The Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education hasn’t approved a new public charter school since members voted in Aventura Community School in 2021 on a 5-3 vote.

Last year LEAD Public Schools turned to one of Metro-Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) most successful principals to head up the public charter school operator’s goal of expanding to become a true K-12 network.LEAD hired then Warner Arts Magnet Elementary Principal Dr. Ricki Gibbs as its new head of elementary schools. Gibbs gained attention in the district for transforming Warner from a low performing school to a Reward School in 2022 and earned the title of MNPS Elementary Principal of the Year in 2020.

Last school year three groups of Nashville elementary school students who were all performing below grade level, took part in a unique pilot program for mastery-based instruction.The mastery-based approach utilized by participants in the Encompass Community School program is designed to ensure students receive the instruction they need when they need it and for as long as they need it, instead of a traditional approach that uses a predetermined schedule.