District overview
Delta County Joint District No. 50
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
Who runs Delta County schools, and how are they paid for?
Delta County School District 50J serves Delta, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford in Delta County, Colorado, with about 3,600 students. Colorado pays districts mainly through a per-student formula and local property taxes, and the district has been held harmless from funding drops. Voters approved a bond that is paying for building projects including the new Paonia K-8. The district also runs the Technical College of the Rockies and Vision Charter Academy. A five-member board elected by district area adopts the budget, approves policies and hires the superintendent.
Funding
The 2026-27 general fund is $58.4 million, nearly flat, while the building fund falls $9.2 million as bond projects finish.
Enrollment
As of August 21, 2026, enrollment was 3,604 students, 11.5 fewer than the year before but above projections.
Leadership
Amber Clark became superintendent in July 2026 after Caryn Gibson retired. Board president is Beth Suppes; Sheldon Kier, Adena Kreutz, Franchesca Esplin (appointed May 2026) and James Creasey (appointed Aug 2026) are members.
Meetings
Regular meetings are usually the fourth Thursday at 6 p.m. at the district office in Delta, with special meetings, work sessions and policy review meetings between.
Posted records are agendas and minutes, with several minutes posted as scanned images; some figures come only from meeting summaries.
Where the district stands
Major projects
Paonia K-8 school construction and district HVAC upgrades
Under construction; last project in the current bond programA general contractor was selected in December 2025 for Paonia K-8, the last school in the current bond projects. Construction was scheduled to begin the week of May 18, 2026, and a supplemental BEST grant supports district-wide HVAC upgrades.
- General contractor selected
- Planned construction start
- Supplemental BEST grant resolution approved
- Ribbon cutting event listed on the board postings page
Funding
bond projects plus state BEST grants, including an $813,000 supplemental grant
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Built from the board's agendas and minutes on the district website (Nov 2025 to Nov 2026) and the October 22, 2026 board meeting recording.
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