Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Mount Garfield Middle School

Q: Is Mount Garfield Middle School a good school?

Mount Garfield Middle School ranks 317 th of 469 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

317^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 469 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 32% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

Mount Garfield Middle School is a public middle school located in Clifton, Colorado, serving 562 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked 40 out of 115 school districts in Colorado and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a relatively well-performing district, Mount Garfield Middle School consistently underperforms compared to district and state averages in CMAS test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (36.3%) and Math (20.7%) were significantly lower than the district (43.1% and 34.7%, respectively) and state (44.8% and 35.9%, respectively) averages. Additionally, the school's student subgroups, such as female, male, Hispanic, and white students, also perform below their peers at the district and state levels.

Further analysis reveals that Mount Garfield Middle School faces other challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism (55.9% in 2023-2024) and dropout (ranging from 1.8% to 2.2% over the past few years), both of which are significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school also serves a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 64.37% to 70.82% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch over the past few years. When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as Redlands Middle School and Orchard Mesa Middle School, Mount Garfield Middle School consistently underperforms, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes and overall school performance.

569

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,072

Per pupil spending ?

68.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3475 Front Street
Clifton, CO 81520-8405

(970) 254-4720

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Students who attend Mount Garfield Middle School usually attend:

High:

Palisade High School

Feeder schools for Mount Garfield Middle School:

Elementary:	Rocky Mountain Elementary School
	Taylor Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.4%

Hispanic:

35.3%

Two or more races:

3.2%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Mount Garfield Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 16th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (28% vs 40% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (54% vs 28% Colorado)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg39%

Colorado avg40%

317^th of 469

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Middle 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	29.8	317 of 469	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.7	333 of 485	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.1	332 of 480	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	291 of 448	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.5	244 of 369	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	11.2	418 of 458	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.5	398 of 418	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	13.7	379 of 424	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.0	348 of 400	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.2	366 of 436	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.1	365 of 461	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.5	385 of 454	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	16.9	365 of 425	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.9	357 of 422	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	21.8	338 of 409	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	23.7	305 of 377	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	20.4	308 of 362	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.8	281 of 360	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.2	266 of 346	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	37.0	236 of 340	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	33.5	238 of 336	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	26.5	247 of 347	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	246 of 350	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	272 of 363	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	214 of 326	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.6	179 of 254	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.9	328 of 352	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.6	303 of 315	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2021	29.0	65 of 83	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	36.2	150 of 241	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	145 of 244	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	150 of 241	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.0	78 of 197	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.5	50 of 114	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	15.2	227 of 240	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.1	217 of 222	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	24.5	259 of 352	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	276 of 357	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.3	250 of 356	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.6	233 of 328	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.6	182 of 249	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	321 of 343	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.7	308 of 317	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	16.7	236 of 275	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	241 of 273	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	260 of 286	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.3	230 of 265	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	161 of 203	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	3.5	282 of 283	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.8	198 of 199	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)38th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)29th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)26th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2021)22nd percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)14th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-8 vs state

Science27%-9 vs state

Math21%-15 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Mount Garfield Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Mount Garfield Middle 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 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
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	569	34	16.7	68.7%	338 (59.4%)	5 (0.9%)	201 (35.3%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.2%)	29.8	317^th of 469 public middle schools	32.4%		26.7	333^rd of 485 public middle schools	31.3%	16	30.9	39.5	38.8	36.3	24.9	15.6	21.6	20.7	27.0	$15,072
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	476	32	14.9	64.5%	272 (57.1%)	3 (0.6%)	173 (36.3%)	9 (1.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.4%)	16.9	393^rd of 469 public middle schools	16.2%		12.8	432^nd of 485 public middle schools	10.9%	39	24.6	29.2	19.6	25.1	18.1	15.5	8.0	14.3	19.5	$13,822
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	525	38	13.7	72.6%	233 (44.4%)	5 (1.0%)	257 (49.0%)	4 (0.8%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	14.7	411^th of 469 public middle schools	12.4%		16.4	396^th of 485 public middle schools	18.4%	15	23.5	19.4	20.8	21.4	12.6	15.1	14.7	14.1	18.2	$16,301
Orchard Mesa Middle School	Public	6-8	2736 Unaweep Ave #a	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6320	560	35	15.9	58.9%	389 (69.5%)	0 (0.0%)	139 (24.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	50.8	196^th of 469 public middle schools	58.2%		52.3	197^th of 485 public middle schools	59.4%	1	49.4	40.0	46.2	45.1	32.1	27.1	34.9	31.2	51.2	$14,519
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	468	29	16.4	52.1%	313 (66.9%)	6 (1.3%)	112 (23.9%)	7 (1.5%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.1%)	42.3	232^nd of 469 public middle schools	50.5%		36.4	270^th of 485 public middle schools	44.3%	38	40.4	45.3	45.4	43.7	24.1	17.3	38.0	25.9	37.0	$14,498
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	632	37	17.3	25.3%	532 (84.2%)	4 (0.6%)	64 (10.1%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.5%)	85.9	53^rd of 469 public middle schools	88.7%		79.7	76^th of 485 public middle schools	84.3%	23	64.9	65.6	57.6	62.9	54.0	59.4	59.9	57.7	68.9	$14,392
Fruita Middle School	Public	6-8	1835 J Rd	Fruita	81521	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6570	690	40	17.3	39.1%	554 (80.3%)	2 (0.3%)	99 (14.3%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.6%)	42.6	231^st of 469 public middle schools	50.7%		40.8	243^rd of 485 public middle schools	49.9%	12	41.1	37.2	37.9	38.8	23.9	31.9	41.6	32.1	34.2	$14,951

Frequently Asked Questions about Mount Garfield Middle School

What high school do graduates of Mount Garfield Middle School attend?

Students who attend Mount Garfield Middle School usually go on to attend Palisade High School

Is Mount Garfield Middle School a good school?

Mount Garfield Middle School ranks 317^th of 469 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mount Garfield Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 569 students attended Mount Garfield Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Mount Garfield Middle School?

Students at Mount Garfield Middle School are 59% White, 35% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Mount Garfield Middle School in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Rate Mount Garfield Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Middle School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Clifton, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mount Garfield Middle School!

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.