The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission unanimously approved Nashville Collegiate Prep’s request to continue providing students its community classroom model into high school.
The K-8 public charter school organizes each grade into a pod of 4 to 5 classes. Throughout the day students switch teachers within the pod based on their specific needs and strengths, providing teachers an opportunity to more directly focus lessons on the areas students might need help in.
Before the vote, Nashville Collegiate Prep Principal Teresa Brown told commissioners the expansion into high school grades will allow the school’s families the opportunity to be part of a complete K-12 system. She brought a group of the school’s students with her to show support for the request.
“We come from all different nationalities, races, religions, and backgrounds but when we all come together, we’re all lions,” said Brown. “You’re providing an opportunity for these students to attend a full comprehensive high school in a small setting, where they are more than just a number. Without this opportunity these students are destined to go to an overcrowded, two-thousand student, F rated high school all because of the zip code they live in.”
Commissioners also approved Nashville Collegiate Prep’s request to increase enrollment capacity to 1,892 students.
The commission denied a similar expansion appeal from school leaders last October but Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall said the new request showed Nashville Collegiate Prep has incorporated feedback from the denial to improve the proposal.
“Specifically, the amendment petition shifts its focus to serving the school’s current seventh grade students with a ninth grade opening in school year 2025-26. The application also includes evidence of community support and is grounded in meeting the needs of NCP’s current families all the while meeting community demand for an alternative high-quality option at the high school level,” wrote Stovall in her recommendation to approve the request.
Commissioner Eddie Smith echoed Stovall’s observation, calling the change Nashville Collegiate Prep has undergone remarkable and going from “hoping” to “planning.”
“I think it’s a tell of what’s possible with the right leadership,” said Smith. “I can’t imagine why when we have parents looking for an opportunity, we have a school willing to expand to serve the needs of kids in a specific area, why we would not encourage that. Especially considering the level of expectations that are now being set for that school.”
Rutherford Collegiate Prep
The commission also unanimously approved an appeal to increase the enrollment capacity for the upcoming K-8 sister school in Rutherford County. Rutherford Collegiate Prep’s capacity will now rise from 770 to 965 students.
Operators ReThink Forward and the Noble Education Initiative received more than a thousand applications for the school, with all but one grade level reaching capacity. The public charter school will be located in the Blackman-Stewarts Creek school zone which is experiencing population growth.
“It is with this amendment petition that they view the ability to really help and support families in Rutherford County by having the additional students and hopefully alleviating some of the overcrowding that is taking place down in Rutherford County,” said Commission Director of Authorizing Beth Figueroa. “For new schools we are typically – I don’t want to say concerned – but their ability to fill seats is always something we are very cognizant and aware of, it’s something we talk with we all of our schools during pre-opening and just based on the momentum and support they’ve received thus far, there is confidence that they will open fully enrolled in the fall.”
The school plans to open August 2024 starting with grades K-6 and will grow one grade level per year until the school reaches grades K-8.
