Stedman Elementary, 2940 Dexter St.

Stedman Elementary school was built in 1925 and designed by architect George L. Bettcher as part of a 10-year plan to address growing school demand after World War I. However, Stedman’s significant history lies not only in its construction as part of Denver Public Schools’ expansion or its neoclassical architecture, but for its role in the Civil Rights Movement and the Supreme Court case Keyes v. School District 1, which struck down de facto segregation in the Denver school system. In the Keyes case concerned parents sued the school system, arguing that Denver Public Schools had implemented an unconstitutional policy of racial discrimination by operating a segregated school system. As one of the schools segregated due to district practices, and located in the Park Hill neighborhood that was active on this issue, Stedman Elementary was vandalized in 1970 by a pipe bomb. After the Keyes decision Denver was required to implement busing for integration, which influenced Denver neighborhoods and schools until the late 1990s, and still today. Stedman represents the important role local schools played in the fight for social and racial justice in Denver.