Denver Public Schools plans to close Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, a small high school modeled after historically Black colleges, after just five years of operation. The school currently serves 24 students and could shut down at the end of this school year, according to district recommendations. The vision for Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy was to provide as many as 500 Denver students with an education modeled after historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Financial Struggles and Closure
Superintendent Alex Marrero has recommended an operational closure, citing financial unsustainability due to low enrollment. Denver schools are funded per student, making small enrollments untenable. District officials initially stated that operational closures do not require school board approval, but later corrected that the board must vote on Marrero’s recommendation, though the timing remains unclear. The school’s challenges reflect a broader trend in Denver, where student enrollment has declined by 1,780 this fall, exceeding district expectations. Marrero has warned that additional closures are likely as enrollment continues to drop statewide.
Founding and Early Challenges
The school was founded in 2019 after Black parents and coaches advocated for better schools in far northeast Denver following a district-commissioned report detailing systemic inequities for Black students. The school board ordered the district to help strengthen the application for an HBCU-style school, despite concerns about declining enrollment. The school opened in 2021 with a goal of 125 students but enrolled only 78 due to incorrect address listings on the district’s school choice website.
Early challenges included inadequate facilities. The school initially shared a former office building lacking a kitchen, auditorium, or sports fields—amenities promised to students and founders. Former student Jessie Matthews told the school board in 2022, “The ninth grade biology classes have to come into the 10th grade chemistry room to do experiments because the biology class is the size of a prison cell.”
Relocation and Declining Enrollment
In 2022, the school moved to a former elementary school, aiming to facilitate growth. However, enrollment dropped to 44 students by 2023. The relocation also shifted the school out of its targeted northeast Denver community, further hampering recruitment. This year, ninth grade was eliminated after fewer than 20 freshmen applied. The school’s lack of a boundary means students must self-select, limiting its reach in a district grappling with overall enrollment declines.
Founder Brandon Pryor, a parent and district critic, was banned from school grounds in 2022 for misconduct toward staff. A judge later ordered the ban lifted, and Pryor sued the district. The school also experienced leadership changes and tensions between founders and district officials.
Leadership and Community Response
Parent Chelsey Moore, whose son is a senior, expressed disappointment in how families found out about the proposed closure. She learned of the decision through a vague meeting announcement, with most parents unaware until the day before the closure was confirmed. Moore said her son, who transferred after his previous school closed for low enrollment, found a “magical standalone safe space” at Robert F. Smith. “They’re not just closing schools. They’re not just making economic choices,” Moore said. “They’re changing the trajectory and futures for students.”
