Proposed Sale of Wooddale Middle School Building Aided by New Charter Law

Wooddale Middle School exterior

A Memphis public charter school may be among the first to benefit from legislation that lawmakers passed last year that makes it easier for charters to access vacant school property.

A key component of the legislation gives charter operators the “first right of refusal” to purchase or lease unused or underutilized school buildings. Additionally, the new law specifics that districts are responsible for completing “extensive repairs” on leased property.

These provisions are now in play as IOTA Community Schools negotiates with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to purchase the building it has leased since 2015 to operate Wooddale Middle School.

“If this facility is not sold to IOTA, the district must lease it to them,” wrote district staff in briefing documents for board members. “With a lease agreement, the district is responsible for 10-year maintenance needs.”

The school board is expected to vote next week on the proposed $2.5 million sale of the Wooddale building. If approved, the sale could save the district an estimated $7.9 million in future maintenance costs and allow IOTA to own the building before Wooddale shifts under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission next school year.

Facilities Access a Persistent Challenge for Charter Schools

Finding adequate facilities has long been one of the most significant challenges for charter operators across Tennessee.

Charter schools are free public schools operated by non-profit organizations under a “charter agreement,” typically with a school district. They don’t receive local funding like traditional public schools..

A 2023 report by the education advocacy group ExcelinEd found that state funding meets only about half of charter school facility needs. That number is expected to drop 42 percent over the next four years as more families choose public charter schools.

This funding gap disproportionately affects students of color, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as charters serve a higher percentage of those demographics. In Memphis, 95 percent of charter students are students of color. In Nashville, 58 percent of charter students come from economically disadvantaged households.

District Eyes $12 Million in Property Sales

The proposed sale of the Wooddale building is part of a broader plan by Memphis-Shelby County Schools to sell approximately $12 million in school properties. The district additionally has six properties for sale that currently have no offers.

Some of these may be donated as part of the district’s forthcoming facilities plan, which will outline new donation guidelines for unused property.

“When we do this, we’re doing it in an equitable way with fidelity,” said District 2 Board member Natalie McKinney during Tuesday’s meeting. “If we’re going to do it, we’ve got to do it in a uniform way.”