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

New Emerson School at Columbus

Q: Is New Emerson School at Columbus a good school?

New Emerson School at Columbus ranks 130 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

130^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

New Emerson School at Columbus is a small K-5 elementary school in Grand Junction, Colorado, serving 138 students and ranking among the top elementary schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. The school ranks 130th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools (86th percentile) with a 4-star rating, and its test scores far exceed district and state averages across every subject. In English Language Arts, 63.9% of students are proficient compared to 42.5% for the district and 44.7% statewide. Math proficiency is 54.1%, versus 35.5% for the district and 37.3% for the state. Science is especially impressive: 72.2% of 5th graders are proficient, more than double the district average of 29.5% and nearly double the state average of 36.1%.

New Emerson is the top-ranked school among its nearby counterparts. Mesa View Elementary (58th percentile), Pomona Elementary (56th), Tope Elementary (54th), and Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary (52nd) all trail well behind. The contrast with Dos Rios Elementary, located just 0.46 miles away, is striking: Dos Rios ranks in the 40th percentile with 40.5% ELA proficiency and 33.9% chronic absenteeism. New Emerson's chronic absenteeism rate is just 10.1%, compared with a district rate of 36.7% and a state rate of 28.4% — the lowest among nearby schools. The school also serves a comparatively affluent population, with a 13.6% free/reduced lunch rate versus rates of 47% to 94% at most neighboring schools. Scenic Elementary is the closest comparable performer, with nearly identical ELA and math scores in 2024-2025, but New Emerson holds a clear edge in science.

New Emerson has a distinguished history: it ranked 10th in the state in 2016-2017 and 39th in 2018-2019. While it has not returned to its former top-50 standing, it has stabilized in the 85th-87th percentile range since the pandemic. Its small size — just 138 students — and low absenteeism create a tight-knit, focused learning environment that helps explain its consistent success. For parents seeking a high-performing elementary school in Grand Junction, New Emerson School at Columbus is clearly one of the strongest options in the district.

138

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,752

Per pupil spending ?

13.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2660 Unaweep Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81503-1845

(970) 254-6500

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.6%

Hispanic:

10.1%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare New Emerson School at Columbus to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2015 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (61% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

130^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 3% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 24Elementary Schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

38^th of 114Mesa 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
2026	85.3	130 of 946	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	83.1	138 of 950	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	84.7	126 of 943	86.6%	★★★★☆
2023	89.8	77 of 933	91.7%	★★★★★
2022	80.3	163 of 921	82.3%	★★★★☆
2021	87.8	78 of 710	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	93.6	39 of 965	96.0%	★★★★★
2017	97.7	10 of 929	98.9%	★★★★★
2016	94.9	30 of 914	96.7%	★★★★★
2015	93.7	44 of 938	95.3%	★★★★★
2014	93.4	27 of 962	97.2%	★★★★★
2013	92.8	31 of 954	96.8%	★★★★★
2012	90.2	58 of 935	93.8%	★★★★★
2011	82.7	139 of 935	85.1%	★★★★☆
2010	82.4	139 of 925	85.0%	★★★★☆
2009	82.4	128 of 872	85.3%	★★★★☆
2008	68.4	268 of 849	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	81.0	127 of 852	85.1%	★★★★☆
2006	83.5	101 of 829	87.8%	★★★★☆
2005	88.0	55 of 823	93.3%	★★★★★
2004	86.2	79 of 808	90.2%	★★★★★

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Science72%+36 vs state

English Language Arts64%+19 vs state

Math54%+17 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate New Emerson School at Columbus

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 New Emerson School at Columbus

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CMAS English Language Arts (2026)				CMAS Math (2026)				CMAS Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
New Emerson School at Columbus	Public, Magnet	K-5	2660 Unaweep Ave	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	Yes	No	No	(970) 254-6500	138	9	15.1		114 (82.6%)	2 (1.4%)	14 (10.1%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)	85.3	130^th of 946 public elementary schools	86.3%		83.1	138^th of 950 public elementary schools	85.5%	8	60.9	75.0	55.6	63.9	756.0	751.0	64.7	54.1	72.2	$16,752
Dos Rios Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	265 Linden Ave	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-7910	293	18	16.1	79.5%	190 (64.8%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (32.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	36.1	564^th of 946 public elementary schools	40.4%		32.1	595^th of 950 public elementary schools	37.4%	31	40.5	45.0	36.4	40.5	35.1	42.5	27.3	34.7	16.3	$17,485
Chipeta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	950 Chipeta Avenue	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-6825	364	25	14.6	76.4%	193 (53.0%)	4 (1.1%)	147 (40.4%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	39	524^th of 946 public elementary schools	44.6%		44.5	493^rd of 950 public elementary schools	48.1%	31	36.4	38.9	45.1	40.6	40.0	20.4	36.6	32.8	32.9	$17,452
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%)	32.7	592^nd of 946 public elementary schools	37.4%		42.4	512^th of 950 public elementary schools	46.1%	80	41.4	34.1	53.2	43.6	31.8	18.8	27.7	25.9	23.9	$15,264
Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2888 B1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-7940	289	21	13.4	61.6%	201 (69.6%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	46.9	454^th of 946 public elementary schools	52.0%		35.9	563^rd of 950 public elementary schools	40.7%	109	44.4	33.3	51.1	43.5	48.9	25.6	39.6	38.6	719.0	$18,471
Orchard Avenue Elementary School	Public	K-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%)	40	514^th of 946 public elementary schools	45.7%		54.3	411^th of 950 public elementary schools	56.7%	103	35.8	42.9	41.8	40.3	35.7	31.6	32.8	33.3	36.8	$17,754
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%)	50.6	431^st of 946 public elementary schools	54.4%		59.7	362^nd of 950 public elementary schools	61.9%	69	42.2	53.8	55.2	50.7	50.0	36.8	31.0	38.6	30.5	$15,753
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%)	52.4	415^th of 946 public elementary schools	56.1%		66.9	306^th of 950 public elementary schools	67.8%	109	37.0	55.2	48.4	47.5	35.2	52.2	39.7	42.9	33.3	$16,479
Mesa View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2967 B Road	Grand Junction	81503	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-7970	375	21	18.0	55.2%	273 (72.8%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (21.9%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (2.9%)	55.4	396^th of 946 public elementary schools	58.1%		63	333^rd of 950 public elementary schools	64.9%	63	42.6	60.9	48.4	50.0	50.9	50.0	35.9	44.8	31.8	$16,636
Wildflower Montessori Public School of Colorado Grand Valley	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	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)										$17,973

Frequently Asked Questions about New Emerson School at Columbus

What district is New Emerson School at Columbus in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Is New Emerson School at Columbus a good school?

New Emerson School at Columbus ranks 130^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of New Emerson School at Columbus?

Students at New Emerson School at Columbus are 83% White, 10% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

How many students attend New Emerson School at Columbus?

In the 2024-25 school year, 138 students attended New Emerson School at Columbus.

Rate New Emerson School at Columbus!

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 New Emerson School at Columbus!

Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

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.