Libertas School of Memphis Makes the Case for a New High School

Libertas School of Memphis Executive Director Bob Nardo speaks to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission at a hearing. (Photo via hearing livestream)

Families from one of Memphis’ poorest neighborhoods made the case last week for a new high school.

Libertas School of Memphis currently serves elementary and middle school students in the Frayser community with a Montessori educational model. That charter school is among the two dozen across the state that are overseen by the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, and its leaders are applying to open a high school.

The commission held a public hearing on Wednesday to give school leaders and parents an opportunity to explain why the new school is needed.

Parental Support

Regenia Dowell was among the handful of supporters who spoke in favor of the proposed Libertas expansion. She’s a member of the Frayser Community PTSA, a community organization in Memphis comprised of parents, teachers, students, and other local leaders that advocates for solutions to issues facing local children.

“We are so very proud of what Libertas has done,” Dowell said. “They have sustained and moved forward, and now have added the middle school, and so I look forward to them being able to do the high school and sustaining it, because that's all important. So many people start things, but they can't sustain, and this is an apple that so many people in our community would not have had a chance to be able to bite it because it just would not be here if not for Libertas.”

Dr. Mike Ellis, pastor at Impact Church in Memphis, was another supporter to speak. He said his autistic grandson, a student at Libertas, has become more sociable since enrolling at the school and opened up more to his family.

“Before coming to Libertas, he didn’t say much, but now we can’t stop him from talking,” Ellis said.

Libertas Presentation

Libertas Executive Director Bob Nardo told commissioners that the school expansion is needed as there are no high schools with a success rate above 25 percent that are accessible to students in the Libertas community.

“Our kids deserve more than that,” Nardo said.

Nardo and Libertas staff envision the application as the culmination of their efforts to provide a “birth through adolescence” experience for the school’s students. He said they studied 20 leading high schools in Tennessee, as well as nationally, to try to learn what they’re doing well and why they’re succeeding.

Libertas would continue its Montessori educational strategy into high school if approved. Its projected first-year enrollment would include 55 ninth graders, expanding to 12th grade in its second year, with a capacity of 250 students.

Libertas is the first charter school to apply directly to the commission for expansion under a new law that allows it to bypass the local school board. Commissioners are expected to vote on the application at their April 17 meeting.