Nashville’s newest public charter school, The Rock Academy, is set to open next fall as Tennessee’s first “opportunity charter school,” a model dedicated to re-engaging at-risk youth who have faced significant barriers to education.

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted Friday to deny four Memphis charter school proposals, including two new schools and two currently operating under the state-run Achievement School District.

Tennessee’s public charter schools face an estimated $1,500 per-pupil facilities funding gap compared to traditional public schools, according to new data from the Tennessee Charter School Center (TCSC).