{
  "id": 15086870,
  "title": "Denver to close Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, a tiny HBCU-style high school, after 6 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/denver-to-close-robert-f-smith-steam-academy-a-tiny-hbcu-style-high",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-17T00:53:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Chalkbeat",
    "slug": "chalkbeat",
    "url": "https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/10/17/robert-f-smith-steam-academy-to-close-due-to-low-enrollment-of-24-students/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, a tiny Denver high school modeled after historically Black colleges, is set to close after six years due to low enrollment. The school, which aimed to serve up to 500 students, now only has 24 students and will cease operations at the end of the current academic year. Superintendent Alex Marrero recommended the closure, stating that the school's enrollment was financially unsustainable. Unlike most closures, this one does not require approval from the elected school board. The academy struggled to attract students, with its enrollment decreasing from 78 in 2021 to just 24 by the end of the most recent school year. The school faced unique challenges, including a lack of a fixed boundary, multiple relocations, and leadership changes. Founders of the school, primarily Black parents and sports coaches, advocated for better schools in far northeast Denver after a district-commissioned report highlighted the underserving of Black students. Despite these efforts, the school faced enrollment difficulties and closed at the end of the 2023 school year.",
  "summary": "Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. 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…",
  "key_points": [
    "Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy to close after 6 years",
    "School enrollment decreased from 78 in 2021 to 24",
    "Closure recommended by Superintendent Alex Marrero"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Chalkbeat",
        "title": "Denver superintendent says he is not recommending any school boundary changes this year",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/denver-superintendent-says-he-is-not-recommending-any-school-boundary",
        "published": "2026-10-16T21:00:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}