This article was originally published in Chalkbeat Colorado.
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. But five years after opening, the school has just 24 students and could close at the end of this school year.
Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero is recommending an operational closure, according to letters sent to families and staff. Denver schools are funded per student, and an operational closure is when a school’s enrollment is so low that it’s financially unsustainable…