Charter school purchases Parkway Village shopping center
A Memphis-based charter school operator has cleared the way for a new school campus in Parkway Village by purchasing retail space that once housed a Kroger and various small stores.
Memphis Merit Academy Charter School is expected to open its new campus in the 4000 block of American Way by fall 2024. The charter school currently teaches students in kindergarten through fourth grade, and plans to add a fifth grade section by fall 2023.
The school will occupy the former Kroger space, and smaller storefronts in the adjoining shopping plaza will be leased to companies and organizations that cater to student needs, according to a release from Memphis Merit Academy.
Lakenna Booker, the head of school and founder, grew up in Parkway Village. The purchase of the retail properties, she said, goes beyond a simple facilities acquisition.
"It is the beginning of hope in a community where things are so bleak," Booker said in a statement. "I know firsthand the challenges families face, having grown up in this part of Memphis. It brings me immense joy to lead an organization that is helping transform economic development in the neighborhood."
The school launched in 2019 and will keep adding grades until kindergarten through eighth grade education is offered. It is the only charter school in Parkway Village.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal who covers issues tied to access and equity. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Merit Academy Charter new campus Parkway Village old Kroger
