More than Half of LEAD Cameron’s Students Don’t Speak English as a First Language. Chancellor Patricia Head Moskai Just Cleared a Plan to Send Them to a Lower-Performing School

Exterior of LEAD Cameron and Chancellor Moskai (Photos by Sky Arnold and the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts)

Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal issued an order Thursday that clears Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) to move forward with a controversial school rezoning plan for South Nashville and Antioch.

The plan will remove LEAD Cameron as the zoned middle school for students from John B. Whitsitt, Glenview, and Fall-Hamilton elementary schools to feed into. Those children will now be zoned for Margaret Allen Middle School in Antioch.

Unlike most public charter schools that have open-enrollment policies, LEAD Cameron has operated under a unique agreement with the district for more than a decade that allows it to serve as the zoned school for students who live nearby. Charter schools are free public schools operated by a non-profit organization, such as LEAD Public Schools, under a charter issued by a school district or the state.

According to data on the state’s School Report Card, students at LEAD Cameron outperformed Margaret Allen Middle School in every subject on state testing, with proficiency rates 5 percent higher in English language arts, 12 percent higher in math, and roughly 8 percent higher in both science and social studies. LEAD Cameron also received a higher School Letter Grade than Margaret Allen.

Both schools serve high percentages of students of color (93 percent for LEAD Cameron and 87 percent for Margaret Allen) and English language learners (61 percent for LEAD Cameron and 58 percent for Margaret Allen).

Decision and Legal Challenge

MNPS Board of Education members initially approved the zoning change in 2024, claiming the plan was more convenient for families. District leaders also argued the language in the school’s new charter doesn’t include the “zoned designation” that its prior agreement had.

LEAD Public Schools challenged the rezoning plan in court and, in February, won a temporary halt to its implementation for the 2025-26 school year.

Chancellor Moskal’s order effectively removes that injunction for the 2026-27 school year. That means existing LEAD Cameron families and those with children entering middle school will need to go through the district’s optional schools application process, which begins January 20, 2026.

Reasoning Behind the Order

Moskal issued her ruling by siding with one of the district’s arguments. The chancellor wrote that she believes LEAD’s lawsuit is unlikely to prevail because LEAD Cameron’s 2021 charter agreement with MNPS doesn’t use the term “zoned school” and includes an enrollment limit. Zoned schools do not have enrollment limits.

“LEAD Cameron’s continued operation as a zoned school from 2021 until 2024 and Metro’s acquiescence does not constitute a waiver of the 2021 Charter Agreement’s terms, and the parties’ prior course of dealings cannot be relied on to supplement, explain, or construe the 2021 Charter Agreement,” wrote Moskal.

MNPS Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle released a statement Friday, applauding the decision and its impact on the district’s ReimaginED initiative.

“This ruling affirms that MNPS acted within its authority and in the best interest of students,” said Dr. Adrienne Battle, Superintendent of Nashville Public Schools. “We are grateful the court recognized our full compliance with the prior order and cleared the way for us to implement a plan that strengthens access, alignment, and opportunities for our students and families.”

Next Steps

Chancellor Moskal’s ruling is a setback for LEAD Public Schools, but it doesn’t completely end the charter operator’s challenge. Both sides will attend a hearing next Friday on the case, and the lawsuit itself has a trial set for March. LEAD Public Schools would also have the ability to appeal Moskal’s final decision in the case.

The charter operator has argued that removing LEAD Cameron’s zoned school designation and forcing families to apply to attend the school will be an unnecessary burden for those who don’t speak English as a first language.

LEAD has also argued that the rezoning plan harms students by sending them to a lower-performing school.

“LEAD Public Schools is very disappointed by the MNPS board’s decision to rezone LEAD Cameron students to Margaret Allen Middle in what appears to be a maneuver to boost enrollment at an underperforming school. High-quality public schools are important for all communities, and this rezoning plan will move students from the best middle school option in their area to a priority school,” said LEAD Public Schools in a statement after filing its lawsuit in 2024.