Snapshot of key findings demonstrating the need for GVGA

Mesa County, home to approximately 161,000 residents in 2024, includes a significant school-age population, with roughly 15% between the ages of 5 and 18. During the 2024–2025 school year, 19,900 students were enrolled across 45 schools in Mesa County Valley School District 51. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education highlights key indicators of student need: 53.2% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, 16.2% receive special education services, 4.4% are English learners, 3.4% have Section 504 plans, 2.5% are experiencing homelessness, and 0.4% are classified as migrant students. Chronic absenteeism reached 35.2% in 2023–2024—substantially higher than the state average of 27.7%—reflecting significant barriers to consistent engagement.

In addition, the broader state data indicates that 11% of Colorado’s children have experienced three or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—a figure that likely parallels or exceeds that within Mesa County, where contributing factors such as economic instability, family stress, and limited access to care are well documented in the local Community Health Needs Assessment.

This population faces layered, compounding challenges that demand more than traditional academic instruction. It calls for an environment where social-emotional development, trauma-informed care, and individualized support are seamlessly integrated into education—a need that GVGA is uniquely designed to meet. 

Disciplinary trends further underscore the challenges faced by students. Although student enrollment declined from 20,408 in 2020 to 19,370 in 2022, the percentage of students disciplined increased from 7.43% in 2020 and 7.21% in 2021 to 9.13% in 2022. Notably, 88–90% of disciplinary actions during this period were for code of conduct violations, suggesting a pattern of punitive responses to behavioral needs that may be better addressed through supportive, student-centered approaches.

1. Rising Discipline Rates, Limited Behavioral Supports, and Equity Issues

Rising Discipline Rates and Inadequate Behavioral Supports

• Enrollment Decline vs. Discipline Increase
  From 2020 to 2022, D51’s student enrollment dropped from 20,408 to 19,370, yet discipline rates rose from 7.43% to 9.13%.
• Nature of Disciplinary Actions
  Approximately 88–90% of disciplinary actions were for code of conduct violations—most often expressions of emotional dysregulation or unmet needs, not violent behavior.
• 2023–2024 Disciplinary Data
  • 1,063 out-of-school suspensions
  • 1,048 in-school suspensions
  • 66 expulsions

D51 currently employs 3.7 mental health professionals per 1,000  students—equivalent to 1 professional per 270 students, well below nationally recommended ratios.

 ➔ This shortage limits proactive behavioral support and early intervention, increasing the risk of academic failure, behavioral escalation, and justice system involvement.

Equity Issues and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

• Gender Disparities in Discipline
  • In 2023–2024, male students were disciplined 3.13 times more often than female students.

• Racial and Ethnic Disparities
  • Black students are suspended 3–5 times more often than white peers statewide.
  • In D51, disciplinary incidents per 1,000 students across racial groups show significant overrepresentation of minority students compared to enrollment.

• Students with Disabilities
  • Nationwide, they represent 30%–60% of incarcerated youth.
  • In D51, individuals with disabilities face significantly higher rates of disciplinary action than general education peers: 15.7% vs. 1.2% for in-school suspensions, 23.2% vs. 1.0% for out-of-school suspensions, and 0.4% vs. 0.1% for expulsions. 
  • These rates also exceed the state averages for individuals with disabilities, which were 7.6% (in-school), 11.1% (out-of-school), and 0.5% (expulsion). This data highlights a disproportionate impact of exclusionary discipline practices on students with disabilities in District 51, suggesting a need for targeted intervention, increased behavioral support services, and systemic efforts to ensure equitable and inclusive disciplinary practices. 

Disciplinary policies like those outlined in D51's Policy JIC: Student Conduct tend to rely on punitive responses rather than supportive intervention—particularly troubling in a district where mental health staffing is grossly inadequate:

• The overuse of suspensions and expulsions is a well-documented contributor to the      school-to-prison pipeline and disproportionately affects the very populations GVGA is committed to supporting. 
• The charts below display disciplinary incidents—including in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, and expulsions—as a percentage of enrolled students across educational groups in District 51 and statewide for the 2023–2024 school year. 

1. D51’s rising discipline rates amid declining enrollment highlight systemic behavioral support gaps.

• Males, students of color, and students with disabilities are disproportionately affected by exclusionary disciplinary practices.
• These patterns directly contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline—a cycle GVGA is committed to disrupting by offering inclusive, trauma-informed, whole-child education.

Urgent Need:
Expanded behavioral support services, early intervention frameworks, and equitable, restorative disciplinary practices are necessary to ensure fairness, dignity, and success for all students.

2. Chronic Absenteeism

• 35.2% of D51 students were chronically absent in 2023–2024—significantly higher than the Colorado state average of 27.7%.
• Chronic absenteeism often reflects barriers such as unstable housing, unmet mental health  needs, lack of transportation, and disengagement—challenges GVGA seeks to directly address by creating a relevant, relationship-centered, and  flexible learning environment.

America’s Health Rankings. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences in Colorado. United Health Foundation. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/health-of-women-and-children/measure/ACEs/state/CO

Colorado Children's Campaign. (2018). More than half of Colorado children experience at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). https://www.coloradokids.org/more-than-half-of-colorado-children-experience-at-least-one-adverse-childhood-experience

Colorado Department of Education. (2024). Student enrollment and demographic data: 2024–2025 school year. https://www.cde.state.co.us

Colorado Department of Education. (2024). District discipline and attendance reports: 2020–2024. https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/disciplineincidents

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (n.d.). Behavioral health and ACEs. CO Health Data. https://cohealthdata.dphe.state.co.us

FPG Child Development Institute. (2006). Early childhood higher education: 2006 national report. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-and-policy-briefs/NPC_National_Report_2006.pdf

Gewertz, C. (2007, May 16). Teacher colleges urged to pay heed to child development. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teacher-colleges-urged-to-pay-heed-to-child-development/2007/05

KUNC. (2024, October 3). Colorado schools are issuing more out-of-school suspensions. Here's why that’s troubling — and how to address it [Podcast episode]. KUNC In the NoCo. 

https://www.kunc.org/podcast/inthenoco/2024-10-03/colorado-schools-are-issuing-more-out-of-school-suspensions-heres-why-thats-troubling-and-how-to-address-it

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Professional preparation standards. https://www.naeyc.org

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Mesa County Valley School District 51: District detail. U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?ID2=0804350&Search=2

National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Explore the data. U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov

National Survey of Children’s Health. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences: Children age 0–17 who have experienced two or more ACEs. Health Resources and Services Administration. https://www.nschdata.org

ProPublica. (n.d.). Miseducation: Mesa County Valley School District 51. https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/district/0804350

ProPublica. (n.d.). Miseducation: School district data. https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation