Smarty Pants Academy Inc.

Center · Denver · 3155 Elizabeth St

What kind of place is this?

Size 27 children licensed Smaller than the middle half of Denver centers, where the middle half licenses 40–113. Measured across 1,156 Denver centers, 2026-08-17.

Will it fit our family?

Not yet reported: ages served, hours, days / week, schedule, holiday closures.

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Colorado Shines Level 4
License status Active

State record — Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Last visit
December 5, 2025
On file
3 visits since February 2024 · 2 complaint investigations
Fixed?
The latest correction deadline was January 4, 2026. Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish whether it was made.
Most serious
Colorado Department of Early Childhood does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.

Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood lists each program’s complaints on its Colorado Shines page, with the department’s verdict on each and a report behind it, going back about three years. Older complaints are released only on request. The department does not rank complaints by severity in either place.

Dec 2025 Supervisory visit 1 finding

Supervisory visit · December 5, 2025

2.219.B.2 · Correction due January 4, 2026

Reviewed 2 child files and observed no documentation of health statement for 1 child.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain current documentation of health statement. Correct by 01/04/2026

State records file

Jan 2025 Supervisory visit report not read State records file
Feb 2024 Supervisory visit 6 findings

Supervisory visit · February 20, 2024

2.219.B.2 · Correction due March 20, 2024

Reviewed 2 child files and observed no current documentation of health statement for 1 child.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain current health statement for all children within 30 days of enrollment. Correct by 03/20/2024

Identified through director Tamara's statement that she drives children as part of after school care services. Reviewed 4 staff files and observed no documentation of driver training for director Tamara and no documentation of driver

2.230.B · Correction due February 20, 2024

Broken plastic fencing on the playground with sharp edges exposed, adult scissors on the desk in the office all accessible to children and posing a potential hazard.

Required correction: Immediately make all hazardous items and areas inaccessible to children. Submit documentation with written response to specialist. CORRECTED AT TIME OF INSPECTION - director moved adult scissors to the kitchen behind a locked door. Correct by 02/20/2024

2.229.C · Correction due February 20, 2024

Several bottles of cleaning solution on the half wall between the kitchen and office, a bottle of vitamins on the desk in the office all labeled 'keep out of reach of children' and accessible to children posing a potential hazard.

Required correction: Immediately make all hazardous items inaccessible to children. CORRECTED AT TIME OF INSPECTION - director moved all cleaning spray bottles to the kitchen behind a locked door making them inaccessible to children. No response required. Correct by 02/20/2024

Reviewed 4 staff files and observed expired documentation of Trails clearance letter for staff member Darla

2.121.D.5 · Correction due February 20, 2024

Reviewed 4 staff files and observed expired documentation of FBI clearance letter for staff member Darla H.

Required correction: All individuals requiring a background check must review Navigating the Background Check Investigation Unit's (BIU) Webpage powerpoint. Submit verification that staff member Darla H. has reviewed the powerpoint within 24 hours. Submit documentation of FBI Clearance Letter for staff member Darla H. with written response to Specialist. Correct by 02/20/2024

State records file

Feb 2024 Complaint 6 findings

Complaint · February 8, 2024

2.209.A · Correction due February 8, 2024

Reviewed 5 child records and observed 3 children to have expired enrollment paperwork.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain current enrollment records for all children annually. Correct by 02/08/2024

2.209.A.7 · Correction due February 8, 2024

Reviewed 5 child files and observed no documentation of current emergency medical authorization for 3 children.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain current documentation of emergency medical authorization for all enrolled children annually. Correct by 02/08/2024

2.219.B.2 · Correction due February 22, 2024

Reviewed 5 child files and observed no current documentation of health statements for 2 children.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain current documentation of health statements for all enrolled children. Correct by 02/22/2024

2.227.A.4

Identified through owner Tamara J's statement that a school aged child rode in the front seat of her personal car during a pick up of school age children from a local elementary school.

2.227.A.8 · Correction due February 8, 2024

Reviewed 5 school age child files and observed no documentation of transportation agreements for 4 children who are transported by the facility to and from their local elementary school for before and after school care at Smarty Pants Academy.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain current and complete transportation agreements for all children transported to and from school. Correct by 02/08/2024

2.227.A.2 · Correction due February 8, 2024

Reviewed 5 child files and observed no documentation of permission from parents/guardians for any transportation of children for 4 children.

Required correction: Obtain and maintain written permission from parents/guardians for transporting children. Correct by 02/08/2024

State records file

Feb 2024 Complaint Unfounded

Complaint · February 8, 2024

Unfounded

The state lists this complaint on the provider’s record and publishes an investigation report for it. Shortlist has not read that report, so this row includes no citation detail.

State records file

Where this record comes from

The Department of Early Childhood keeps about three years of complaints on a program’s public page. Anything older is released only on request, as a single file covering the whole state. Shortlist asked for that file under the Colorado Open Records Act and renews it yearly; it is what this page shows for complaints older than the department’s own window.

The file this page is built from arrived on September 1, 2026 and covers complaints the department publishes today, and complaints back to January 2023 obtained by records request. The next request goes in September 2027.

The department publishes a report for each of these visits. Shortlist has not read those reports yet, so this page shows when the state came and not what it found.

Ask for this program’s record now

The department will also review one program’s complete file on request, which is more than either source above contains. Leave your email and Shortlist will ask for Smarty Pants Academy Inc.’s file specifically, instead of waiting for the next one.

Before you tour

Smarty Pants Academy Inc. hasn’t published

Cost, hours and late pickup, a typical day, sick and biting policies.

Ask which of these findings were serious, and what changed.Colorado Department of Early Childhood publishes a correction deadline, never whether the work was done or how serious it was.

Sources and dates

Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.

What kind of place is this

Not yet reported: established, teaching approach.

Licensing and contact

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

Do you run Smarty Pants Academy Inc.? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.