Tennessee could see as many as 17 new public charter schools next year

State EducationMemphisNashvilleKnoxvilleMiddle TennesseeWest Tennessee
Written By Sky Arnold

Children in a classroom (Photo by Novus SMART)

Tennessee school districts could see as many as 17 new public charter schools next year.

That’s how many letters of intent potential charter operators sent to five schools districts across the state by the December 3 deadline.  Letters of intent are the first official step in next year’s new start charter application process. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency like a school district or the state.

Last year school districts received 21 letters of intent but only 9 of those proposed charter schools actually submitted an application. This year’s crop of potential schools includes two that school board members previously rejected, BluePrint College & Career Preparatory and Novus SMART Academy (K-8).

Dr. Alexis Gwin-Miller (Photo by Memphis Merit Academy)

The Memphis-Shelby County School Board voted down BluePrint College & Career Preparatory in May and school leaders opted not to file an amended application. In an interview with the Tennessee Firefly earlier this year, founder Dr. Alexis Gwin-Miller said she designed Blueprint to help Memphis students like she was, escape the cycle of poverty.

“In Memphis, there’s a whole lot of really nice, educated people, but reality is they live at or below the poverty line. So, in Memphis the generational cycle of poverty has stayed for so long that even the people that go and get educated, they’re not maximizing their earning potential,” said Gwin-Miller. 

The Rutherford County Schools Board of Education voted down Novus SMART Academy in July because of financial concerns and the proposed school failed to receive approval on appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. Novus SMART would provide students a co-teaching model that puts two teachers in each classroom with a Science, Math, Arts/Electives, Research, and Technology (SMART) focus.

“Novus SMART Academy is aligned to Rutherford County Schools’ strategic priority to provide early interventions that address scholars’ academic needs and support the whole child. We see an opportunity to provide high quality academic instruction and to remain a partner in this community,” said Novus CEO and founder Jeremy Sager at a public hearing on the proposed school in September.

First “Opportunity Charters” proposed

The letters of intent filed this year also include the first proposals to create “Opportunity Public Charter Schools” under legislation approved earlier this year. These schools are designed to serve students in grades 6-12 who are at-risk because they’ve either dropped out, faced criminal chargers, have been retained at least twice, or are more than a year behind academically.

Former Smithson Craighead Academy Principal Dr. Ahmed White is leading the effort to establish the Rock Academy as Nashville’s first Opportunity Public Charter School.  Memphis-Shelby County Schools received an letters of intent from Legacy Day Academy to establish the first Opportunity Public Charter School in that district.

Existing charter operators KIPP Memphis and Rocketship also submitted letters of intent to apply for new charters.

The full list of proposed schools that have submitted letters of intent includes:

Hamilton County Schools

  • Little Kings & Queens Charter Academy

  • Tennessee Wildflower Public Charter School

Jackson-Madison County School System

  • Jackson Museum School

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

  • The Scholar Institute

  • Memphis Elites STEAM Academy

  • Blueprint College and Career Prep

  • Dream Catchers Charter School

  • Still I Rise Academy

  • Memphis at Work Charter School

  • Stellar University Charter School

  • KIPP Memphis Creative and Performing Arts Elementary School

  • Legacy Day Academy

Metro Nashville Public Schools

  • The Rock Academy

  • Rocketship TN 5

  • The Forge School

Rutherford County Schools

  • Novus SMART Academy (K-8)

  • Rocketship Rutherford Elementary (TN 4)

Charter operators that submitted letters of intent have until February 1, 2025 to submit their official charter applications.

Sky Arnold

Sky serves as the Managing Editor of the Tennessee Fireflly. He’s a veteran television journalist with two decades of experience covering news in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Tennessee where he covered government for Fox 17 News in Nashville and WBBJ in Jackson. He’s a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a big supporter of the Oklahoma Sooners.

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