Five Tennessee school districts across the state received letters of intent for 17 proposed new public charter schools by last week’s deadline. Letters of intent are the first official step in next year’s new start charter application process.

Tennessee Public Charter School Commission overturns Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education to approve two new public charter schools.

Supporters of three proposed new public charter schools in Nashville are receiving support from the Executive Director of the state board tasked with deciding their future. Tennessee Public Charter School Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall released written recommendations this week supporting the appeals from Nurses Middle College, LEAD Southeast Elementary, and Encompass Community School.

Following the Rutherford County Schools Board of Education’s recent decision to deny Novus SMART Academy’s application to become the fourth charter school in the district, supporters and educators from the charter school have taken their appeal to the state.

Last month school board members in Nashville and Rutherford County voted down six proposed new public charter schools.Next month supporters from all of them will make their case to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission for why the decision was the wrong one.

Members of the Rutherford County School Board voted 4 to 3 Wednesday night to reject what would’ve been the county’s fourth public charter school. Financial concerns ended up playing a bigger role in the close decision against Novus SMART Academy (K-8) than academics.

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.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.