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Tony Smith, the deputy superintendent of Denver Public Schools, will leave his post as the second-in-command of Colorado’s largest school district to take a superintendent job in Oregon.
The Beaverton School District announced Tuesday that its school board had chosen Smith to be the district’s next superintendent. Smith will stay in Denver through the end of this school year and start in Beaverton on July 1, according to announcements from both districts.
Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero wrote in a letter to staff Wednesday that, “While we are sad to see him depart, this appointment is a testament to Dr. Smith’s exceptional vision, dedication and the impact he’s made here in Denver Public Schools.”
Smith, who holds a doctorate from the University of Denver, was a principal and principal supervisor in DPS before becoming the district’s chief of equity and eventually the deputy superintendent under Marrero. Notably, Smith was principal of Montbello High School when it was closed in 2010 for low performance and deputy superintendent when it reopened in 2022. Smith also previously worked for the KIPP charter school network in Texas.
The Beaverton district is smaller than Denver, with 37,000 students compared to Denver’s 89,000. But the two districts face similar challenges, including declining enrollment, potential funding cuts, and responding to the possibility of immigration enforcement activity near schools.
Marrero said DPS will begin the search process for a new deputy superintendent “in the coming weeks and months” and pledged to keep the community updated on the progress.
Marrero’s name had been leaked late last year as a finalist for the job of Chicago Public Schools’ next CEO. But a DPS spokesperson said last week that Marrero is not a candidate.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
