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Rocky Mountain Elementary School

Q: Is Rocky Mountain Elementary School a good school?

Rocky Mountain Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.8% of Colorado elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Rocky Mountain Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 395 students attended Rocky Mountain Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Rocky Mountain Elementary School?

Students at Rocky Mountain Elementary School are 54% White, 40% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

853^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Rocky Mountain Elementary School is a PK–5 elementary school in Clifton, Colorado, serving 395 students within the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. The school sits near the bottom of Colorado's elementary school rankings — in 2025–2026, it ranked 850th of 943 schools, placing it in the 10th percentile with a 0-star rating. This is not a one-year fluke; the school has ranked in the bottom 6–15% statewide for the past decade. About 79.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student–teacher ratio of 13.6 is relatively favorable compared to nearby schools.

Academically, proficiency rates are roughly half the district and state averages. On the 2025–2026 CMAS assessments, only 20.4% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (vs. 42.5% district and 44.7% state), 19.6% in math (vs. 35.5% district and 37.3% state), and just 9.0% in 5th-grade science (vs. 29.5% district and 36.1% state). Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, with 37.6% of students chronically absent in 2024–2025, well above the state average of 28.4%. Test scores have fluctuated with no clear upward trend, though math has shown gradual improvement.

What makes these results particularly notable is the contrast with nearby schools. Chatfield Elementary School, just 0.67 miles away, ranks in the 44th percentile statewide and posts ELA and math proficiency rates nearly double Rocky Mountain's. Independence Academy, 4.3 miles away, serves an even higher percentage of low-income students (87.6%) yet ranks in the 57th percentile, posts 47.1% ELA proficiency, and has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 14.6%. Among nearby low-performing schools — Nisley Elementary School, Clifton Elementary School, and Fruitvale Elementary School — high absenteeism is a common thread, while higher-performing neighbors all have substantially lower chronic absenteeism. This suggests poverty alone doesn't explain the outcomes, and there is meaningful room for improvement in instruction, attendance, and school effectiveness.

395

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,460

Per pupil spending ?

79.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3260 D1/2 Road
Clifton, CO 81520-8820

(970) 254-4900

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Students who attend Rocky Mountain Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mount Garfield Middle School
High:	Palisade High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.2%

Hispanic:

40.0%

Two or more races:

4.6%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Rocky Mountain Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 13th percentile in 2016 → 10th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (18% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

853^rd of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 13% (2016) to bottom 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th 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	12.4	853 of 946	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.9	809 of 950	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	884 of 943	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	849 of 933	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	842 of 921	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	666 of 710	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.5	848 of 965	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.4	830 of 917	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	14.5	809 of 929	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.0	796 of 914	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.7	799 of 938	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	17.9	805 of 962	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.7	819 of 954	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	12.6	824 of 935	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	7.8	872 of 935	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	6.6	874 of 925	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.0	822 of 872	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	9.2	779 of 849	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.0	788 of 852	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	20.3	682 of 829	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	20.4	680 of 823	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	14.2	707 of 808	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	12.5	633 of 695	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.8	644 of 694	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.6	627 of 642	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.0	585 of 595	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	18.8	286 of 322	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.4	281 of 337	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.1	230 of 265	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	8.5	660 of 697	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	607 of 700	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.6	619 of 649	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	506 of 594	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.2	633 of 764	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	2.0	546 of 547	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.9	532 of 551	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.5	539 of 539	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	522 of 525	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.0	589 of 596	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)11th percentile~ school

Female (2026)9th percentile~ school

Male (2026)5th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)<1st percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts20%-24 vs state

Math20%-18 vs state

Science9%-27 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The teachers are incredibly motivated and full of energy. Great things are happening at Rocky Mountain! Close Quote

Schools Near Rocky Mountain Elementary School

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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 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
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%)	12.4	853^rd of 946 public elementary schools	9.8%		14.9	809^th of 950 public elementary schools	14.8%	44	17.1	25.6	17.9				20.4	21.4	23.2	14.1				19.6	9.0		$17,460
Chatfield Elementary School	Public	K-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%)	38.7	529^th of 946 public elementary schools	44.1%		57.8	386^th of 950 public elementary schools	59.4%	143	33.3	37.8	47.0				39.8	29.8	34.1	37.9				34.4	31.8		$15,895
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	644^th of 946 public elementary schools	31.9%		28.4	631^st of 950 public elementary schools	33.6%	13	28.8	28.8	37.1				31.9	37.7	31.8	31.4				33.3	15.7		$17,530
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%)	27.5	653^rd of 946 public elementary schools	31.0%		27	643^rd of 950 public elementary schools	32.3%	10	32.2	41.7	39.7				37.9	32.2	20.0	28.6				26.9	11.5		$16,374
Fruitvale Elementary School	Public	K-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%)	16.5	797^th of 946 public elementary schools	15.8%		27.2	642^nd of 950 public elementary schools	32.4%	155	31.4	17.6	28.6				25.6	31.0	13.3	14.3				19.6	12.9		$17,493
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
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
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%)	54.3	407^th of 946 public elementary schools	57.0%		54.2	413^th of 950 public elementary schools	56.5%	6	38.5	55.8	40.8	53.0	41.4	50.9	47.1	50.0	38.5	32.7	37.0	30.4	33.3	36.7	36.2	49.0	$12,523
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
Taylor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	689 Brentwood Dr	Palisade	81526	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-4870	310	19	16.5	42.6%	265 (85.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (12.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	51.8	422^nd of 946 public elementary schools	55.4%		76.8	212^th of 950 public elementary schools	77.7%	210	42.6	45.9	61.8				50.7	38.2	36.1	44.0				39.7	31.1		$16,823

Frequently Asked Questions about Rocky Mountain Elementary School

Is Rocky Mountain Elementary School a good school?

Rocky Mountain Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.8% of Colorado elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Rocky Mountain Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Mount Garfield Middle School
High : Palisade High School

What is the racial makeup of Rocky Mountain Elementary School?

Students at Rocky Mountain Elementary School are 54% White, 40% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Rocky Mountain Elementary School in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

How many students attend Rocky Mountain Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 395 students attended Rocky Mountain Elementary School.

Rate Rocky Mountain Elementary School!

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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.