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

Thunder Mountain Elementary School

Q: Is Thunder Mountain Elementary School a good school?

Thunder Mountain Elementary School ranks 643 rd of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

643^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 950 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Thunder Mountain Elementary School is a public elementary school in Grand Junction, Colorado, serving 441 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. It is part of the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked 40 out of 115 school districts in the state.

While Thunder Mountain Elementary has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 50.56% to 60.32%, the school consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on CMAS assessments. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 32.2% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 25.1% were proficient or better in math, significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school also struggles to support certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 20% or 40% for female, white, and low socioeconomic status students.

When comparing Thunder Mountain Elementary to other nearby schools in the same district, such as Orchard Avenue Elementary and Chatfield Elementary, it becomes clear that Thunder Mountain is underperforming. These schools consistently outperform Thunder Mountain on CMAS assessments and have lower chronic absenteeism rates, which may be a contributing factor to the school's academic challenges. By addressing these issues and leveraging the strengths of the surrounding schools, Thunder Mountain Elementary has the potential to improve outcomes for its students and better serve the Grand Junction community.

432

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,156

Per pupil spending ?

54.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3063 F1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81504-5546

(970) 254-5870

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Students who attend Thunder Mountain Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bookcliff Middle School
High:	Central High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.6%

Hispanic:

28.5%

Two or more races:

3.5%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Thunder Mountain Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 34th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Worth a look

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

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg39%

Colorado avg40%

643^rd of 950

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd 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	27.0	643 of 950	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.0	768 of 943	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	739 of 933	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	692 of 921	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.7	610 of 710	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	618 of 965	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.9	694 of 917	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.4	663 of 929	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.4	674 of 914	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.0	615 of 938	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.8	609 of 962	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.8	582 of 954	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.2	608 of 935	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.4	564 of 935	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	53.8	474 of 925	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.7	425 of 872	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	44.9	513 of 849	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.3	466 of 852	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	56.3	396 of 829	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.8	328 of 823	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	47.3	463 of 808	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	540 of 694	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	635 of 684	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	612 of 642	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.5	528 of 595	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.3	542 of 758	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.2	606 of 690	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	37.4	212 of 337	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.9	336 of 365	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	202 of 265	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.6	187 of 203	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.9	186 of 332	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.4	232 of 308	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	39.4	401 of 700	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	14.1	599 of 683	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	541 of 649	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	488 of 594	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	531 of 764	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.1	580 of 693	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	8.9	527 of 551	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.1	538 of 539	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.3	523 of 525	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.1	452 of 454	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.6	540 of 596	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.5	325 of 337	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)43rd percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)37th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)22nd percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)4th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts32%-13 vs state

Math25%-11 vs state

Science25%-14 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Thunder Mountain Elementary 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

What people are saying

by a teacher
Thursday, February 8, 2018

This school is staffed by emotionally unstable teachers. There are a few exceptions or some of the teachers are there for the kids and do an excellent job but there are several teachers who have multiple complaints from parents and other staff members who have been violent in front of students or threatened to physically harm students and the principal to help keep the children in a safe environment. Members in the HR department have publicly said they would never put their children in the school and if they allow the abusive teachers to still be employed shame on them. Close Quote

Schools Near Thunder Mountain 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 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Thunder Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3063 F1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-5870	432	27	16.2	54.4%	279 (64.6%)	5 (1.2%)	123 (28.5%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.5%)	27	643^rd of 950 public elementary schools	32.3%		18	768^th of 943 public elementary schools	18.6%	125	19.4	34.5	44.8				32.2	16.4	34.5	25.9				25.1	24.6		$15,156
Fruitvale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	585 30 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-5930	358	28	13.0	70.1%	223 (62.3%)	1 (0.3%)	118 (33.0%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.5%)	27.2	642^nd of 950 public elementary schools	32.4%		24.7	679^th of 943 public elementary schools	28.0%	37	27.8	42.3	36.5				35.4	21.4	25.9	29.4				25.5	17.6		$15,860
Independence Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	675 29 Rd	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 254-6850	491	28	17.2	87.6%	414 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (12.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	54.2	413^th of 950 public elementary schools	56.5%		65.1	312^th of 943 public elementary schools	66.9%	101	47.2	36.0	56.9	49.1	59.6	44.7	49.2	49.1	12.0	49.0	29.1	33.3	31.9	34.2	56.9	42.6	$10,755
Clifton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3276 F Road	Clifton	81520	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-4760	346	24	14.6	75.4%	206 (59.5%)	1 (0.3%)	129 (37.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.4%)								(n/a)	21.7						14.8			18.0				12.3			$16,087
Pear Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	432 30 1/4 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-5960	428	29	15.0	70.8%	267 (62.4%)	1 (0.2%)	149 (34.8%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	28.4	631^st of 950 public elementary schools	33.6%		22.9	698^th of 943 public elementary schools	26.0%	67	35.3	32.3	35.8				34.5	35.8	26.9	26.5				29.7	13.2		$15,654
Nisley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	543 28-3/4 Road	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-5900	346	21	16.4	81.5%	185 (53.5%)	4 (1.2%)	134 (38.7%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.0%)	15	805^th of 950 public elementary schools	15.3%		10.1	879^th of 943 public elementary schools	6.8%	74	22.2	12.5	22.9				20.0	25.5	12.5	18.8				19.7	22.9		$16,166
Chatfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3188 D1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-4930	371	21	17.5	62.5%	240 (64.7%)	4 (1.1%)	110 (29.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	57.8	386^th of 950 public elementary schools	59.4%		45.7	482^nd of 943 public elementary schools	48.9%	96	54.8	47.1	45.1				49.4	53.2	36.0	42.3				44.5	37.3		$14,981
Rocky Mountain Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3260 D1/2 Road	Clifton	81520	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-4900	395	29	13.6	79.5%	214 (54.2%)	2 (0.5%)	158 (40.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.6%)	14.9	809^th of 950 public elementary schools	14.8%		10	884^th of 943 public elementary schools	6.3%	75	22.1	19.0	32.1				24.0	14.3	13.8	21.2				16.1	20.8		$15,933
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Thunder Mountain Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Thunder Mountain Elementary School?

Students at Thunder Mountain Elementary School are 65% White, 28% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What district is Thunder Mountain Elementary School in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

What schools do graduates of Thunder Mountain Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Thunder Mountain Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bookcliff Middle School
High : Central High School

How many students attend Thunder Mountain Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 432 students attended Thunder Mountain Elementary School.

Is Thunder Mountain Elementary School a good school?

Thunder Mountain Elementary School ranks 643^rd of 950 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Thunder Mountain Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Elementary School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Grand Junction, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Thunder Mountain Elementary 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.