Three members of the Knox County Schools (KCS) Board of Education continued to work against efforts to establish a public charter school with a history of successfully serving economically disadvantaged and students of color Thursday night.
Board members John Butler, Katherine Bike, and Jennifer Owen were among those who unsuccessfully opposed the all-boys Knoxville Preparatory School’s approval last April. The school model replicates PREP Public Schools’ existing Chattanooga Preparatory School in Hamilton County that’s a Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) Level 5 school, the highest of the state’s academic growth measure.
More than 95 percent of Chattanooga Preps’ students are students of color and the school has traditionally included a majority from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Thursday night Knox Prep leaders agreed to make multiple changes to the school’s charter agreement with the district, including nearly every one requested by Bike and Owen. Those concessions didn’t appear to make a difference though.
Board members Bike and Butler abstained from voting and Owen voted against the contract that ended up receiving approval on a 5 to 1 vote.
Thursday’s vote mirrors a similar vote on the contract last month where the three were able to temporarily delay Knox Prep’s charter agreement approval on a 4 to 1 vote because multiple members of the board were absent.
None of the three members gave any indication Thursday for why they continued to withhold support for what would normally be a routine contract approval.
One requested change Knoxville Prep didn’t agree to make in the charter contract came from Bike.
The District 4 board member wanted to insert a provision in the contract that would require the school to begin financially providing supports for students with special education needs when those students are suspected of needing, them instead of when the need is later identified.
Assistant Superintendent of Student Success Jason Myers oversees the district’s special education program, and he told Bike that Knox Prep’s denial of her recommendation aligns with how schools fund students with special education needs.
“The cost that would be encumbered based on a particular special education service, doesn’t actually start until the child is identified as having that educational disability. So that is I think why that language is that way,” said Myers.
Knox Prep is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2024.
“We’re extremely thankful to the KCS board for passing the working agreement. We’re just really excited to dive into the work partnership with KCS, ensuring Knox Prep is successfully serving the students of Knox County,” said PREP Public Schools.
