Denver to close Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, a tiny HBCU-style high school, after 6 years

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero is recommending the operational closure of Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy due to low enrollment, with only 24 students currently attending. The school, which was envisioned to provide an education modeled after historically Black colleges, is set to close at the end of the current school year. This decision, communicated to families and staff this week, is considered an operational closure due to financial unsustainability and does not require approval from the elected school board. The closure is indicative of a broader pattern of increasing small schools and decreasing enrollment within Denver Public Schools.