Is Mesa Middle School a good school?

Mesa Middle School ranks 141 st of 481 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mesa Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 957 students attended Mesa Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Mesa Middle School?

Students at Mesa Middle School are 68% White, 22% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Mesa Middle School attend?

Students who attend Mesa Middle School usually go on to attend Douglas County High School

Mesa Middle School

Public 6-8

365 Mitchell Street
Castle Rock, CO 80104-2320

(303) 387-4750

District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
141^st of 481 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,136

Students who attend Mesa Middle School usually attend:

High:

Douglas County High School

Feeder schools for Mesa Middle School:

Elementary:	Castle Rock Elementary School
	Cherry Valley Elementary School
	Flagstone Elementary School
	Rock Ridge Elementary School
	More...
	Sage Canyon Elementary
	South Ridge Elementary An IB World School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 957

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.3%

Hispanic:

21.5%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.9%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Mesa Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mesa Middle School ranks better than 70.7% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks 7^th among 10 ranked middle schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.89. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.3%), Hispanic (21.5%), two or more races (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mesa Middle School is 16.5, which is the 2^nd best among 10 middle schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1. (See more...)

Compare Mesa Middle School employs 58 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mesa Middle School is $13,136. 5 middle schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Mesa Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa Middle School 141^st of 481 Colorado public middle schools. (See Mesa Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Douglas County School District No. Re 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Douglas County School District No. Re 1 9^th of 115 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mesa Middle School.

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Your rating for Mesa Middle School?

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Rank History for Mesa Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2010	68.70	125^th	409	69.4%
2011	68.19	131^st	422	69.0%
2012	66.33	142^nd	425	66.6%
2013	69.93	129^th	454	71.6%
2014	57.96	179^th	461	61.2%
2015	37.17	264^th	436	39.4%
2016	28.23	282^nd	400	29.5%
2017	27.89	302^nd	424	28.8%
2018	58.78	146^th	418	65.1%
2019	66.36	127^th	458	72.3%
2021	46.40	178^th	369	51.8%
2022	57.04	166^th	448	62.9%
2023	63.89	141^st	480	70.6%

See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	15.51	14^th	14	0.0%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	49.56	89^th	222	59.9%
2019	55.43	87^th	240	63.8%
2021	65.97	21^st	114	81.6%
2022	57.70	57^th	197	71.1%
2023	61.73	60^th	241	75.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	58.34	117^th	315	62.9%
2019	70.91	88^th	352	75.0%
2021	39.36	144^th	254	43.3%
2022	52.96	139^th	326	57.4%
2023	59.26	126^th	363	65.3%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	55.59	60^th	121	50.4%
2019	59.03	58^th	134	56.7%
2023	56.53	67^th	125	46.4%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	50.33	135^th	317	57.4%
2019	54.83	129^th	343	62.4%
2021	41.82	132^nd	249	47.0%
2022	49.52	141^st	328	57.0%
2023	57.18	125^th	356	64.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	59.68	56^th	165	66.1%
2019	59.57	73^rd	220	66.8%
2021	47.64	40^th	83	51.8%
2022	61.29	47^th	169	72.2%
2023	65.68	49^th	198	75.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Mesa Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	45.02	105^th	199	47.2%
2019	47.99	136^th	283	51.9%
2021	26.82	154^th	203	24.1%
2022	42.51	153^rd	265	42.3%
2023	47.51	144^th	286	49.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)

25%

50%

25%

by a parent
Thursday, April 14, 2022

My kids attended Sage Canyon before Mesa, and Sage Canyon was amazing. People said to not send your kids to Douglas County Schools, and after Sage Canyon those comments didn't make sense. After my kids attended Mesa I understood their comments.
Mesa has a phenomenal principal but too many teachers seem to not care. They appear angry. This is understandable after the chaos of the shut downs during the pandemics and the poorly managed school board (it's terrible no matter what political side runs it -- It shouldn't be political and that's part of the problem).
My kids used to love school but are doing poorly now and say they hate it. From bullying at Mesa, to angry teachers, to a messed up school board, to the depression and separation the panic shut downs created, Douglas County Schools continue to fail students.
We are leaving Douglas County Schools for our kids. The school board and school can't do their job, in my opinion based on our experience, so we are saving our kids from them. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, April 9, 2018

Outstanding school. great teachers, great staff, great administration. The staff is caring and really looks to help students achieve success in the middle school level. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, December 19, 2016

Mesa has faced the same challenges that all schools face (poor funding, poor academic guidance, over-crowding, ...) the problems are the same year to year but with a few exceptions. Mesa is part of a County wide school district that has been caught at "cooking" the books and "cooking" student hours for eduction which has resulted in serious turnover and attrition (not because teachers were let go for poo performance but for high pay so that Administrative staff could get higher pay). With this the experience and talent pool has drained to the bottom. No child left behind is now common as most children at Mesa are left behind and either passed along like sheep or if they ask questions they are labeled as trouble makers and punished. I am removing my child form this caustic atmosphere and not allowing my other child to ago to this horrible shameful school. Where will they go, it certainly won't be the disgraceful criminal DCSD public schools, private and charter schools are the only choices left that are fully accredited so thats where we are forced to (as DCSD is also trying to keep those out as more and more families find out that DCSD is a failure of in Colorado). Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, July 31, 2014

Now that Stephenson is gone, there is only one way to go, and that's up. Bring on the new school year and the new administration. Anything is better than the last. Looking forward to August. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mesa Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	688	11	21	100	11	n/a	n/a	831
2010	752	15	22	75	14	n/a	n/a	878
2011	717	12	12	116	4	6	29	896
2012	743	14	11	129	7	1	36	941
2013	796	9	17	130	7	1	40	1000
2014	790	12	15	130	6	1	39	993
2015	748	11	14	149	6	1	33	962
2016	739	12	16	144	2	1	29	943
2017	705	9	12	122	6	1	39	894
2018	632	13	13	127	7	3	39	834
2019	602	6	17	143	5	5	39	817
2020	630	7	17	143	3	3	62	865
2021	731	14	20	195	6	4	59	1029
2022	689	15	21	209	4	1	59	998
2023	654	15	24	206	5	1	52	957

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	831	54.2	15.3	9.4
2010	878	55.0	15.9	10.4
2011	896	51.5	17.3	13.8
2012	941	52.6	17.8	17.9
2013	1000	49.8	20.0	20.1
2014	993	56.6	17.5	20.9
2015	962	56.0	17.1	20.3
2016	943	50.0	18.8	19.9
2017	894	50.0	17.8	19.2
2018	834	46.1	18.0	20
2019	817	46.5	17.5	20
2020	865	54.5	15.8	20.5
2021	1029	71.5	14.3	19.9
2022	998	58.7	16.9	20.1
2023	957	58.0	16.5	18.9

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	831	54.2	15.3	9.4
2010	878	55.0	15.9	10.4
2011	896	51.5	17.3	13.8
2012	941	52.6	17.8	17.9
2013	1000	49.8	20.0	20.1
2014	993	56.6	17.5	20.9
2015	962	56.0	17.1	20.3
2016	943	50.0	18.8	19.9
2017	894	50.0	17.8	19.2
2018	834	46.1	18.0	20
2019	817	46.5	17.5	20
2020	865	54.5	15.8	20.5
2021	1029	71.5	14.3	19.9
2022	998	58.7	16.9	20.1
2023	957	58.0	16.5	18.9

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 Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,088
2020	$12,881
2021	$12,076
2022	$13,136

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesa 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 127^th of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 141^st of 480 Middle schools	1.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa Middle School)	58.2	58.3	0.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	56.7	64.4	7.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.5	45	1.5%
7th Grade Math (Mesa Middle School)	40.7	27.8	12.9%
7th Grade Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	43.5	44.9	1.4%
7th Grade Math (Colorado)	31.6	26.3	5.3%
8th Grade Science (Mesa Middle School)	38.7	41.9	3.2%
8th Grade Science (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	41.9	45.9	4%
8th Grade Science (Colorado)	31.5	31.3	0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa Middle School)	54.8	55.8	1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	52.5	58.4	5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.9	42.4	4.5%
8th Grade Math (Mesa Middle School)	42	42
8th Grade Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	48.8	50.5	1.7%
8th Grade Math (Colorado)	36.9	32.7	4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mesa Middle School)	56.6	55.9	0.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	56.7	61.6	4.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Mesa Middle School)	41.3	32.6	8.7%
All Grades Math (Douglas County School District No. Re 1)	46.5	50.7	4.2%
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	817	957	17.1%
African American	6	15	150%
American Indian	5	5
Asian	17	24	41.2%
Hispanic	143	206	44.1%
Pacific Islander	5	1	80%
White	602	654	8.6%
Two or More Races	39	52	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20%	18.9%	1%

Schools Near Mesa Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CMAS English Language Arts (2023)				CMAS Math (2023)				CMAS Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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
Mesa Middle School	Public	6-8	365 Mitchell Street	Castle Rock	80104	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 387-4750	957	58	16.5	18.9%	654 (68.3%)	15 (1.6%)	206 (21.5%)	24 (2.5%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (5.4%)	63.9	141^st of 481 public middle schools	70.7%		57	166^th of 448 public middle schools	62.9%	25	51.5	58.3	55.8	55.9	23.5	27.8	42.0	32.6	41.9	$13,136
Sagewood Middle School	Public	6-8	4725 Fox Sparrow Road	Parker	80134	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 387-4300	824	49	16.7	7.8%	654 (79.4%)	14 (1.7%)	108 (13.1%)	9 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.5%)	47.9	225^th of 481 public middle schools	53.2%		44.2	229^th of 448 public middle schools	48.9%	4	48.1	38.2	38.5	41.5	33.0	32.2	33.3	32.9	27.1	$14,509
Castle Rock Middle School	Public	7-8	2575 Meadows Boulevard	Castle Rock	80109	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 387-1300	748	45	16.7	14.0%	526 (70.3%)	6 (0.8%)	152 (20.3%)	10 (1.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (6.6%)	67.4	129^th of 481 public middle schools	73.2%		67	122^nd of 448 public middle schools	72.8%	7		52.0	53.7	52.9		35.6	45.3	40.6	38.7	$13,859
Cimarron Middle	Public	6-8	12130 Canterberry Pkwy	Parker	80138	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(720) 433-0120	1,116	59	18.8	10.3%	836 (74.9%)	20 (1.8%)	156 (14.0%)	24 (2.2%)	5 (0.4%)	6 (0.5%)	69 (6.2%)	70.7	116^th of 481 public middle schools	75.9%		65.5	128^th of 448 public middle schools	71.4%	12	61.0	68.2	51.7	60.4	41.8	37.8	45.3	41.5	30.7	$12,642
Elizabeth Middle School	Public	6-8	34427 County Road 13	Elizabeth	80107	Elbert County	Elizabeth School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 646-4520	419	27	15.5	16.0%	326 (77.8%)	2 (0.5%)	69 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.8%)	54.8	177^th of 481 public middle schools	63.2%		48.2	208^th of 448 public middle schools	53.6%	31	57.4	59.6	48.8	54.9	19.4	26.3	33.9	26.8	31.9	$12,631
Rocky Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	11033 Monarch Boulevard	Littleton	80124	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 387-3300	1,162	59	19.6	4.2%	843 (72.5%)	9 (0.8%)	121 (10.4%)	128 (11.0%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (4.6%)	90.9	36^th of 481 public middle schools	92.5%		89.4	37^th of 448 public middle schools	91.7%	1	69.7	80.1	60.9	71.3	55.9	65.5	54.9	59.5	57.9	$12,493
HOPE Online Learning Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	9780 Pyramid Ct Ste 100	Englewood	80112	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(720) 402-3000	394	20	19.5	72.6%	76 (19.3%)	2 (0.5%)	304 (77.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	8.9	466^th of 481 public middle schools	3.1%		7.5	437^th of 448 public middle schools	2.5%	29	11.6	16.5	16.9	15.6		5.6		6.4		$9,573
Sierra Middle School	Public	7-8	6651 Pine Lane Avenue	Parker	80138	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 387-3800	779	44	17.7	16.7%	551 (70.7%)	23 (3.0%)	128 (16.4%)	26 (3.3%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.6%)	54.8	176^th of 481 public middle schools	63.4%		69.1	112^th of 448 public middle schools	75.0%	64		53.3	37.9	45.8		38.2	36.4	37.3	25.7	$12,944
Colorado Skies Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	13025 Wings Way	Englewood	80112	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 900-4086	177	7	26.5	20.3%	108 (61.0%)	5 (2.8%)	42 (23.7%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (11.3%)	51.3	208^th of 481 public middle schools	56.8%		50.2	197^th of 448 public middle schools	56.0%	11	52.3	47.5	36.0	46.8			21.7	22.1	37.5	$17,541
Mountain Ridge Middle School	Public	7-8	10590 Mountain Vista Ridge	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 387-1800	865	45	19.4	7.6%	625 (72.3%)	15 (1.7%)	123 (14.2%)	38 (4.4%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (6.7%)	88.1	48^th of 481 public middle schools	90.0%		88.5	39^th of 448 public middle schools	91.3%	9		66.0	67.3	66.6		45.7	61.4	52.7	58.3	$13,276

Mesa Middle School

Mesa Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Douglas County School District No. Re 1:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Mesa Middle School

Rank History for all students at Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Mesa Middle School

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

Rank History for Female students at Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Mesa Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mesa Middle School

Rank History for White students at Mesa Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Mesa Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mesa Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Mesa Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mesa Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesa Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Mesa Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa Middle School

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