Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Schools topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MNPS board denies Rocketship Tennessee No. 5 application amid concerns about prior network performance and local need
Summary
The board voted to deny Rocketship Tennessee No. 5’s K–5 application after staff raised questions about the choice of location, alignment with district capacity plans, storm‑shelter construction costs and the network’s past school performance.
The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education denied Rocketship Tennessee No. 5’s new‑start charter application following a charter office review that raised concerns about location rationale, facilities costs and the network’s recent performance history.
MNPS staff said the proposed K–5 school — planned for Antioch/Cane Ridge clusters with a capacity of 576 students — did not present a clear rationale for the chosen location given an existing Rocketship campus and other charter options nearby. Staff also told the board that the facility cost estimates relied on past construction experience and did not include the new storm shelter requirements identified in the International Building Code (IBC) section referenced in the presentation. Reviewers expressed concern about which network schools were included in the financial health review and noted that the network has had delayed openings, a closure for low enrollment and a recent nonrenewal due to academic underperformance elsewhere in the portfolio.
Member Maze moved to deny the application; Member Tyler seconded. During discussion board members pointed to district investments to add seats in the Cane Ridge/Antioch area and questioned whether opening another charter campus was necessary when the district is planning new capacity. Members also highlighted the charter review’s portfolio concerns — including a previously denied application and a school that had been nonrenewed for academic underperformance — as factors that weighed against approval. The motion to deny passed unanimously.
The decision was final for this meeting; Rocketship or other applicants may pursue other authorization routes or submit additional evidence in future application cycles. MNPS staff supplied the board with the charter review report and the rubric sections the applicant would need to improve if seeking authorization in the future.
