Members of the Rutherford County School Board unanimously rejected what could be the district’s fourth public charter school Thursday but not without offering a gleam of hope for its supporters.¶
Rutherford County Schools Board of Education Chair Claire Maxwell (Photo by Rutherford County School)¶
The board provided more than a dozen stipulations for leaders of Novus SMART Academy (K-8) to address if they choose to file an amended application. Board Vice Chair Claire Maxwell made it a point to say she believes the proposed school has real potential, if those stipulations are addressed.¶
“I met with them and was very very impressed with them,” said Maxwell. “I think they may be able to shore up their deficiencies and my hope is that they can because I really was impressed with them.”¶
The proposed public charter school would eventually serve 990 K -8 students at full capacity in La Vergne and Smyrna. School founders are proposing utilizing a co-teaching model in literacy and math along with a Science, Math, Arts/Electives, Research, and Technology (SMART) focus. The board’s stipulations for reconsideration include nine suggestions for the school’s academic plan, including the co-teacher model.¶
