Chattanooga Prep celebrates first graduating class

Chattanooga Prep students celebrating their graduation last month (Photo by Chattanooga Prep)

Seven years ago, a group of sixth-grade boys walked through the doors of Chattanooga Preparatory School for the very first time. Last month, they returned—this time as young men, donning caps and gowns—as the school’s first-ever graduating class and participants in Chattanooga Prep’s inaugural Commitment Day.

“Vision is the ability to see the unseen, and that is exactly what this school’s founders did when they first opened the doors at Chatt Prep seven years ago,” said Troy Kemp, CEO of Prep Public Schools. “More than an excellent school, Chatt Prep is a place of hope for every boy in our community who wants to achieve success with significance. This is a place that elevates our community one scholar at a time.”

Chattanooga Prep is in an urban neighborhood and was established to serve students often impacted by poverty. Out of its 367 students, 97 percent are minorities, and 65 percent come from low-income families.

What sets Chattanooga Prep apart from other schools in Hamilton County is its combination of an all-boys environment with the flexibility of a public charter school model under charter operator PREP Public Schools. Charter schools are free public schools operated by a non-profit entity under a “charter” with a school district or the state. The approach allows the school to tailor curriculum, staffing, and scheduling to meet the specific needs of its students while maintaining rigorous academic and operational standards.

Chattanooga Prep’s first class in 2018 (above) and 2025 (below) (Photo by Chattanooga Prep)

School leaders say the model fosters a nurturing atmosphere where boys from underserved backgrounds can thrive academically and personally, leading to the recent designation from the state as a Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVASS) Level 5 school, the highest recognition academic growth.

One success story leaders highlight is Chattanooga Prep’s student participation in extracurricular activities. While only 17 percent of Tennessee students participate in after-school programs, 87 percent of Chattanooga Prep’s student body engage in enrichment activities. A recent study published in the Excellence in Education Journal found that students involved in extracurriculars have a mean GPA of 3.456—a full point higher than the 2.578 average GPA of non-participants.

That additionally plays a part in another achievement school leaders are proud of.

Every single Chatt Prep senior has been accepted into at least one college or university, and collectively, they have earned over $2.5 million in scholarships. On Commitment Day, each senior signed an agreement formalizing their next steps—whether in higher education, employment, or military service—marking a tangible commitment to their futures.

At last month’s graduation, Valedictorian, Colin Richardson, reflected on the challenges his class overcame to reach its higher education and life goals, paving the path for future students at Chattanooga Prep to follow.

“Whether it was a global pandemic or the threat of not graduating, I’ve watched all of you fight for yourselves and face everything head-on,” said Richardson. “Together, we have matured—both inside and outside of the classroom. That is progression.”

Last year PREP Public Schools expanded Chatt Prep’s model outside of Chattanooga by opening Knox Prep to young men in Knoxville.