The closure comes as DPS confronts a broader enrollment decline that has strained its finances. District-wide enrollment is down 1,700 students compared with last year, according to figures previously reported. Officials attribute the drop to declining birth rates and families leaving the city, trends that have left the district facing a $28 million structural deficit over the next five years.

"We have a balanced budget now, and we're not predicting that we'll have an unbalanced budget in three years," said Chuck Carpenter, the district's chief financial officer. "We're saying we need to make adjustments over the next three, four years, so that our budgets are balanced."

The Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and math, had been seen as a promising addition to the district's portfolio when it opened. But its rapid enrollment collapse—from a full student body to just two dozen—made it unsustainable, district leaders said.

The closure highlights the difficult choices facing urban school systems across the country as they balance shrinking student populations with the need to maintain quality programs and fiscal stability. For Denver families, the decision means one fewer option in a district already navigating significant demographic shifts.

The district has not yet announced specific plans for the school's remaining students or staff. The vote finalizes a process that began with the superintendent's recommendation and culminates in the school's closure at the end of the current academic year.