The Memphis-based network behind the proposed Nashville School of Excellence (NSE) asked the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission on Friday to overturn Metro Nashville Public Schools’ (MNPS) denial of its application.¶
The school faced pointed questions about the performance of its existing schools and how closely the Nashville plan was built for Nashville.¶
The READ Foundation, which operates four Memphis School of Excellence (MSE) campuses, proposes a grades 6-12 STEM school along Nolensville Pike in Southeast Nashville. The MNPS Board voted unanimously in July to deny the amended application.¶
District Says Concerns Went Unaddressed
Shereka Roby-Grant, MNPS executive director of charter schools, said reviewers rated the academic, operations, and finance sections as only partially meeting standards in both the initial and amended applications. Reviewers flagged gaps in curriculum, family engagement, governance, facilities, transportation, and special education transportation.¶
District staff told the Commission that many deficiencies remained uncorrected, even after the applicant received a detailed breakdown of the initial review. MNPS also estimated a fiscal impact of $2.2 million in the school’s first year and nearly $9 million at full enrollment. Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mason Bellamy said the district, with enrollment flat at about 82,000 students, is “already reaching a saturation point.”¶
Track Record Under Scrutiny
Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall said publicly available data showed “mixed outcomes” across the network: two schools earned D letter grades and two earned Cs, and multiple secondary grade bands earned TVAAS Level 1, the lowest growth rating. She also noted that MSE’s 32 percent Ready Graduate rate trailed both district and state averages, and that the Memphis schools are on a corrective action plan.¶
Speaking for the governing board, network leaders said the schools have mostly earned TVAAS levels 3 to 5 over 15 years, maintain a 98 percent graduation rate, and saw their newest secondary campus graduate its first class with 100 percent graduation and college acceptance. They said the board directed Executive Director Dr. Samuel Beyhan to take corrective action, that some ACT and certification results went unreported on the state report card, and that a dual-enrollment agreement for Nashville is already signed.¶
Stovall also questioned whether Nashville families shaped the design, noting its structure appears almost identical to the Memphis schools. Leaders said they would keep what works in Memphis while adding a Nashville parent advisory council. Asked how the network decided expansion was the right strategic move, leaders said the board wants the network to grow.¶
Strong Demand
The application’s clearest strength is community demand. Founding principal Kazim Kizilkaya reported 539 family interest forms, more than 90 families ready to enroll, 46 community organizations engaged, and 37 letters of support. Leaders noted that only seven Davidson County schools hold a state STEM designation, and none are high schools. The school would offer cybersecurity, web design, and coding pathways leading to industry certificates.¶
Tabeer Taabur, president of the Tennessee Kurdish Community Council, said Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish community in America and that many immigrant and refugee families face language barriers in navigating schools. He said NSE worked to earn that community’s trust from the beginning. Marisol Garrido of the Office of the Consul General of Guatemala in Nashville said families want schools that support language and culture alongside strong academics. Other supporters included an MSE valedictorian now attending Tennessee State University.¶
Next Steps
Executive Director Stovall will issue a written recommendation before the Commission votes on Oct. 9. Written public comment is accepted until Oct. 2 at 11:30 a.m. If approved, NSE would open in fall 2027 with grades six, seven, and nine.¶
