Enrollment
89
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Denver, CO
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy
Federal NCES profile for Robert F. Smith Steam Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080336006821
👥 S:T ratio 68
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 82
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Colorado schools.
- #10 of 45
- high schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.1:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 72.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert F. Smith Steam Academy ranks #10 of 45 high schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336006821 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert F. Smith Steam Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy is a higher-need, small high school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 89 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.1:1, Robert F. Smith Steam Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of Colorado schools and 51% under the state's 16.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 72.3% of students qualify for free meals, 88% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Colorado schools, with 89 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 29 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #10.
Its student body is led by African American (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 48/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 89 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Robert F. Smith Steam Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Robert F. Smith Steam Academy compares
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.1:1 | ▼ 51% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.3% | ▲ 88% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 89 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.1:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
89
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.1:1
students per teacher
- 51% below state mean
Top 4% in Colorado - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,336
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 89 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 69.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.5%
Two or More 13.5%
Asian 2.2%
White 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 69.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.7, Robert F. Smith Steam Academy is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Robert F. Smith Steam Academy.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Robert F. Smith Steam Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert F. Smith Steam Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~89 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert F. Smith Steam Academy's federal record.
- Compare Robert F. Smith Steam Academy against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Robert F. Smith Steam Academy
How many students attend Robert F. Smith Steam Academy?
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy has 89 students enrolled. It is a high school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy is 8.1:1, which is 51% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 48% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy?
72.3% of students at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert F. Smith Steam Academy?
The largest demographic group at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy is African American at 69.7% of enrollment, in Denver, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert F. Smith Steam Academy?
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Robert F. Smith Steam Academy rank among high schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert F. Smith Steam Academy ranks #10 of 45 high schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Robert F. Smith Steam Academy a good school?
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Colorado schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Robert F. Smith Steam Academy, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.