Nashville school board denies five new charter applications

Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
·4 min read

The Metro Nashville Public Schools board denied five new charter school applications during its regular meeting on Tuesday, citing shortcomings in plans and standards for all five.

The Tennessee Department of Education sets the evaluation criteria, with ratings of "meets or exceeds, "partially meets" or "does not meet" its standards for schools. The MNPS team in charge of reviewing charter applications looks at the applications and related materials and rates it across four categories:

  • Academic plan and design

  • Operations plan and capacity

  • Financial plan and capacity

  • Portfolio review and performance record (when applicable)

The team, a diverse group that includes an external reviewer, then presents a summary to the board ahead of its vote to approve or deny the application.

Here's a look at what was said about each denial.

Metro Nashville Public Schools board of education gathers for a meeting on July 25, 2023.
Metro Nashville Public Schools board of education gathers for a meeting on July 25, 2023.

Nurses Middle College

Nurses Middle College proposed opening a high school with the goal of enrolling 500 students. It was not immediately clear where the school would be located. The school aimed to train future nurses and produce college- and career-ready graduates.

The school's application spurred the most conversation of the night, with two people speaking in favor of it during public comment, including director Andrea Poynter.

Several board members voiced concerns over the single pathway into health care at the school, which differs from the district's oft-lauded Academies of Nashville model. The Academies model is more flexible, board members said. It offers dozens of schools with career pathways in everything from health care to engineering, supported by hundreds of community partners. Students can change their paths during high school, if wanted.

Board member Emily Masters voiced strong opposition to the school, saying it would "cannibalize" the existing health education pathways within MNPS. Elrod also cited concerns over the school's "direct competition" with the Academies model and said it seemed unnecessary. Board vice chair Freda Player said she could not see how the school's model would mesh with the district as a whole.

"I applaud their attempt of doing something innovative," Player said.

Player ultimately voted to deny the application, along with the other board members, except for Sharon Gentry, who recused herself from the vote.

MNPS board member Emily Masters speaks during a school board meeting on July 25, 2023.
MNPS board member Emily Masters speaks during a school board meeting on July 25, 2023.

Encompass Community School

Encompass Community School applied for a charter that would teach grades K-8 within the Whites Creek and Pearl-Cohn cluster. The school aimed to enroll 468 students. Two people spoke in support of the school during the public participation portion of the meeting and were limited to two minutes each.

The review team revealed a lack in planning to enroll and maintain students in an area that already has low enrollment, curriculum that did not align with state standards and holes in its five-year financial plan, among other issues. Portfolio review and performance record was not applicable since the school would be a new startup.

The board voted unanimously to deny the application.

Nashville School of Excellence

Nashville School of Excellence proposed a school that would include grades 6-12 in the Nolensville Road area. It aimed to enroll 750 students.

MNPS board chair Rachael Anne Elrod pointed to shortcomings across all categories, and also a lack of community engagement or support for the school. Nobody spoke in support of the school during the public comment section. The review pointed to a lack of compelling STEM curriculum, an unrealistic timeline for renovating the space it would use, too few school buses for its needs and multiple budget issues, among other things. It also noted that the Memphis School of Excellence received a D letter grade from the state.

The board voted unanimously to deny the application.

LEAD Cameron Elementary School and LEAD Southeast Elementary School

LEAD Cameron Elementary School and LEAD Southeast Elementary School both proposed K-5 schools in Southeast Nashville that would operate under the existing LEAD charter operator that has other schools in Nashville. Both aimed to enroll 360 students. Two leaders from the operator spoke in favor of the new school during the meeting.

The review highlighted several deficiencies in the applications for both schools, including a lack of plans for at-risk learners, students with disabilities and English learners, insufficient space for the projected number of students, no plans for transporting students with disabilities or special needs, and other issues. The closure of LEAD Brick Church over academic and enrollment issues and financial risks was also factored into the decision.

The board voted unanimously to deny the applications for both schools.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Metro Nashville Public Schools board denies five charter applications