The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC) had to make a difficult decision during its meeting on Tuesday morning.¶
It took nearly an hour of discussion for the Commission to reach a unanimous decision to deny Empower Memphis Career and College Prep’s emergency amendment petition to expand its operations. The petition, originally submitted in April, would have allowed Empower to serve students in grades K-5 in the 2026-2027 school year, rather than the school’s current expansion plan, which would increase enrollment by one grade each year, serving K-3 students during the 2026-2027 school year and expanding one grade level per year to eventually serve 450 K-8 students at full capacity.¶
This past year, approximately 30 students were enrolled in grades K-2, well under Empower’s goal of 100. However, as of May 28, enrollment projections for the 2026-2027 school year had increased across all grades and included fourth- and fifth-grade applicants.¶
Empower has received 139 student applications and has fully registered 61 students, exceeding its planned 120-student enrollment floor.¶
Background
Empower Memphis Career and College Prep was established through a charter agreement with the TPCSC in January 2024 but exercised its right to delay its opening until the 2025-2026 school year, in part due to difficulties finding an appropriate facility. The school opened in a space shared with another charter school in Parkway Village in August 2025. As of October 2025, TPCSC Deputy Director of Authorizing Maggie Lund said Empower was operating smoothly.¶
The school operates on three pillars:¶
- Accelerate Academic Achievement
- Foster Individuality
- Cultivate Career Mindsets
Empower prioritizes early literature education to build literacy among its students, as well as Career and Technical Education (CTE) instruction. Its mission is “to provide every child in Memphis with access to an exceptional education that prepares them for success in college, career, and life,” through “differentiated instruction, interest-based studies, leadership development, and career simulations and internships,” according to its website.¶
Though enrollment was slow in its first year, Empower’s petition to expand to K-5 beginning in August 2026 aimed to accelerate growth and increase its chances of meeting the enrollment goal of 150 students by enrolling students displaced by recent school closures in Memphis.¶
Commission Discussion
TPCSC Executive Director Tess Stovall gave a presentation to the Commission in which she recommended denying Empower’s petition due to enrollment issues and other operational challenges.¶
“While we support the school's desire to get to an enrollment level that is operationally and financially stable, I determined that accelerating to add two additional grade levels, so fourth and fifth grade, going into (the 2026-2027 school year) while also adding the third grade, would add too much pressure on an already extremely fragile school,” Stovall said.¶
Stovall emphasized that, under its current charter agreement, the school could still expand by one grade level each year until reaching its K-8 capacity.¶
Before the vote, Commission member Terence Patterson stated that the decision had nothing to do with the school’s vision or leadership, especially that of its founder and CEO, Muna Olaniyi.¶
“Let me unequivocally say that I think Muna Olaniyi is an exceptional leader, and she's got an exceptional track record at previous charter schools,” Patterson said. “But for any leader to go from 30 to even 150 (students), let alone going from 30 to 300, half of which could be tested subject areas in year two of your model, is a very heavy lift. So, this is not a question of confidence in the leadership, because Muna Olaniyi is a great leader.”¶
