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Tennessee Public Charter School Commission upholds denials for four Memphis-area charter applications
Summary
At its Oct. 17 meeting the commission heard NewStart appeals for DreamCatchers, Still I Rise, Kirby Middle and Hillcrest High and voted to uphold the local board or executive director recommendations not to authorize new charter terms or to deny the applications, citing gaps in academic plans, governance, finance and enrollment evidence.
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission on Oct. 17 heard four NewStart appeals from Memphis-area applicants and voted to uphold denials or decline new charter terms, citing persistent gaps in academic plans, governance inconsistencies and weak evidence of sustainable enrollment and implementation.
Executive Director Tess Stovall recommended denial for each application after reviewing the commission’s record and the Tennessee Department of Education rubric. Stovall told commissioners, "there were far too many gaps that need to be addressed" and concluded for each applicant that the record did not meet the standards for approval.
The meeting began with DreamCatchers Charter School. Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) urged the commission to uphold the local board’s denial, saying the application lacked sufficient evidence of academic, operational and financial capacity. In a written statement read into the record, the DreamCatchers applicant said the school would serve students experiencing or at risk of homelessness, highlighted a state pre-approval for a $750,000 startup grant and called the denial "a textbook case of systemic inequality and a miscarriage of justice." Stovall recommended denying the application, citing an unclear K–12 Montessori implementation plan, weak plans for special populations, governance inconsistencies and inadequate facility and financial detail. Commissioner Eddie Smith moved to uphold the denial; the roll call produced six Ayes and the commission adopted the resolution to uphold the local board’s decision.
The commission then heard Still I Rise Academy, an applicant that had received CSP pre-approval. MSCS again recommended upholding denial; Stovall recommended denial under the Opportunity School statutory requirements, saying the applicant’s academic model and supports for special populations lacked sufficient clarity and evidence. Commissioners discussed that Department of Education CSP pre-approval does not equal meeting the commission’s rubric; Commissioner Griscom noted different rubrics and several commissioners pressed the distinction between CSP pre-approval and commission authorization. The commission voted to uphold the denial, 6–0.
Next the commission considered two schools operated by Iota Community Schools that are transitioning from the Achievement School District: Kirby Middle School (Hickory Hill) and Hillcrest High School (Whitehaven). Stovall recommended denying a new 10-year charter term for Kirby, citing chronic low academic performance (the record shows a commission composite score of 1 in recent years), unrealistic enrollment projections and insufficient evidence that the operator would produce the necessary academic gains, even as she acknowledged strong operations and financial systems. Commissioners described the decision as difficult because denial would return the school to Memphis Shelby County Schools control; nevertheless the motion to uphold the denial passed on a 6–0 roll call.
For Hillcrest High, Stovall said the academic case was likewise inadequate: a sustained composite score of 1, proficiency rates in some subjects under 5 percent, and a graduation rate reported at 68.4 percent, below the resident district average. Commissioners debated the student disruption that could follow a nonrenewal, whether district transition plans were adequate and whether district transfer patterns (sending proficient students to nearby Whitehaven) were distorting Hillcrest’s data — a concern raised by Chair Richards and others. The commission adopted the resolution to uphold the denial, 5–1, with Chair Richards recorded as the lone No vote.
Votes at a glance: The commission adopted four resolutions to uphold denials or decline new 10-year charter terms for DreamCatchers Charter School (upheld, 6–0), Still I Rise Academy (upheld, 6–0), Kirby Middle School (upheld, 6–0) and Hillcrest High School (upheld, 5–1).
The commission called on Memphis Shelby County Schools to assist with transitions where students may be affected, and several commissioners urged the district and community partners to plan wind-down or transfer strategies aimed at minimizing disruption for students nearing graduation. Chair Richards closed the meeting by thanking staff and commissioners and noting the next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2026.
