Education

Introduction

Mesa County residents believe K-12 education is a key priority for community improvement. Local school systems will face challenges in the next decade as declining birth rates intensify declining enrollment.

Increasing early childhood education quality and capacity has been a priority for many Mesa County organizations for several years. Following the pandemic, there were both setbacks and progress in this effort. Although Mesa County is still considered a child care desert, new large centers opening across the county have decreased the gap between supply and demand of care, and Universal Pre-K has made preschool more accessible for thousands of Mesa County children.

While U.S. students in general are struggling with notable learning loss and achievement gaps following the COVID-19 pandemic, Mesa County students maintained or improved many measures of academic success.

In Mesa County, higher educational attainment is correlated with a number of better outcomes. Young women in Mesa County have shown steady improvement in high school and college completion rates, but the rates for young men have not shown the same growth.

Pre-K through 12th Grade Education

What the Community Said

Finding from the 2022 Tell Us Community Survey

  • Respondents ranked K-12 Education as the number one priority for county leaders over the next few years.
  • 47% of respondents indicated that Mesa County is a good place to raise children.
  • 24% of respondents agreed that they were pleased with the state of education in Mesa County.

Finding from the 2022 Mesa County Master Plan Survey:

  • 12% of respondents indicated “Quality of Schools” as a reason they liked living in Mesa County.

Education Access and Infrastructure

School Infrastructure and Funding

In 2024, Mesa County Valley School District 51 (District 51) completed a 25-year facility master plan. The plan identifies $582 million in priority projects to be completed in the next decade. These projects focus on:

  • basic repairs, maintenance, and safety enhancements at all schools,
  • targeted improvements to learning environments at various schools, and
  • improvements at Central High School and Fruita Monument High School.

District 51 school buildings average 48 years old, and a 2023 survey of school facility conditions identified a number of schools with a less than passing condition score.

While all schools were deemed safe and healthy environments, these schools had significant challenges with the conditions of buildings, playgrounds, and parking areas. They also lacked robust ability to meet instructional needs such as small group areas and preschool or kindergarten rooms.

State and federal funding for schools is designated for instruction and operations, and capital improvement funding must come from other sources such as grants and local mill levies or bonds.

School locations in Mesa County urban area with Child density

Less than 200 children under 18 per square mile;
1600 children under 18 per square mile;
Mesa Valley District 51 school and private schools.

School Spending

Since school spending is largely determined by school funding, it is often out of a school district’s control how much money is available to spend. Here we measure spending on a per pupil basis because it is easier to compare district to district, but differences reflect the money made available to spend by state, federal, and local sources.

In the most recent school year data available through the state of Colorado, 2021-2022, District 51 spent an average of $12,812 per student, compared to $13,509 statewide. The district’s expenditures can be categorized into two main areas:

  • those that directly contribute to the learning environment, such as teacher and aide salaries, school activities, athletics, and administration, comprising 74% of the budget, and
  • those related to operations, including transportation, food services, and maintenance. making up the remaining 26%.

In De Beque School District 49, per pupil spending was $15,884 with 73% going to the learning environment, and 27% to operations. In Plateau Valley District 50, per pupil spending was $16,925, with 77% to the learning environment and 23% to operations.

Student-teacher ratios are an important factor in quality education. While different age groups have different benchmarks for success, typically students are more successful in a lower ratio environment. The funding a school receives doesn’t account for ratios, so decisions about ratios must be based on funding as well as quality. While we compare district-level ratios here, these ratios are set at the school level, and are significantly impacted by the size of the population a school serves.

Student Teacher Ratio (2023-2024)

Student Teacher Ratio (2023-2024)

De Beque D49 Plateau Valley D50 Mesa County D51
32:1 13:1 17:1

Safety and Licensing

Mesa County Public Health supports 60 local K-12 schools with health and safety inspections. The frequency of inspection is based on their risk, and most schools receive a low risk inspection every three years. Schools with high risk classrooms are inspected every year. This includes schools with vocational classrooms, science labs, and potential exposure to toxic or dangerous materials or equipment, such as a ceramics kiln. Between 2021 and 2023, 24% of routine inspections resulted in a follow up inspection.

Childcare providers in Mesa County are licensed by Mesa County Public Health and facilities are inspected for safety and to review any reports of incidents or concerns. In 2023, MCPH inspected 11 new childcare facilities and made 145 routine childcare inspections. In addition, there were 28 inspections relating to an incident, complaint, or concern. There were 17 follow up inspections to verify that a provider had fixed an issue in a previous inspection.

Pre-K through 12th Grade Student Demographics

The Colorado Department of Education publishes counts of students within public school districts in Colorado. We can report on students attending District 51, Plateau Valley District 50, and De Beque District 49.

A total of 20,686 students were enrolled in these districts for Pre-K through 12th grade in 2023.

70.1% of students were white, non-Hispanic, 24.3% were Hispanic or Latino, and 5.6% were non-Hispanic People of Color. For more information on trends in age and race and ethnicity in Mesa County, Community Profiles

Student Diversity

30% of Mesa County school children are people of color.

Source: Colorado Department of Education, 2023-2024

25% of Mesa County students are LGBTQ+

Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2021
Home School Counts

Mesa County home school participation increased from 213 in 2019 to 511 in 2020. In 2023, it had decreased to 346 students.

The state of Colorado collects information about student gender through enrollment forms and later by asking students their gender in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS). 48.3% of students were female and 51.7% were male for the 2023-2024 school year according to enrollment data. While zero students in any of the three districts are in the non-binary category in enrollment data, the 2021 HKCS results show that 62 students indicated a gender other than cis-gendered male or female when self-selecting.

In the same survey, 739 students indicated that they were straight or heterosexual, about three in four. 210 students indicated a different sexual orientation, about one in four. An additional small group, 36 students, selected “Not sure.” Almost all students who selected a gender other than male and female selected a sexual orientation other than heterosexual, resulting in a total of 254 LGBTQ+ identifying students.

Across the three local Mesa County districts for the 2023-2024 school year, 4.1% attend a gifted and talented program and 16.1% attend a special education program. 3.3% attend school online, all based at District 51. 3.9% attend an English Language Learner program.

Students with Housing Instability

“The lack of stable permanent housing has a direct negative impact on a student’s education. Basic needs such as housing, food, hygiene and safety must be met before a child is capable of acquiring new information.”
Margery Brennan,
D51 REACH McKinney-Vento Liaison

As of April, 2024, 754 students from 420 families had been identified for the District 51 REACH program, which supports students in unstable housing situations.

Some of these families may have entered stable housing during the school year. These numbers reflect how many students and families faced housing instability this school year, regardless of their current housing.

Among students with unstable housing, 60% were doubled up, which means sharing housing with another household when they would prefer to be in separate households. This is commonly because of loss of housing or economic instability, and often leads to frequent moves. An additional 24% students with unstable housing were sheltered, unsheltered, or living in a motel. 8% were unaccompanied youth. 8% were in some type of transitional or supportive housing. Housing instability was evenly spread across student age groups.

Absenteeism

Definitions

  • A student absent for more than 10% of possible school days is considered chronically absent, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused.

  • A student with four or more unexcused absences in a month, or 10 unexcused absences in a school year is considered habitually truant.

Nationwide, chronic absenteeism doubled between the 2018-2019 school year and the 2021-2022 school year. According to Attendance Works, chronic absenteeism can lead to students “having difficulty learning to read by the third grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school.” Students in groups that already face achievement gaps are also the most likely to be chronically absent, such as low income students and students of color.

Mesa County students were nearly always chronically absent at a higher rate than the state in all three school districts in the most recent three completed school years. Across Mesa County and the state, rates peaked in the 2021-2022 school year and decreased in 2022-2023. These trends are likely due to the changes and disruptions to the traditional school year brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chronic Absenteeism, 2020-2023

Academic Year Mesa County
Valley 51		 Plateau
Valley 50		 De Beque 49 Colorado
2020-2021 35.4 33.9 26.0 26.0
2021-2022 58.7 43.4 35.5 35.5
2022-2023 50.6 31.5 31.1 31.1
Source: Colorado Department of Education

Habitually Truant

Habitually Truant Rate

Nearly one in five local public school district students were habitually truant in the 2022-2023 school year.

Percent of Students who were Habitually Truant, 2022-2023

Source: Colorado Department of Education
“Based on my observations handling truancy court cases, children are rarely truant solely because they are defiant and refuse to listen to their parents. Low socioeconomic status, parents’ lack of education, and family system issues such as domestic violence, divorce, child abuse or neglect, generational trauma, substance abuse and mental illness are some of the many factors that contribute to children being truant. Truant children appear to have a higher risk of committing a criminal offense that leads them to have cases in the juvenile delinquency or adult criminal justice system.”
MarMagistrate Katherine Barnes,
Hears truancy cases in Mesa County

Early Education

Childcare and Pre-K

A geographic area is considered a childcare desert if there are more than three children under the age of five per licensed childcare slot. District 51 offers licensed half day pre-k, which is an asset in early childhood education. However, since these slots do not meet the childcare needs of many Mesa County families, they are excluded from this childcare desert assessment.

As of April 2024, Mesa County is considered a childcare desert, with 3.5 children per childcare slot.

Many zip codes in the region rate as a childcare desert as well. Since parents need to be able to access childcare near their home or workplace, it’s important that the slots are geographically distributed where children and jobs are. While many childcare providers closed in the past four years, several large facilities operated by major local employers opened, which increased access in many parts of the county.

In summer 2024, the Clifton Community Campus opened, including 206 childcare slots. This removed the childcare desert designation from zip code 81520.

Childcare shortages remain a considerable concern in more rural areas of the county. Additionally, the childcare desert metric does not quantify the quality of the childcare available, nor does it account for child ages. For example, several local childcare providers do not have slots for infants under 12 months.

CHILDCARE DESERT BY ZIP CODE, MESA COUNTY (APRIL 2024)

Childcare Desert by Zip Code, Mesa County, April 2024. Orange areas are childcare deserts, darker orange indicates more shortage.

Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families is the Local Coordinating Organization for Universal Pre-K in Mesa County. From August 2023 to March 2024, this program invested over $4.4M in tuition credits and $1.1M in quality improvement grants into local childcare providers, including school districts, childcare centers, and childcare homes. There are 71 participating locations in Mesa County with 1,936 slots or openings for preschool aged children.

Based on local childcare rates, families who receive the standard 15 hours of Universal Pre-K tuition assistance are saving $285 a month or a total of $2,850 a year in childcare costs at the location of their choice.

Quality Child Care Access
Just 16.5% of Mesa County residents indicated that they were satisfied with the access to quality child care in the area they lived. This dropped to 5.0% for respondents earning less than $50,000 per year.
Source: Mesa County Tell Us Community Survey, 2022
“We moved to Colorado from Arizona. [Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families (PCF)] helped us find Early Intervention screening and services when our child needed some support and even connected us with local resources that help us financially with specialized medical treatment to help our granddaughter. PCF has been a great tool for us to find what we need for our preschooler.”
Travis & Andrea Schroeder
Fruita Residents

Reading and math proficiency

Between 2019 and 2023, Colorado saw a 2% decrease in CMAS scores for English language arts (ELA) and math proficiency in 3rd through 8th grade students. In contrast, Mesa County students improved their scores over this time.

Although Mesa County students remain less proficient than the state average, the gap has somewhat closed from approximately 10 percentage points in 2019 to 5 points in ELA and 3 points in math.

This trend may be a result of Mesa County’s decision to quickly reopen schools in the Fall of 2020, with appropriate COVID-19 protective measures in place. A 2023 Harvard University study showed that students in regions with a high percentage of remote days in the 2020-2021 school year experienced larger drops in proficiency.

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS PROFICIENT ON CMAS ELA TESTS

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS PROFICIENT ON CMAS ELA TESTS

Year Mesa County local district students Colorado
2019 36.0 45.8
2023 39.2 43.7
Source: Colorado Department of Education

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS PROFICIENT ON CMAS MATH TESTS

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS PROFICIENT ON CMAS MATH TESTS

Year Mesa County local district students Colorado
2019 24.4 34.7
2023 29.1 32.9
Source: Colorado Department of Education

Achievement across groups within District 51 is not evenly distributed. We do not consider students from De Beque or Plateau Valley Districts because their data is often suppressed due to small numbers in these categories.

District 51 students who do not have an IEP and are not Free and Reduced Lunch eligible score above the district average in ELA and Math. Students who have an IEP or are eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch score below the district average.

District 51 students who are white score above the district average in ELA and Math. Students who are non-Hispanic People of Color score similarly to the district average. Students who are Hispanic score below the district average.

Boys and girls score similarly in math. Girls score above average in ELA and boys score below.

CMAS scores cannot predict a student’s future. However, they can be a good benchmark for understanding a student’s progress and learning.

There are no public data sources that connect a student’s CMAS scores to more impactful outcomes such as high school graduation, post-secondary training, and adult literacy and math skills. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to assume that students who are struggling with CMAS are likely to be at risk of worse educational outcomes.

IEP & FRL

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) An IEP is a formal legal document for students with documented disabilities that explains special education instruction, supports, and services to help that student thrive.

Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) Public school children qualify for FRL benefits if their household earns less that 185% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Percent of students who met or exceeded expectations in English Language Arts and Math, 2022-2023 school year, School District 51

Category ELA Math
District Wide 39.2% 29.1%
White 43.9% 34.1%
Hispanic 25.2% 15.2%
Non-Hispanic POC 39.0% 28.7%
IEP 8.4% 8.1%
No IEP 45.2% 33.2%
Male 34.0% 30.5%
Female 44.7% 27.6%
FRL Eligible 26.4% 17.2%
Not FRL Eligible 50.1% 39.3%
Source: Colorado Department of Education

High School Completion

Mesa County’s 2023 four-year graduation rate is slightly below the state average of 83.1%. However, this rate is somewhat impacted by the option for District 51 students to extend graduation to five years while in a concurrent enrollment program with Colorado Mesa University or CMU Tech. These students do not graduate in four years, but are on-track academically.

This is reflected in the seven-year completion rate. Reviewing completion rates for students who entered high school in 2016, by 2023 all Mesa County districts had a rate comparable to or higher than the state rate. This is an important metric because people without a high school diploma have notably worse economic outcomes than people who complete high school.

Graduation rates in District 51’s four traditional high schools ranged from 83.0% to 93.0%. Alternative high schools ranged from 37.4% to 98.0%. Alternative schools in District 51 attempt to meet a range of student needs. Alternative school populations include students who excel and are seeking additional independence and challenge, students seeking alternative teaching methods, and students who struggle to thrive in their local school.

Grand Mesa HS

Plateau Valley High School’s rates are compared to the other Mesa County District rates because more than half of Plateau Valley School District’s overall high school student population is from mountain west states attending Grand Mesa High School in an effort to remediate challenges in their home schools and communities. Their completion rates are not directly comparable to those of local students.

HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION IN 4 YEARS AND 7 YEARS

HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION IN 4 YEARS AND 7 YEARS

Year De Beque 49 Plateau Valley 50 Mesa County Valley 51 Colorado
2023 4-year 80 95 81.2 83.1
7 Year Completion NA 98 89.7 89.9
Source: Colorado Department of Education

While some states saw increased dropout rates in 2020-21 school year and beyond, the trend is less clear in Colorado and in Mesa County. At Mesa County District 51, the highest dropout rate in the past five years was before the COVID-19 pandemic, dropped during the 2019-20 school year, and then climbed steadily each following school year.

7TH - 12TH GRADE DROPOUT RATE

7TH - 12TH GRADE DROPOUT RATE

Year De Beque 49 Plateau Valley 50 Mesa County Valley 51 Colorado
2018-2019 NA 1.7 2.7 2.0
2019-2020 NA NA 1.7 1.8
2020-2021 1.4 1.6 1.9 1.8
2021-2022 NA NA 2.2 2.2
2022-2023 1.4 1.0 2.2 2.1
Source: Colorado Department of Education

SAT

The SAT is a standardized test for high schoolers frequently used in college admission processes.

It is routinely administered to all public high school students in eleventh grade in Colorado. Between 2018 and 2023, students across the state saw a small drop in the average score, but Mesa County students maintained their scores.

Notably, participation dropped by about 5% statewide and 10% at District 51. There could be several explanations for this drop. Over this time, Mesa County saw an increase in absenteeism, and some students may simply not have been present. It could reflect a decrease in interest in higher education. However, it could also reflect the decrease in reliance on test scores by higher education institutions in the application process.

SAT SCORES

PARTICIPATION RATES

SAT scores and participation rates

Year De Beque 49 Plateau Valley 50 Mesa County Valley 51 Colorado
AVERAGE SAT SCORE OUT OF 1,600 2018 895 889 975 1014
AVERAGE SAT SCORE OUT OF 1,600 2023 889 882 974 990
SAT PARTICIPATION 2018 94.7% 97.4% 95.4% 91.5%
SAT PARTICIPATION 2023 78.5% 100.0% 85.0% 86.6%
Source: Colorado Department of Education

Higher Education and Training

Educational Attainment

Educational attainment is directly linked to many health and economic outcomes. Mesa County adults over age 25 are more likely to have completed high school than their state and national counterparts, but less likely to have a four year degree or higher. Mesa County has a larger percentage of residents with “some college” compared to Colorado or the U.S. “Some college” could include a technical certificate, associate’s degree, or an incomplete bachelor’s degree.

Educational Attainment (2022)

Mesa County Colorado US
Less than High School 7.7% 7.4% 10.8%
High School 28.8% 20.4% 26.4%
Some College Only 34.4% 28.4% 28.4%
Four Year Degree or Higher 30.0% 43.7% 34.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022

Rates of educational attainment vary by race and ethnicity within Mesa County. In adults over age 25, people of color are 2.5 times more likely to lack a high school diploma. High school completion is an impactful educational attainment threshold, so organizations who provide GED support need to ensure they have culturally and linguistically appropriate resources for GED seeking students.

Ethnicity and educational attainment (2022)

Ethnicity and educational attainment (2022)

White, Non-Hispanic People of Color
Less than High School 6.3% 16.4%
Some College Only 61.8% 62.5%
Four Year Degree or Higher 31.9% 21.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT (2022) 2022

Additionally, one of the most effective predictors of college success is whether a student’s parents are college educated. With a lower rate of bachelor’s degrees in communities of color in Mesa County, students of color may need additional resources, encouragement, and support to be successful in a college environment.

Among Mesa County and Colorado young adults age 18 to 24, high school completion rates increased between 2014 and 2018, then remained steady between 2018 and 2022. Mesa County young adults are less likely to have a bachelor’s degree than Colorado young adults, but between 2014 and 2018, Mesa County showed a notable increase in bachelor’s degree attainment, climbing faster than the state and beginning to close this gap. Between 2018 and 2022, both the state and Mesa County rate climbed modestly.

Tracking the whole young adult cohort masks some important gender differences for Mesa County young adults. Young women saw a steep increase in their completion rate between 2014 and 2018, and maintained the change in 2022. Young men, however, saw a very small decrease in their completion rate, and then maintained that change. While the rate of bachelor’s completion for young women steadily increased from 2014 to 2022, the rate for young men showed only a very small increase.

Age Range

Educational attainment rates for young adults age 18 to 24 should not be compared to rates for adults 25 and up. Not all young adults are of an appropriate age to have attained these levels of education. These rates are useful to compare to other young adult rates only.

Young adult educational attainment, age 18 to 24 years

Young adult educational attainment, age 18 to 24 years

Attainment Region 2014 2018 2022
Less than HS Mesa County 16.9% 14.5% 14.4%
Less than HS Colorado 14.9% 12.6% 12.1%
Bachelors + Mesa County 3.8% 6.8% 8.5%
Bachelors + Colorado 11.0% 12.1% 14.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022
CMU

Colorado Mesa University (CMU) is the largest higher education institution on the Western Slope.

In CMU surveys between 2013 and 2022, 75% of alumni indicated they live in the state of Colorado and just over 50% in Western Colorado.

Tracking the whole young adult cohort masks some important gender differences for Mesa County young adults. Young women saw a steep increase in their completion rate between 2014 and 2018, and maintained the change in 2022. Young men, however, saw a very small decrease in their completion rate, and then maintained that change.
While the rate of Bachelor’s completion for young women steadily increased over 2014-2022, the rate for young men showed only very modest increase.

YOUNG ADULT EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY GENDER

age 18 to 24 years

YOUNG ADULT EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY GENDER

age 18 to 24 years

Attainment Sex 2014 2018 2022
Less than HS Male 18.0% 19.1% 19.1%
Less than HS Female 15.8% 9.5% 9.4%
Bachelors + Male 2.9% 4.9% 5.4%
Bachelors + Female 4.8% 8.9% 11.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022

Educational Attainment Effect on Outcomes

In Mesa County, additional education increases median household income and health insurance coverage and decreases unemployment. This benefit clearly exists for completing high school or achieving a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The relationship is less clear for people who attained “some college.” This may be due to the fact that the category includes people who completed a technical certification or associate’s degree and those who invested time and money into a degree program but did not complete it. While these people would fall in the same category, they may not have the same economic opportunities.

Median Household Income by Educational Attainment, 2022, Mesa County

Education Level Median Income
Less than HS $33,631
HS Completion $41,170
Some College or Associate’s Degree $39,112
Bachelor’s Degree $51,633
Graduate or Professional Degree $67,765
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022

Unemployment Rate and Health Insurance by Educational Attainment, 2022, Mesa County

Education Level Unemployment Rate With Health Insurance
Less than HS 8.1% 77.4%
HS Completion 3.8% 80.3%
Some College or Associate’s Degree 4.8% 90.9%
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher 2.5% 90.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022
Mesa County Tell Us Community Survey, 2022
Mesa County, Mesa County Master Plan Survey, Data Request, 2022
Colorado Department of Education, Student Teacher Ratios by District, 2023-2024
Colorado Department of Education, Pupil Membership, 2018-2024
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Health Information Dataset - Live Birth Statistics, 2000-2022
Colorado Department of Local Affairs, State Demography Office, Population Resources, 2023
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, Data Request, 2021
Mesa County Valley School District 51, Panorama Student Wellness Survey, Data Request, 2023
Attendance Works, The Problem, 2023
Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, School District and Community Factors Associated with Learning Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2023
Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Colorado Licensed Child Care Facilities Report, 2023
Partnership for Children and Families, Universal Pre-K Slot Data, Data Request, 2024
Colorado Department of Education, CMAS Data and Results, 2019-2023
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: B23006, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS FOR THE POPULATION 25 TO 64 YEARS 2022
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: B27019, HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE STATUS BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2022

References

1.
Mesa County Tell Us Community Survey, 2022
2.
Mesa County, Mesa County Master Plan Survey, Data Request, 2022
3.
Colorado Department of Education, Student Teacher Ratios by District, 2023-2024
4.
Colorado Department of Education, Pupil Membership, 2018-2024
5.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Health Information Dataset - Live Birth Statistics, 2000-2022
6.
Colorado Department of Local Affairs, State Demography Office, Population Resources, 2023
7.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, Data Request, 2021
8.
Mesa County Valley School District 51, Panorama Student Wellness Survey, Data Request, 2023
9.
Attendance Works, The Problem, 2023
10.
Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, School District and Community Factors Associated with Learning Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2023
11.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Colorado Licensed Child Care Facilities Report, 2023
12.
Partnership for Children and Families, Universal Pre-K Slot Data, Data Request, 2024
13.
Colorado Department of Education, CMAS Data and Results, 2019-2023
14.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: S1501, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2022
15.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: B23006, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS FOR THE POPULATION 25 TO 64 YEARS 2022
16.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table: B27019, HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE STATUS BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2022