State Charter Commission Overturns Metro Nashville School Board in Knowledge Academy Appeal

Knowledge Academy students graduating (Photo by Knowledge Academy at the Crossings)

On a 6-2 vote last week, the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted to grant Knowledge Academy at the Crossing’s appeal for a renewal of its charter agreement. The decision will keep the 5-12 grade public charter school open for at least the next five years in South Davidson County.

The school’s future had been in jeopardy since last month when the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education voted unanimously against renewing Knowledge Academy’s charter, citing a failure to meet performance and student growth goals. Charter schools are free public schools operated by a non-profit organization under a “charter” with a school district or the state.

The Noble Education Initiative, which runs the school, appealed the board’s decision to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, arguing that the school has shown significant improvement. This includes nearly doubling the overall student success rate over the last three years and nearly tripling the success rate of English learners during that time.

“We are grateful for the Commission’s thoughtful review and for their confidence in our school,” said school leaders in a statement to the Tennessee Firefly following Friday’s decision. “This five-year renewal validates the hard work of our students, families, educators, and board members, and it reinforces our mission to ensure every student has access to a high-quality public education.”

Five-Year Renewal

In the past, commissioners could renew charter schools only for 10-year terms, but commissioners opted to take advantage of a state law passed last year that provides greater flexibility.

Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall recommended a five-year renewal rather than a ten-year renewal, citing concerns about the school’s 38 percent chronic absenteeism rate and 36 percent student attrition rate at Friday’s hearing.

“I believe that while a full ten-year renewal is not merited at this time, I also recommend and believe that a total denial of renewal of the school would be contrary to the best interests of the students and the community, given the school’s recent academic progress,” said Stovall.

The new state law does not allow local school districts to renew charters for a five-year term. MNPS Executive Director of Charter Schools Shereka Roby-Grant argued that the disparity in renewal options was unfair to school districts like hers.

“Approving this alternate proposal would create an inequitable, inconsistent application of renewal authority, which undermines the principles of fairness of charter authorization across the state of Tennessee,” said Roby-Grant. “Given the documented, ongoing academic concerns and lack of quality future planning deficiencies, this alternative should not be considered an appropriate or an acceptable remedy.”

Commission Questions MNPS Fairness

Commissioner Eddie Smith responded to Roby-Grant by questioning the fairness of MNPS’ charter renewal process. Smith said he believes the district used a different process for reviewing Knowledge Academy’s finances than it has in the past.

He also noted that the school outperforms comparable district-run schools in the area.

“How is that fair to the kids to put them into a school that is performing worse than the one they’re in now?” asked Smith.

Commission Chair Chris Richards and Lauren Smith were the lone votes against renewal. Richards expressed concerns about proposed changes to Knowledge Academy’s model for middle school students, while Smith pointed to ongoing challenges with students.

“I am just very troubled by chronic absenteeism, attrition, and some enrollment trends. Those are kind of the three things that I’m particularly concerned about.”

Under the new agreement, Knowledge Academy at the Crossings will have an enrollment cap of 700 students. Approximately 400 students currently attend the school.

History of Growth and Consolidation

Knowledge Academy opened its first middle school in Nashville in 2012, followed by a high school in 2015, and the Knowledge Academy at the Crossings middle school in 2016. All three schools operated on the same campus.

MNPS board members voted against renewing the charter operator’s initial middle school in 2022 and then declined to consider a proposal to consolidate all three schools under Knowledge Academy at the Crossing’s charter.

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission approved the consolidation plan two months later, and the school has served grades 5-12 since.