Since opening its doors for the 2015-16 school year, LEAD Neely’s Bend Middle School has garnered support from many parents in the Madison area who say the charter school’s approach to education has been beneficial for their children’s academic growth.

In the coming weeks, leaders of more than a dozen public charter schools will make the case for why their school’s charter should be renewed for another ten-year term. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency like a school district or the state.

This year, five authorizing agencies including school board members with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Hamilton County Schools, Knox County Schools, along with members of the state-run Tennessee Public Charter School Commission will make those decisions for thirteen charter schools.

LEAD Public Schools announced LEAD Neely’s Bend will be the first public charter school in Nashville to exit the state-run Achievement School District (ASD) and move under the authority of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.The ASD is a school system in Tennessee created to provide academic intervention for the state’s lowest performing schools. LEAD Neely’s Bend qualified to move out of the ASD through improved academic performance during the 2021-22 school year.