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School district · Colorado · LEAID 0804350

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 sits in the lowest third of Colorado districts on estimated teacher pay at $60,634 (above only 40% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$60,634
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$16,646
Per-pupil spending
20,762
Students enrolled
40th
Pct. in CO
$60,634

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 sits in the lowest third of Colorado districts on estimated teacher pay at $60,634 (above only 40% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $60,634, below the national average of $70,245, serving 20,762 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 sits in the lowest third of Colorado districts on estimated teacher pay at $60,634 (above only 40% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 40th percentile for Colorado
  • 38th percentile nationally
  • 26% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Colorado ranks #28 of 49 on the salary estimate and #19 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 ranks #83 of 138 Colorado districts by estimated teacher salary and #96 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Crowley County School District No. Re-1-J pay #1 at $105,729 is not Julesburg School District No. Re1 spending #1 at $59,313 per pupil
  • +18.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Colorado median

Among 181 Colorado districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's instructional payroll puts 16.2% into special education , 8.0 points above the state median of 8.2%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Colorado peer.

Program Mesa County CO median Gap
Regular program 77.6% 79.6% -2.0 pp
Special education 16.2% 8.2% +8.0 pp
Vocational programs 2.6% 5.8% -3.2 pp
Other programs 3.6% 4.1% -0.5 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 181 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0804350 · FY2023.

LEAID 0804350 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Mesa County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -6% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P40 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P38 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-LARGE 20.8K students INSTR-LOW 26% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Lewis-Palmer FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $60,634 estimated average teacher salary · P40 in Colorado · P38 nationally · 26% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Lewis-Palmer ($190est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Mesa County

Salary neighbourhood · Mesa County

Mesa County sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Mesa County

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$60,634 38th percentile higher than 38% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Mesa County in Colorado's lower-third pay band

Same 138 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 ranks #83 of 138 Colorado districts by estimated teacher salary and #96 of 138 by per-pupil spending. Crowley County School District No. Re-1-J pay #1 at $105,729 is not Julesburg School District No. Re1 spending #1 at $59,313 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Julesburg School District No. Re1 leads spending at $59,313 per pupil; Crowley County School District No. Re-1-J leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +18.1% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Colorado's statewide +25.5% by 7.4 points, a growth rate faster than 39% of the 168 Colorado districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 22,082 to 20,762 students (6.0% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.

Colorado sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$60,634.079

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Colorado price level
101.9 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$59,529

-2% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Colorado sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Colorado compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

What the Numbers Say About Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 is a mid-sized school district in Colorado, serving 20,762 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,646. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $60,634, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0804350 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Colorado statewide average of $64,442, teacher pay in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 runs materially below the state benchmark, a 5.9% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (13.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Colorado, it pays more than 40% of them. Colorado itself ranks #28 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 reports $345.6M in total expenditure against $329.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 26% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $60.9M, special-education teacher pay is $12.7M.

How does Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Colorado average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 $60,634
School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C $84,963
Colorado avg $64,442
National avg $70,245

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 pays -28.6% less than School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C · per-pupil $16,646 vs $22,623

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Colorado districts

On pay, Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 sits closest to Lewis-Palmer Consolidated School District No. 38 in the co; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Poudre School District R-1. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Lewis-Palmer Consolidated School District No. 38 in the co
  2. Harrison School District No. 2 in the county of El Paso an
  3. El Paso County Colorado School District 49
  4. Weld County Reorganized School District No. Re-4
  5. Pueblo School District No. 60 in the county of Pueblo and
  6. Durango School District No. 9-R
  7. School District 27J
  8. Pueblo County School District 70
  9. School District No. 3 in the county of El Paso and State of
  10. Montrose County School District Re-1J
  11. Academy School District No. 20 in the county of El Paso an
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Poudre School District R-1
  2. Adams 12 Five Star Schools
  3. Jefferson County School District No. R-1
  4. School District No. 3 in the county of El Paso and State of
  5. St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1J
  6. Mapleton School District No. 1 in the county of Adams & St
  7. Colorado Springs School District No. 11 in the county of E
  8. School District 27J
  9. Fountain School District No. 8 in the county of El Paso an
  10. Thompson School District R-2J
  11. Pueblo County School District 70

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts with similar lower pay

Two out-of-state peer sets for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51: closest on enrollment (20,762 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($60,634 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$329.4M
Total Revenue
$345.6M
Total Expenditure
$90.9M
Instruction Salaries
26% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$60.9M
Regular Program
$12.7M
Special Education
$2.1M
Vocational
$2.8M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Colorado Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Colorado districts belongs to Aspen School District No. 1 in the county of Pitkin and Sta at $101,390. Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 places 67 of 93 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. On BEA's price parity Colorado sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Rhode Island and Virginia are its nearest price peers.

View all Colorado districts →

Other Colorado Districts

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this Colorado sample (including Mesa County). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Woodland Park School District No. Re-2
$62,892
2,010 students
Weld County School District No. Re-2
$58,551
1,977 students
School District No. Re-1 Valley
$67,027
1,972 students
Weld County Reorganized School District No. Re-1
$59,701
1,837 students
Archuleta County School District No. 50 Jt
$61,611
1,678 students
Aspen School District No. 1 in the county of Pitkin and Sta
$101,390
1,572 students

This is a sample of 6 from 140 Colorado districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
What is the average teacher salary in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?

The average teacher salary in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 is $60,634 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 teacher pay compare to the Colorado average?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 pays 5.9% less than the Colorado state average of $64,442. The district's average is $60,634.

How does Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 teacher pay compare to the national average?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 pays 13.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $60,634.

What is the per-pupil spending in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 spends approximately $16,646 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 26% of Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's total expenditure of $345.6M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Mesa County Valley School District No. 51's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.