Hamilton County board rejects Empowerment Academy charter application after review finds major gaps

The Hamilton County Schools Board of Education voted in a roll-call vote to deny the initial charter application submitted by Empowerment Academy of East Tennessee, citing widespread weaknesses across the proposal.

A district review team told board members that the application for a K–5, single‑gender (all‑boys) school lacked measurable goals and a coherent academic model. The review summary concluded that the instructional plan, assessment systems and supports for special populations were underdeveloped and that stated goals were “broad and not measurable.” The team also flagged an apparent governance conflict — the proposed charter‑management organization’s CEO was listed as a voting board member — and said there was no clear timeline to resolve that conflict.

The review raised financial and operational concerns: the team reported gaps in the proposed budget and noted missing or underfunded line items (transportation, benefits, technology, insurance), inconsistencies between the budget and the staffing plan, and little evidence of accounting controls and audit procedures. The presentation said the proposal’s staffing plan and facility plan were insufficiently detailed, and that the proposed teacher salary of $45,000 raised concerns about the applicant’s ability to recruit qualified staff.

Board members asked questions and discussed the review’s findings before a motion was made to deny the application. The motion passed on a roll-call vote of board members present; the district announced the vote at the meeting and the motion was recorded as carried.

The district’s review materials — as summarized at the meeting — said the application did not meet the standards set forth in Tennessee law governing charter approvals and that the review team lacked confidence that the proposed operator could open and sustain a high‑quality school under the plan submitted. The board did not approve the application; the district will retain the review record and the applicant may revise and reapply according to local and state procedures.

What’s next: the board did not set an immediate next date for reconsideration. Administration said review materials were available in the packet and online resources and that applicants typically can address review concerns before resubmitting under established timelines.