Is Independence Academy a good school?

Independence Academy ranks 385 th of 935 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 485 students attended Independence Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Academy?

Students at Independence Academy are 84% White, 11% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Independence Academy

Public, Charter PK, KG-8

675 29 Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81504

(970) 254-6850

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

SchoolDigger Rank:
385^th of 935 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,505

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 485

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.3%

Hispanic:

10.9%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.5%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Independence Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Academy ranks better than 58.8% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 9^th among 27 ranked elementary schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.37. (See more...)

Compare Details Independence Academy ranks better than 55.1% of middle schools in Colorado. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.74. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Independence Academy has the largest elementary school student body size in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. Racial makeup is: White (84.3%), Hispanic (10.9%), two or more races (3.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 23.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Academy is 17. 18 elementary schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Academy employs 28.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Academy is $8,505. 26 elementary schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Independence Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Academy 385^th of 935 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Independence Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Academy 216^th of 481 Colorado public middle schools. (See Independence Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 52^nd of 115 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Independence Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2010	52.76	489^th	925	47.1%
2011	41.37	594^th	935	36.5%
2012	46.56	548^th	935	41.4%
2013	62.52	369^th	954	61.3%
2014	64.48	339^th	962	64.8%
2015	56.67	366^th	938	61.0%
2016	76.83	176^th	914	80.7%
2017	64.16	295^th	929	68.2%
2018	49.01	424^th	917	53.8%
2019	67.07	296^th	965	69.3%
2021	60.86	303^rd	710	57.3%
2022	50.08	432^nd	921	53.1%
2023	55.37	385^th	933	58.7%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	50.88	306^th	690	55.7%
2019	64.69	236^th	758	68.9%
2021	60.06	164^th	351	53.3%
2022	54.10	268^th	595	55.0%
2023	58.21	249^th	642	61.2%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	40.41	382^nd	693	44.9%
2019	43.91	396^th	764	48.2%
2021	39.47	263^rd	352	25.3%
2022	32.49	388^th	594	34.7%
2023	39.06	382^nd	649	41.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	50.40	293^rd	596	50.8%
2021	40.62	205^th	288	28.8%
2022	21.74	390^th	454	14.1%
2023	29.15	399^th	525	24.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Independence Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2007	36.41	256^th	360	28.9%
2008	38.54	241^st	362	33.4%
2009	6.78	357^th	377	5.3%
2010	39.17	273^rd	409	33.3%
2011	12.94	376^th	422	10.9%
2012	32.33	302^nd	425	28.9%
2013	31.79	329^th	454	27.5%
2014	56.77	189^th	461	59.0%
2015	36.78	267^th	436	38.8%
2016	46.53	191^st	400	52.3%
2017	37.72	245^th	424	42.2%
2018	47.93	193^rd	418	53.8%
2019	80.47	67^th	458	85.4%
2021	41.77	195^th	369	47.2%
2022	40.87	245^th	448	45.3%
2023	49.74	216^th	480	55.0%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	35.82	195^th	326	40.2%
2023	47.25	171^st	363	52.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	41.03	174^th	328	47.0%
2023	47.08	160^th	356	55.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Independence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	64.79	82^nd	283	71.0%
2023	25.23	216^th	286	24.5%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2004	77	1	3	7	5	n/a	n/a	93
2005	92	2	2	4	3	n/a	n/a	103
2006	69	3	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	81
2007	128	0	2	8	1	n/a	n/a	139
2008	147	0	3	15	2	n/a	n/a	167
2009	184	2	7	14	4	n/a	n/a	211
2010	176	3	2	23	2	n/a	n/a	206
2011	200	1	4	22	1	0	5	233
2012	211	1	4	31	4	0	6	257
2013	238	0	4	37	5	0	10	294
2014	261	0	3	49	3	0	11	327
2015	280	1	4	45	3	0	13	346
2016	301	1	0	41	5	0	17	365
2017	338	1	0	46	7	0	16	408
2018	331	2	0	42	5	0	20	400
2019	334	3	0	41	4	0	16	398
2020	355	3	0	42	2	0	13	415
2021	371	3	0	47	2	0	15	438
2022	398	2	1	52	2	0	15	470
2023	409	1	3	53	2	0	17	485

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	93	5.8	16.0	20.4
2005	103	4.3	24.0	21.4
2006	81	4.7	17.2	27.2
2007	139	8.3	16.7	n/a
2008	167	5.7	29.3	0.6
2009	211	13.5	15.6	0.5
2010	206	13.4	15.2	16
2011	233	14.3	16.2	18.5
2012	257	14.3	17.8	19.8
2013	294	15.7	18.6	3.7
2014	327	19.5	16.7	17.1
2015	346	18.0	19.2	0
2016	365	17.0	21.4	0
2017	408	16.6	24.5	19.6
2018	400	19.9	20.0	6.8
2019	398	19.2	20.7	9.5
2020	415	21.4	19.3	7.7
2021	438	24.8	17.6	n/a
2022	470	29.4	15.9	14.7
2023	485	28.4	17.0	23.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	93	5.8	16.0	20.4
2005	103	4.3	24.0	21.4
2006	81	4.7	17.2	27.2
2007	139	8.3	16.7	n/a
2008	167	5.7	29.3	0.6
2009	211	13.5	15.6	0.5
2010	206	13.4	15.2	16
2011	233	14.3	16.2	18.5
2012	257	14.3	17.8	19.8
2013	294	15.7	18.6	3.7
2014	327	19.5	16.7	17.1
2015	346	18.0	19.2	0
2016	365	17.0	21.4	0
2017	408	16.6	24.5	19.6
2018	400	19.9	20.0	6.8
2019	398	19.2	20.7	9.5
2020	415	21.4	19.3	7.7
2021	438	24.8	17.6	n/a
2022	470	29.4	15.9	14.7
2023	485	28.4	17.0	23.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$46,204
2020	$7,142
2021	$8,079
2022	$8,505

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 296^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 385^th of 933 Elementary schools	10.6%
Ranks 67^th of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 216^th of 480 Middle schools	30.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence Academy)	42.6	46.9	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.9	37.4	4.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Independence Academy)	53.2	40.8	12.4%
3rd Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	31.8	38.3	6.5%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Academy)	63.6	43.1	20.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	42	39.6	2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Independence Academy)	50	29.4	20.6%
4th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	22.9	28.4	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Math (Independence Academy)	25	34	9%
5th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	23.5	36.4	12.9%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Academy)	68.6	48.1	20.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.8	36.2	3.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	43.6	43.4	0.2%
6th Grade Math (Independence Academy)	40	30.8	9.2%
6th Grade Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	21.5	22.8	1.3%
6th Grade Math (Colorado)	29.5	28.2	1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Academy)	67.9	50	17.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	32.7	38.3	5.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.5	45	1.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Independence Academy)	54.6	48.3	6.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	36	39.2	3.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Independence Academy)	41.4	32.1	9.3%
All Grades Math (Mesa County Valley School District No. 51)	24.4	29.1	4.7%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	398	485	21.9%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	41	53	29.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	334	409	22.5%
Two or More Races	16	17	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	9.5%	23.5%	14%

Schools Near Independence Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CMAS English Language Arts (2023)							CMAS Math (2023)							CMAS Science (2023)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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
Independence Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	675 29 Rd	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-6850	485	28	17.0	23.5%	409 (84.3%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (10.9%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	55.4	385^th of 935 public elementary schools	58.8%		50.1	432^nd of 921 public elementary schools	53.1%	47	46.9	43.1	64.0	48.1	50.0	37.0	48.3	40.8	29.4	34.0	30.8	27.1	30.4	32.1	43.8	32.6	$8,505
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	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-5900	349	26	13.2	79.7%	184 (52.7%)	10 (2.9%)	133 (38.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.2%)	14	830^th of 935 public elementary schools	11.2%		14.8	800^th of 921 public elementary schools	13.1%	30	26.5	25.4	19.6				23.9	25.5	11.3	9.8				15.0	9.8		$14,661
Fruitvale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	585 30 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-5930	412	30	13.7	59.2%	253 (61.4%)	0 (0.0%)	139 (33.7%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.2%)	18.1	763^rd of 935 public elementary schools	18.4%		36	555^th of 921 public elementary schools	39.7%	208	15.5	23.2	28.4				22.7	20.7	24.6	22.7				22.8	15.4		$13,925
Orchard Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Orchard Ave	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-7560	337	25	13.7	54.0%	251 (74.5%)	1 (0.3%)	66 (19.6%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	49.4	440^th of 935 public elementary schools	52.9%		47.7	449^th of 921 public elementary schools	51.2%	9	39.2	34.9	68.6				45.7	34.0	26.2	38.9				32.8	45.7		$13,927
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	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-5870	443	28	15.5	50.6%	295 (66.6%)	4 (0.9%)	122 (27.5%)	5 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	13 (2.9%)	19.6	740^th of 935 public elementary schools	20.9%		22.4	692^nd of 921 public elementary schools	24.9%	48	22.2	32.9	25.4				27.0	19.0	15.5	23.4				19.2	21.5		$12,863
Career Center Preschool	Public	PK	2935 North Avenue	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-5100	103	0	500.0		64 (62.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.9%)								(n/a)																	$24,557
Tope Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2220 N 7th St	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-7070	365	18	20.4	43.6%	255 (69.9%)	5 (1.4%)	85 (23.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.4%)	53.9	401^st of 935 public elementary schools	57.1%		55.7	383^rd of 921 public elementary schools	58.4%	18	37.3	40.5	62.5				46.8	37.3	25.0	44.9				36.4	44.9		$13,303
Lincoln Park Preschool	Public	PK	519 North 18th Street	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-5682	0	0	63.6		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																	$8,154
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	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-5960	441	30	14.7	71.4%	263 (59.6%)	0 (0.0%)	154 (34.9%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	16.6	780^th of 935 public elementary schools	16.6%		14.6	804^th of 921 public elementary schools	12.7%	24	25.7	21.3	28.6				25.1	14.1	19.7	19.3				17.5	16.4		$13,482
Chipeta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	950 Chipeta Avenue	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(970) 254-6825	375	27	14.1	66.4%	223 (59.5%)	3 (0.8%)	132 (35.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.2%)	28.7	619^th of 935 public elementary schools	33.8%		28.1	637^th of 921 public elementary schools	30.8%	18	27.0	26.7	41.8				31.5	26.6	18.6	32.7				25.8	29.1		$13,864

Independence Academy

Independence Academy:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at Independence Academy

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Independence Academy

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Independence Academy

Rank History for elementary school White students at Independence Academy

Rank History for Independence Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Independence Academy

Rank History for middle school Female students at Independence Academy

Rank History for middle school Male students at Independence Academy

Rank History for middle school White students at Independence Academy

Enrollment information for Independence Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Academy

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