Steele Elementary School

320 South Marion Street Parkway

School District

Denver County 1
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:17
Type

public

School Map for Denver County 1 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 22, 2024

We have been at Steele for 8 years and can attest to both the positive and negative reviews here. First hand experience, I think they are both 100% accurate and it really highlights the good and bad aspects. Academics are above average for DPS and students are well prepared to handle middle school with critical thinking skills. The PTA does an amazing job raising money to supplement the lack of DPS funding for Art, Music, PE and the recently reduced Drama programs (also surprisingly- the special Ed gets an exceptional amount of funding compared to the % of overall SPED students, so note the 5 stars there). The neighborhood demographics allow them to raise a substantial amount of money compared to other DPS schools. The community aspect can be great, likely something for everyone. The parents are probably the same at many other schools with similar demographics – a lot of SAHM with lots of time on their hands, helicopter parents, career-oriented parents etc. Lots of gossips both in and out of school (because many mothers work/volunteer so many hours at the school). I will agree with the criticisms of the principal. She really lacks the ability to communicate and handle tough situations dealing with anything from violence to racism, which are serious issues and is really disappointing. There has definitely been a lot of turnover with teachers in the last few years. I heard that is attributable to many aspects including pay, principal, and feeling heard/valued. Others have been there forever, and of the ones I've had the pleasure of knowing are amazing.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2024

We LOVE Steele! We have been at Steele for 6 years - our oldest is in 5th grade and will be there for another 6 when our youngest starts. We cannot say enough about the welcoming, supportive, engaged, and energized community. Steele staff spend a lot of time thinking about class placement, student engagement, student responsibility and student FUN! Additionally, we have met and created great community among parents, feeling so lucky to trust the places that our kids go to play, having carpool fun to sports, and enjoying each other's company even without the kids around. Steele has been able to meet each of our kids where they are, providing them with support when needed and providing them with more challenge when needed. Teachers are always so responsive and supportive - we have loved each of their teachers. Additionally, the work of the PTA creates community and supports the school with important enrichments for our kids every day. Very proud to be Steele Stallions.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2024

If you are considering choicing into this school please reconsider. I think it attracts outsiders with it’s Wash Park location but all it’s going to get you is the snooty community asking “did you choice in?” in a condescending way. There is nothing special about this DPS school. They like to boast about the money they raise to keep staff on but most classrooms do NOT have second educators anymore and drama has gone down to only being offered half the year to your student. Also, raising funds is something a lot of DPS PTA’s do in the area for their school, again nothing out of the norm. Speaking of staff, every end of year there is a list of faculty sent out letting parents know who will no longer be with us the next year. Teachers are moving on for a reason. The principal is never held accountable or present when needed. There was a safety incident last year where they wouldn’t release the kids from school at the end of the day and parents were not informed why until TWO days later. I fully regret putting my kids into this school.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2024

Steele provides a fantastic education for average and/or above average students. It could improve programs for its Gifted/Talented and kids that are behind the curve and need lots of additional help. The PTA raises a ton of $$ from parents so it has the advantage of being able to offer electives like PE, Art, Music and Theatre (although theatre has suffered during the Covid cut backs) and have para-eduators in some of the classes (mostly younger grades). Steele is almost like a "mini" private school that draws a lot of involvement and money from very wealthy Wash Park neighborhood parents. There is good and bad that comes with that. The main negative being Steele Lilly White for the most part with lots of privileged kids. Diversity is severely lacking at Steele. What sets Steele apart from other DPS schools, and is the bedrock of its success, are its amazing corps of teachers. Teachers at Steele are committed to eduation and teaching, loving, and go over and beyond!!! Simply put teachers make Steele the #2 Elementary School in DPS, end of story. The facilities are good with two playgrounds and lots of after school and before school options. Being urban drop off and pick up can be a pain but the administration has made strides in making it as smooth as possible. The PTA is strong and hosts many activities for families that want to get involved but many cost money and can be pricey. An effort has been made in the past few years to host more low cost and free activities but many are still aimed at the well to do. In all fairness to the school administration it does what it can with the monies DPS provides and has a huge advantage of the fundraising of its PTA and wealthy neighborhood. Note: DPS provides up to twice as much money per student for low income students than wealthier ones. Overall you can't go wrong sending your kiddos to Steele for a solid education (kudos to the Steele teachers) and good community experience (go PTA). Although efforts are being made, Steele could improve its G/T programs and those for struggling students, so if your kids fall in those categories make sure you visit the school and speak to Administrators about your children(s) specific needs before enrolling. Finally, a shout out to all the specials teachers for doing an amazing job of adding richness to the Elementary experience (PE, Music, Art, Library and to a lesser extent, Drama). Overall Steele gets a 4.5 out of 5.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2024

Steele is the best!! The community is warm, welcoming, and actively engaged. The teaching is top-notch—they reach all levels of student needs through GT, SPED, intervention, and ELD programming. They’re also committed to making learning fun and prioritize specials programming, such as drama, PE, art, and music. The before/after school program with Mr Jeremy (Discovery Link) is also amazing, which is a huge help to working parents. The absolute best part about Steele is the culture/community…everyone pitches in and it’s a happy place. We moved from out of state and my kids were nervous to start at a new school. Those fears were put to rest after day one. They are extremely happy and learning a ton. I can’t recommend this school enough.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2023

We had two kids attend Steele from Kindergarten through 5th grade. The staff actively engaged our kids in learning. As a family, we felt supported and we loved being a part of the Steele community. This school has art, drama, music, and PE!
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2023

Nothing but wonderful things to say about this school. Our oldest is in 4th and has been at Steele since kindergarten. Blown away every year by the teacher quality and experience. Outstanding specials program as well- including drama! Dedicated school leadership and staff go above and beyond and are always responsive to questions and concerns. -W.I.
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2023

We have had two children go through Steele (our youngest will be a 5th grader next year), and it is a truly excellent elementary school. I have spent 20+ years working in the education sector (research, policy & practice), and in that time I have seen A LOT of schools and classrooms. So when I say that the quality of instruction, the classroom communities and the overall school community at Steele is among the best I have seen, know that it means something! My children have had truly outstanding teachers at Steele and have had many amazing enriching opportunities in and out of the classroom. More than just ensuring students learn core academic skills (which they do), Steele teachers and leaders are also deeply invested in helping students develop as thoughtful, engaged citizens of their communities. This shows up over and over again in lessons, class projects, and in schoolwide activities. As a parent, I have felt connected to my children's educational experiences and have appreciated the intentional ways Steele works to build community and engage families. I truly (and again, this comes from a lot of relevant professional experience) believe Steele is among the very best elementary schools not just in DPS but in the larger metro area (and including private education).
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2022

While I still feel this is the best DPS school close to us, overall I do not like it. There’s zero diversity. My child is surrounded by privileged white kids who leave school early on Fridays to go to their mountain houses. Being around the parents make me feel like I’m surrounded by toxic middle school cliques. While I understand Covid had an impact on staffing, NONE of my child’s previous teachers still work there. DPS learning standards are so low that my child is bored at school and the staff is not responsive to the boredom. Discipline to bullies is not a thing, they slap their “steele code” on the kid and call it a day. If my child wasn’t attached to her friends we’d be gone.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2022

Our son started at Steele in challenging 2020 — remote learning with a kindergartener was not easy but we feel like the school did the very best they could! The kindergarten teachers came to our homes to meet the students in person, held socially distanced story time at the park, etc. When we were able to return in person, our kiddo felt like he was already known and loved.Now that things are more normal this year for 1st grade, he has really thrived! He is in GT, enjoys the after school enrichment activities that are offered and talks about things like empathy and integrity. Principal Marti Rosenberg is very communicative and there is a big focus on community. We feel so grateful for the amazing PTA who help to provide 2nd teachers in the classrooms and full time specials (including weekly drama classes)! So far our experience has been nothing but positive and the teachers/staff we’ve interacted with have been awesome!
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2016

Steele is a great school and we have been very impressed. Our daughter has attended 1st through 4th (her current) grade. Strengths: 1) GREAT Principal in Kevin Greeley - he is responsive, makes helpful changes, and very engaged. 2) By-and-large a really good roster of primary teachers and it gets better every year as turnover occurs. 3) Incredibly engaged parent body that does a good job with fund raising and special events. 4) Fantastic location and classic (and cool) building near Washington Park (the school often uses the park in the fall and spring for things like 'field day.')Weaknesses: 1) A handful of 'specials' teachers could be better. 2) The school is not overly diverse (but this has more to do with it being in demand as a neighborhood school in a generally white and affluent neighborhood).A couple other thoughts: it seems like the two consistent negative comments you read here are: diversity and students with special needs (either highly talented or those with special concerns). I've already spoken to the diversity issue and with regards to HG&T and special needs all I can say is that the school really tries hard to accommodate all kids. Without overstating my position, it seems that one consistent critique of most schools is "this school just doesn't know how to deal with my little Jimmy or Jane because (really) s/he is just misunderstood." In my experience (I teach and work in higher ed) when parents comment in this way about K-12 school (or a college) the problem is (most often) their kid NOT the school. I'm not saying that is the case with all the comments on this board, but I am explicitly stating that this is often the case with people who have a gripe.Steele is not perfect but a truly outstanding '10' school that we have been really happy with. We highly recommend and commend it.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2014

I've watched the school only improve since our new principal came on board. The staff knows all the children really well and what their needs are. They strive to support all kids at all levels. It's been great. My only complaint is that they combined the K/1 classes. I don't think that first graders and kindergarteners should share a classroom, at least for the first part of the year. Still, they made sure that my kids were learning and having fun. The support from the community makes it a very special school.
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2014

We had our child enrolled at a well regarded private school but Steele contacted us a little over a week prior to the start date to let us know they had a spot for our child. We had to forefeit one full year of tuition to opt with Steele which we ended up doing and have been pleased. There is a high degree of parental involvement and much success with fund-raiding which means the kids have access to amenities they might not otherwise (including a second teacher in every room). As is the case with any environment, there are flaws. But my child now has an enthusiasm for learning that she never had in several years of pre-school and every day she looks forward to school. Worth it at any price.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2013

We have choiced this school 2 years ago for my 2 boys. I've never been pleased before like I was when they were at Steele. I am very sorry that we had to leave the school because we moved to another district. Teachers are very friendly, they welcome each parent as if they have known you for years, very responsive to parent's questions. Very friendly environment. We loved the British classrooms, it has been very helpful for my kids. Really for us it was a super school.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2013

the school has lack of diversity and poor special education services. we live here but have tried to choice out for a couple of years running. the school is great for the average kid but lacks creativity in helping the child that lands outside of the box to thrive.