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Appleton Elementary School

Q: Is Appleton Elementary School a good school?

Appleton Elementary School ranks 165 th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

165^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Appleton Elementary School is a public elementary school in Grand Junction, Colorado, serving 447 students in grades PK-5. As part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, Appleton consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic achievement, with proficiency rates of 63.6% in English Language Arts and 61.9% in Math, compared to the district's 43.1% and 34.7%, and the state's 44.8% and 35.9%, respectively.

Appleton's success is particularly noteworthy given its high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 40.27% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite this challenge, Appleton ranks 16th out of 337 Colorado elementary schools for this subgroup, demonstrating the school's ability to effectively support and educate students from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, Appleton consistently ranks in the top 25% of Colorado elementary schools for both female and male students, indicating that the school is providing a high-quality education to all its students.

While Appleton's overall performance is impressive, the school has experienced fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 13.8% to 35.2% in recent years. This suggests that the school may need to implement targeted interventions to improve student attendance and engagement. Compared to nearby schools, Appleton outperforms most, including Orchard Avenue Elementary, Chipeta Elementary, and Tope Elementary, but lags behind the exceptional results of Broadway Elementary and Scenic Elementary.

439

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,503

Per pupil spending ?

37.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2358 H Road
Grand Junction, CO 81505-9677

(970) 254-6400

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Students who attend Appleton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Fruita Middle School
High:	Fruita Monument High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.6%

Hispanic:

11.8%

Two or more races:

2.3%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Appleton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 52nd percentile in 2015 → 83rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (60% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg39%

Colorado avg40%

165^th of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 30 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to top 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 26Elementary Schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

40^th of 115Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 among Colorado districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	80.9	165 of 950	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.1	295 of 943	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.6	242 of 933	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	68.5	266 of 921	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	76.7	174 of 710	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	63.2	330 of 965	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.6	394 of 917	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.0	444 of 929	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.9	325 of 914	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	48.0	446 of 938	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.0	450 of 962	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	53.3	480 of 954	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.1	432 of 935	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.8	465 of 935	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.9	422 of 925	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.1	394 of 872	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.4	309 of 849	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.8	243 of 852	71.5%	★★★★☆
2006	66.9	295 of 829	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	68.7	271 of 823	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	64.6	311 of 808	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	72.2	160 of 694	76.9%	★★★★☆
2024	50.3	321 of 684	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.3	204 of 642	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	224 of 595	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.8	143 of 351	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.8	304 of 758	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.4	334 of 690	51.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	83.8	16 of 337	95.3%	★★★★★
2024	81.2	31 of 365	91.5%	★★★★★
2023	96.2	5 of 265	98.1%	★★★★★
2019	73.7	51 of 332	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	49.0	157 of 308	49.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	76.3	140 of 700	80.0%	★★★★☆
2024	65.0	224 of 683	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.1	242 of 649	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.3	241 of 594	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.3	136 of 352	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.7	301 of 764	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.5	381 of 693	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	56.4	232 of 551	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.8	336 of 539	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.2	280 of 525	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.6	239 of 454	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.8	137 of 288	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.7	290 of 596	51.3%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)80th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)77th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)58th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+19 vs state

Math62%+26 vs state

Science47%+8 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Monday, April 15, 2019

Awful

by a parent
Wednesday, February 8, 2017

First year here and our children are thriving.
Teachers and principal are great! Close Quote

Schools Near Appleton Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CMAS English Language Arts (2025)							CMAS Math (2025)						CMAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Appleton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2358 H Road	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6400	439	24	18.0	37.4%	367 (83.6%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (11.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	10 (2.3%)	80.9	165^th of 950 public elementary schools	82.6%		67.1	295^th of 943 public elementary schools	68.7%	130	55.7	67.1	68.3				63.6	70.9	61.4	53.7			61.9	47.0		$14,503
Juniper Ridge Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	640 24 1/2 Rd	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 639-0884	375	25	14.7	57.9%	303 (80.8%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)	23.3	693^rd of 950 public elementary schools	27.1%		15.3	800^th of 943 public elementary schools	15.2%	107			35.6	37.0	51.5	40.0	31.9		13.3		12.1	23.3	10.3	15.9	40.0	$9,087
Pomona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	588 25-1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-4990	395	26	15.2	50.1%	240 (60.8%)	5 (1.3%)	123 (31.1%)	8 (2.0%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	66.9	306^th of 950 public elementary schools	67.8%		56.2	397^th of 943 public elementary schools	57.9%	91	44.4	54.4	63.2				53.7	43.8	49.1	49.1			47.2	52.6		$15,093
Broadway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2248 Broadway	Grand Junction	81507	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6430	300	17	17.4	32.0%	246 (82.0%)	3 (1.0%)	33 (11.0%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	11 (3.7%)	83.1	139^th of 950 public elementary schools	85.4%		85.6	118^th of 943 public elementary schools	87.5%	21	44.2	66.7	82.2				64.7	51.2	60.0	68.9			60.1	73.3		$15,347
Wildflower Montessori Public School of Colorado Grand Valley	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	631 26 1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81506	Mesa County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 314-7894	40	4	10.0	37.5%	33 (82.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.5%)	1 (2.5%)								(n/a)
Scenic Elementary School	Public	K-5	451 West Scenic Dr	Grand Junction	81507	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6370	243	15	16.3	28.8%	211 (86.8%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (7.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.5%)	80.6	170^th of 950 public elementary schools	82.1%		89.7	80^th of 943 public elementary schools	91.5%	90	54.1	63.8	70.0				62.9	56.8	57.4	67.5			60.5	47.5		$16,071
Tope Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2220 N 7th St	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-7070	370	19	19.0	47.3%	252 (68.1%)	2 (0.5%)	91 (24.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	21 (5.7%)	59.7	362^nd of 950 public elementary schools	61.9%		60.5	361^st of 943 public elementary schools	61.7%	1	47.5	52.8	62.3				54.8	40.0	34.0	50.9			41.8	38.5		$14,601
Monument View Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	1956 Hwy 6 And 50 Building A	Fruita	81521	Mesa County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 858-3798	38	3	11.7		28 (73.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (13.2%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)																$11,613
Dual Immersion Academy School	Public	PK, KG-5	552 A West Main Street	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-6070	310	15	20.8	93.5%	69 (22.3%)	2 (0.6%)	233 (75.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	42.4	512^th of 950 public elementary schools	46.1%		39.4	531^st of 943 public elementary schools	43.7%	19	25.0	22.5	55.3				35.8	26.1	27.1	46.8			33.3	52.2		$14,498
Orchard Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Orchard Ave	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-7560	319	22	14.3	60.5%	238 (74.6%)	1 (0.3%)	65 (20.4%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	54.3	411^th of 950 public elementary schools	56.7%		50.9	440^th of 943 public elementary schools	53.3%	29	42.1	36.0	60.4				46.3	41.0	33.3	42.3			38.7	51.9		$16,850

Frequently Asked Questions about Appleton Elementary School

Is Appleton Elementary School a good school?

Appleton Elementary School ranks 165^th of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Appleton Elementary School in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

What schools do graduates of Appleton Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Appleton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fruita Middle School
High : Fruita Monument High School

How many students attend Appleton Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 439 students attended Appleton Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Appleton Elementary School?

Students at Appleton Elementary School are 84% White, 12% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.