	135^th	199	32.2%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at West Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	19.08	168^th	199	15.6%
2019	16.61	242^nd	283	14.5%
2021	29.16	147^th	203	27.6%
2022	22.42	209^th	265	21.1%
2023	29.42	202^nd	286	29.4%
2024	21.74	213^th	273	22.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle 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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Enrollment information for West Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	379	1	3	50	1	n/a	n/a	434
1989	382	3	2	33	2	n/a	n/a	422
1990	376	6	4	40	4	n/a	n/a	430
1991	419	4	4	58	4	n/a	n/a	489
1992	434	2	5	73	3	n/a	n/a	517
1993	459	3	4	56	1	n/a	n/a	523
1994	432	6	7	45	4	n/a	n/a	494
1995	472	4	6	42	6	n/a	n/a	530
1996	472	4	6	42	6	n/a	n/a	530
1997	474	4	10	48	4	n/a	n/a	540
1998	474	6	10	40	6	n/a	n/a	536
1999	440	7	8	45	6	n/a	n/a	506
2000	410	7	4	54	5	n/a	n/a	480
2001	400	7	3	54	3	n/a	n/a	467
2002	376	5	3	60	5	n/a	n/a	449
2003	376	5	3	60	5	n/a	n/a	449
2004	350	3	3	61	4	n/a	n/a	421
2005	372	3	6	65	2	n/a	n/a	448
2006	372	7	8	58	4	n/a	n/a	449
2007	357	4	5	61	7	n/a	n/a	434
2008	346	4	3	53	4	n/a	n/a	410
2009	337	5	7	63	6	n/a	n/a	418
2010	328	5	10	76	6	n/a	n/a	425
2011	339	5	5	70	2	0	6	427
2012	335	2	7	66	3	0	3	416
2013	320	2	5	86	5	0	14	432
2014	300	2	5	69	4	1	19	400
2015	297	0	5	77	4	1	20	404
2016	279	2	11	82	2	1	12	389
2017	269	0	6	81	2	3	21	382
2018	276	1	6	84	0	0	18	385
2019	287	1	4	86	0	0	15	393
2020	273	3	8	84	1	0	10	379
2021	242	3	8	72	1	0	16	342
2022	226	5	7	81	1	0	21	341
2023	222	6	3	65	2	0	18	316
2024	331	4	4	99	3	0	19	460

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 West Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	434	27.1	16.0	n/a
1989	422	28.6	14.7	15.2
1990	430	26.1	16.4	14.4
1991	489	27.0	18.1	17.4
1992	517	27.6	18.7	17.6
1993	523	28.6	18.3	17.4
1994	494	29.3	16.9	17.4
1995	530	31.7	16.7	21.9
1996	530	31.7	16.7	21.9
1997	540	30.5	17.7	21.7
1998	536	32.0	16.8	17.9
1999	506	30.6	16.5	15.2
2000	480	29.5	16.3	22.9
2001	467	29.0	16.1	24.6
2002	449	28.6	15.7	30.7
2003	449	28.6	15.7	30.7
2004	421	28.9	14.6	33.5
2005	448	28.6	15.7	33.3
2006	449	28.5	15.8	34.1
2007	434	26.5	16.4	23.7
2008	410	26.9	15.2	32
2009	418	27.5	15.2	34
2010	425	25.3	16.7	38.1
2011	427	27.1	15.7	38.2
2012	416	26.1	15.8	35.6
2013	432	25.5	16.9	38.9
2014	400	26.5	15.0	31.3
2015	404	25.0	16.1	35.6
2016	389	26.0	14.9	37
2017	382	26.6	14.3	38.2
2018	385	24.8	15.4	35.3
2019	393	26.6	14.7	37.9
2020	379	26.0	14.5	33.2
2021	342	22.4	15.2	44.4
2022	341	21.7	15.6	37
2023	316	21.0	14.9	33.9
2024	460	28.0	16.4	51.7

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 West Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	434	27.1	16.0	n/a
1989	422	28.6	14.7	15.2
1990	430	26.1	16.4	14.4
1991	489	27.0	18.1	17.4
1992	517	27.6	18.7	17.6
1993	523	28.6	18.3	17.4
1994	494	29.3	16.9	17.4
1995	530	31.7	16.7	21.9
1996	530	31.7	16.7	21.9
1997	540	30.5	17.7	21.7
1998	536	32.0	16.8	17.9
1999	506	30.6	16.5	15.2
2000	480	29.5	16.3	22.9
2001	467	29.0	16.1	24.6
2002	449	28.6	15.7	30.7
2003	449	28.6	15.7	30.7
2004	421	28.9	14.6	33.5
2005	448	28.6	15.7	33.3
2006	449	28.5	15.8	34.1
2007	434	26.5	16.4	23.7
2008	410	26.9	15.2	32
2009	418	27.5	15.2	34
2010	425	25.3	16.7	38.1
2011	427	27.1	15.7	38.2
2012	416	26.1	15.8	35.6
2013	432	25.5	16.9	38.9
2014	400	26.5	15.0	31.3
2015	404	25.0	16.1	35.6
2016	389	26.0	14.9	37
2017	382	26.6	14.3	38.2
2018	385	24.8	15.4	35.3
2019	393	26.6	14.7	37.9
2020	379	26.0	14.5	33.2
2021	342	22.4	15.2	44.4
2022	341	21.7	15.6	37
2023	316	21.0	14.9	33.9
2024	460	28.0	16.4	51.7

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 West Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,309
2020	$14,176
2021	$12,741
2022	$13,654
2023	$15,285

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Middle 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 315^th of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 243^rd of 480 Middle schools	18.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Middle School)	31.7	41.5	9.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.8	36.2	3.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	43.6	43.4	0.2%
6th Grade Math (West Middle School)	34.3	35.1	0.8%
6th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	21.5	22.8	1.3%
6th Grade Math (Colorado)	29.5	28.2	1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Middle School)	29.4	48.5	19.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.7	38.3	5.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.5	45	1.5%
7th Grade Math (West Middle School)	28.4	18.2	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	21.1	19.6	1.5%
7th Grade Math (Colorado)	31.6	26.3	5.3%
8th Grade Science (West Middle School)	16.5	21.4	4.9%
8th Grade Science (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	22.1	26.5	4.4%
8th Grade Science (Colorado)	31.5	31.3	0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Middle School)	27.8	38.4	10.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	34.6	36.6	2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.9	42.4	4.5%
8th Grade Math (West Middle School)	25.6	29.1	3.5%
8th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	25.6	28.1	2.5%
8th Grade Math (Colorado)	36.9	32.7	4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (West Middle School)	29.6	43	13.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	36	39.2	3.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (West Middle School)	29.3	27.2	2.1%
All Grades Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	24.4	29.1	4.7%
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	393	316	19.6%
African American	1	6	500%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	4	3	25%
Hispanic	86	65	24.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	287	222	22.6%
Two or More Races	15	18	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.9%	33.9%	4.1%

Schools Near West Middle 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 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
West Middle School	Public	6-8	123 W Orchard Ave	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-5090	460	28	16.4	51.7%	331 (72.0%)	4 (0.9%)	99 (21.5%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	36.4	270^th of 485 public middle schools	44.3%		42.9	243^rd of 480 public middle schools	49.4%	27	37.4	47.3	40.1	41.3	13.4	26.7	26.4	22.1	25.3	$15,285
Orchard Mesa Middle School	Public	6-8	2736 C Road	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6320	581	34	17.3	58.5%	421 (72.5%)	2 (0.3%)	130 (22.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	52.3	197^th of 485 public middle schools	59.4%		23.4	348^th of 480 public middle schools	27.5%	151	45.9	46.4	47.2	46.5	32.6	28.0	36.5	32.3	37.2	$14,486
Bookcliff Middle School	Public	6-8	2935 Orchard Ave	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6220	565	40	14.0	72.0%	267 (47.3%)	3 (0.5%)	261 (46.2%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.4%)	16.4	396^th of 485 public middle schools	18.4%		22.8	356^th of 480 public middle schools	25.8%	40	21.4	27.6	28.3	26.1	9.8	10.1	14.4	11.6	16.0	$16,760
Redlands Middle School	Public	6-8	2200 Broadway	Grand Junction	81507	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-7000	594	36	16.6	27.3%	512 (86.2%)	3 (0.5%)	50 (8.4%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.4%)	79.7	76^th of 485 public middle schools	84.3%		80.5	81^st of 480 public middle schools	83.1%	5	67.0	53.6	60.2	60.9	59.5	41.0	55.2	52.6	45.9	$14,463
Grand Mesa Middle School	Public	6-8	585 31-1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6270	525	31	17.1	68.2%	291 (55.4%)	4 (0.8%)	204 (38.9%)	8 (1.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.9%)	12.8	432^nd of 485 public middle schools	10.9%		14.3	410^th of 480 public middle schools	14.6%	22	25.1	19.0	14.3	20.3	13.6	5.9	12.5	10.8	12.7	$14,845
Mount Garfield Middle School	Public	6-8	3475 Front Street	Clifton	81520	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-4720	562	35	16.2	70.8%	359 (63.9%)	3 (0.5%)	188 (33.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	26.7	333^rd of 485 public middle schools	31.3%		26.1	332^nd of 480 public middle schools	30.8%	1	30.1	33.7	38.1	34.1	19.8	12.9	18.2	17.0	24.6	$14,054
Fruita Middle School	Public	6-7	239 N Maple	Fruita	81521	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6570	459	30	15.3	40.7%	366 (79.7%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (13.7%)	4 (0.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.4%)	40.8	243^rd of 485 public middle schools	49.9%		36.1	286^th of 480 public middle schools	40.4%	43	34.6	46.7		40.5	22.5	30.8		26.6		$14,089

West Middle School

West Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

What do you think?

Rank History for West Middle School

Rank History for all students at West Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Middle School

Rank History for Female students at West Middle School

Rank History for Male students at West Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at West Middle School

Rank History for White students at West Middle School

Enrollment information for West Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio West Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on West Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Middle School