MNPS board renews six charters, approves KIPP rezoning; Strive renewal wins on 6–2 vote

The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education voted to renew six charter schools and approved a rezoning plan tied to a KIPP charter renewal during its January meeting, board leaders said.

Dr. Sharika Roby Grant, who leads the district’s charter office, presented review-team findings for Valor Voyager, Rocketship United, STEM Prep High School, Explore Community School, Strive Collegiate, and KIPP Academy Nashville Elementary at Kirkpatrick. The charter office used Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) rubric guidance, assessing academic success, operational stability, financial health and future planning, and recommended renewal for all six applicants.

“Sections within the renewal application include the following: academic success, operational stability, financial health, and future planning,” Dr. Sharika Roby Grant said during the presentation. She reminded the board that state law requires each charter renewal application to be considered and voted on separately.

Why it matters: Charter renewals shape school options for families and determine which organizations will run district-authorized schools for the next contract term. The board’s renewals come with commitments from the charter office to intensify monitoring and to use progressive-intervention procedures where performance or operational deficiencies appear.

Board action and debate: Vice Chair Nabata McKinney made motions to approve each renewal; several motions were seconded by Member Mayes and passed with either unanimous consent or recorded tallies. Rocketship United, Valor Voyager, STEM Prep High, and Explore Community School were approved without extended debate. Strive Collegiate’s renewal prompted the most sustained discussion: Member Tyler raised concerns about achievement gaps, rising chronic absenteeism (from about 8% to 26% according to the charter office summary), and student attrition. The board discussed the district’s progressive-intervention policy from July 2023 — a multi-step process that can include notices of concern, performance improvement plans, probation, and, if necessary, revocation.

Member Tyler said the purpose of charter law is to close achievement gaps and said Strive’s mixed outcomes and attendance trends made a yes vote difficult. Despite those concerns, the motion to renew Strive Collegiate passed 6–2.

KIPP Academy at Kirkpatrick’s renewal included a specific attendance-zone change. Under the approved plan, KIPP will operate as a K–4 optional school beginning 2025–26, adding a grade each year and completing the rezoning by the 2029–30 school year; families in the area will retain access to other optional schools and zone choices. The charter office said KIPP has been responsive to corrective plans and will be subject to intensified monitoring.

Public comment tied to renewals: Dozens of parents, teachers and alumni addressed the board during public participation in support of individual renewal applications. Tagmira Steele, director of schools for Rocketship Tennessee, asked the board to approve Rocketship United’s renewal, saying Rocketship supports talent development and teacher pipeline strategies. “Rocketship believes in building the strengths and capacity of everyone in our school community,” Steele said. Benjamin Harp, principal of Rocketship United, said the school’s diversity and family engagement were central to its results. Several alumni and parents testified to how charter schools changed individual life trajectories and urged approval.

Next steps and oversight: Board members said the charter office will continue to monitor renewed schools using the progressive intervention framework and may escalate actions if deficiencies persist. The board noted that if the district denies a renewal in the future, the charter operator may appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.