Future students of American Classical Academy Rutherford will begin school at a building just off I-24 in La Vergne.Leaders of the new public charter school announced Tuesday morning that 2 Ingram Boulevard in La Vergne is under contract and they’re in the process of purchasing the building.¶
“This is a very exciting step toward the opening of American Classical Academy Rutherford in the fall of 2024,” said Phillip Schwenk, head of school for American Classical Academy Rutherford. “Of all the locations we reviewed, this one offers the safest and highest quality environment for our students and the most convenience for our families.”¶
Rutherford County School Board members approved the school’s application from American Classical Education (ACE) last April. Next fall it will join Springs Empower Academy in Smyrna and Rutherford Collegiate Prep in Murfreesboro as the first public charter schools to open in Tennessee outside of the state’s four largest counties.Families interested in sending their children to American Classical Academy Rutherford can fill out an application online.“The building is in great shape and will be ready with very few renovations to serve students this fall. It has ample green space and easy parking,” said Schwenk. “It is big enough to accommodate our growth into a full-fledged K-12 school. It will be our home for a long time.”American Classical Academy Rutherford is one of two public charter schools ACE has received approval to open in Tennessee.The organization saw its applications denied by four school boards last year. The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission later granted an appeal to open a public charter school in Madison County next year, against the wishes of Jackson-Madison County School System leaders.ACE has faced widespread criticism for it’s connections to Hillsdale College and its classical education curriculum.¶
