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Denver school board votes to close Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy

Chalkbeat reports a 4–2 vote to close the high school at the end of the school year; the academy has 24 students enrolled during the current year.

By Mira Vale

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Our story: Unrated
1 outlet we read: no clear direction
A backpack and books on a desk in an imagined school hallway, lit by warm sunlight.
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The numbers

Reported vote on closing Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy
4–2 board vote
November 12, 2026 · Chalkbeat Colorado
Reported enrollment at the academy
24 students
Current school year as reported November 2026 · Chalkbeat Colorado

Denver’s school board voted 4–2 on November 12 to close Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy at the end of the school year, Chalkbeat reported.

The high school, modeled on historically Black colleges and universities, has 24 students enrolled this year, according to Chalkbeat’s Melanie Asmar.

Board Vice President Monica Hunter and member John Youngquist voted against the closure, Chalkbeat reported. Hunter asked about postponing the vote until an agreement on teacher concessions could be finalized. Superintendent Alex Marrero said the district had finished negotiating, according to the report.

District officials told Chalkbeat that the school had become financially unsustainable. Denver funds its schools per student, the outlet reported.

In a September 2 letter to families, Principal Fernando M. Branch said the academy had earned a GREEN rating on that year’s School Performance Framework.

Chalkbeat reported that Marrero said the two sides had verbally agreed on a payment to teachers and that the district had rejected other requests.

What we don't know yet

  • Where will students who need to continue high school enroll after the academy closes?
  • What final written arrangements will apply to the school’s teachers?

Timeline

  1. Principal Fernando M. Branch told families that the academy had earned a GREEN School Performance Framework rating.

  2. Chalkbeat reported the Denver school board’s 4–2 vote to close the academy at the end of the school year.

Source we read

1 outlet. We did not compare this source with other coverage.

Each block is one source in this list.

Sources cited

  1. HBCU-style Denver high school Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy to close after split board voteChalkbeat Colorado · No clear direction · Editorial record
  2. Celebrating a Historic Achievement at Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy!Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy / Denver Public Schools · Sep 2, 2026 · Primary source

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