Enrollment
89
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 080336006821
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy — Denver, CO
Federal NCES profile for Robert F. Smith Steam Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 50
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 82
📋 Attendance 16
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 16.9:1 Colorado avg
-26% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Robert F. Smith Steam Academy reports 89 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 11.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% below the Colorado state mean of 16.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 21% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 72.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 88% above the Colorado average and 40% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 89 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 33.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C spends $19,296 per pupil district-wide, below the Colorado average of $20,949 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 70.4% from local sources (property taxes), 16.8% from the state, and 12.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Robert F. Smith Steam Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Colorado state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 26% | 16.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.3% | ▲ 88% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 89 | top 9% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
72.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 88% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
— 26% below state mean
Top 17% in Colorado — lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
33.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,296
per pupil, district-wide
— below Colorado avg of $20,949
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
Enrollment 89 Top 9% in Colorado — larger than 91% of 1,923 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 11.0
Students per teacher 12.5:1 -26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 72.3% +88% vs state
NCES ID 080336006821
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.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 89:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 33.7%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 7
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.
$19,296
Per student
-8%
vs Colorado
Avg $20,949
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
Similar high schools in Denver
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East High School
Standard public school
2,476 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Northfield High School
Standard public school
2,137 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
South High School
Standard public school
1,950 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
North High School
Standard public school
1,653 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson High School
Standard public school
1,390 students 18:1 students per teacher
George Washington High School
Standard public school
1,326 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 12.5:1, which is 26% lower than the Colorado average of 16.9:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 46/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.