Best Public Schools in Delta, CO

The city of Delta, Colorado, is served by 7 schools spanning grades K-12 within the Delta County Joint District No. 50, a district rated 4 stars and ranked in the 69th percentile statewide, with a combined enrollment of roughly 2,387 students and a predominantly low-income population. The traditional schools — Delta High School, Delta Middle School, Garnet Mesa Elementary, and Lincoln Elementary — sit alongside alternative schools like Vision Charter Academy, Grand Mesa Choice Academy, and Delta Academy of Applied Learning.

For parents, the standout success story is Delta High School, which posts a strong 93.1% graduation rate and a 0.7% dropout rate, both beating district and state averages, even though its test scores trail the state. A surprising academic outlier is Vision Charter Academy, an alternative school with 81% SAT reading/writing proficiency and very low chronic absenteeism (3.4%), though its graduation rate is just 65%. Among elementary schools, Garnet Mesa Elementary leads in math proficiency (33.2%), and Lincoln Elementary shows strong 5th-grade results despite weak early grades. The most challenged campus is Grand Mesa Choice Academy, with 66% chronic absenteeism, a 10.9% dropout rate, and a 16th percentile state rank.

Across the city, math is the biggest academic weakness, with most schools falling well below state averages; only Garnet Mesa comes close. Early elementary literacy is also a concern, especially 3rd-grade reading at both traditional elementary schools, though 5th-grade results often exceed state averages. Attendance is a clear lever: schools with lower chronic absenteeism (Vision Charter, Delta Academy, Delta High) tend to perform better. While all schools serve high-poverty populations, several still achieve above-state results in specific grades and subjects. Finally, keep in mind that small schools like Grand Mesa Choice Academy and Delta Academy have small cohorts, so their percentages can swing dramatically from year to year.