Charter commission cites growth to 26 schools next year, calls facilities the main barrier

Tess Stovall, executive director of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, told the House Finance committee on Feb. 12 that the commission’s authorizing portfolio has grown steadily since taking schools from the State Board of Education in 2021. The commission currently authorizes 24 schools serving about 8,000 students and expects that to rise to roughly 26 schools and 10,000 students in school year 2026‑27 due to openings and grade expansions.

Stovall said the commission collects a 3% authorizer fee on state and local funds passed through to charter schools and is on track to cover operating expenses in FY26; the fee covered 97% of agency expenses in FY25. She said the commission is working toward full self‑sustainability but noted some funding true‑ups are pending until fiscal‑year close.

On facilities, Stovall told legislators that access to suitable and affordable facilities is the most common obstacle for new and expanding charter schools. She said the $20 million charter facilities grant in the current fiscal year is administered by the Tennessee Department of Education and does not pass through the commission, and she offered to follow up with committee members about how many commission schools received award dollars.

Members asked about authorizer decisions on replication and saturation in local markets; Stovall said the commission received one replication application (Libertas School of Memphis) under a statutory change allowing operators to apply to the commission directly and that applications ask applicants to document community demand, enrollment projections and facility planning to assess potential saturation.

Stovall said the commission retains a focus on academic outcomes and noted that a small share of schools in the portfolio received Ds or Fs; most schools earned As, Bs or Cs and several had been named reward schools.