Commissioners unanimously voted to reverse the Metro Nashville Board of Education’s June decision denying The Rock Academy’s application and upheld the board’s denial of The Forge School on a split 5-3 vote.

Students at The Forge School will begin working on career certifications as early as the sixth grade, and their academic journey will include job shadowing and internships with school partners to help prepare for a career immediately after high school or college.

The proposed sixth through 12th grade public charter school is designed to provide hands-on, real-world learning to students who are interested in careers in architecture, construction, or engineering.

In years past, district leaders in Nashville have given staff more time to review the sometimes-expansive applications by scheduling charter decisions in the July school board meeting.

All three applicants have the ability to appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission that has overturned at least one MNPS charter denial four years in a row.

The board voted down applications from the Rock Academy, the Forge School, and Rocketship Public Schools Tuesday.

The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education is scheduled to vote on applications from Forge School, the Rock Academy, and Rocketship Public Schools Tuesday night.

Five Tennessee school districts across the state received letters of intent for 17 proposed new public charter schools by last week’s deadline. Letters of intent are the first official step in next year’s new start charter application process.