27-02-2025
Rutherford County Schools seek community input on 2 more charter school applications
Rutherford County Schools wants the public to provide input about two charter school applications to start by 2026-27.
Both applications show serving primarily children from neighborhoods in La Vergne and Smyrna:
Novus SMART Academy, which is applying again after state officials rejected the previous application appeal;
Rockship TN 4, a place holder name by the applicant, Rocketship Public Schools.
A Rutherford County Schools charter school review committee will examine both applications and make a report to Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan and then to the Board of Education, district spokesman James Evans said.
"Those applications are available online, and we are currently conducting a community input survey, which is also online," Evans said.
The applicants hope to join three existing public charter schools that opened this school year in Rutherford County: Rutherford Collegiate Prep in west Murfreesboro; Springs Empower Academy in central Smyrna; American Classical Academy in central La Vergne.
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If the board rejects an application, organizers of the charter school can appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.
The commissioners voted 4-3 January 2022 to accept the application of Rutherford Collegiate Prep after the local school board unanimously rejected the application.
The majority of the elected Rutherford school board previously approved the application for Springs Empower Academy July `8, 2022. The board on the same date rejected the initial application American Classical Academy.
The county school board with new elected members approved the new application of American Classical Academy April 25, 2023.
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Novus SMART Academy organizers seek to build a K-8 school for 864 students. Year one would open for 192 children in grades K-1. By year five, the school would reach 576 students in grades K-5, according to the application.
The application shows that Novus SMART Academy would focus instruction on "SMART-integrated Curricula Framework," according to the 475-page application.
"Our curriculum framework includes science, math, arts, research and technology, designed in alignment with the Smart Schools principles for good education, developed by David Perkins and colleagues at Harvard Project Zero," the application said.
The application also touts teaching students about college and career exploration, character education and "structured English immersion" for English language learners.
The application shows Jeremy Sager of the Antioch community on the southeast side of Nashville serving as the Novus SMer Academy principal and executive director.
The Novus SMART Acadamy board members include two Rutherford County residents: Charles Frazier, an attorney from La Vergne; and Celest Davis, a Smyrna resident who's a credentialing specialist for DaVita Healthcare.
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Rocketship TN 4 organizers seeks to build a K-5 school serving 600 students. The school would start with 250 children in grades K-4, according to the application.
"The mission of Rocketship Public Schools is to catalyze transformative change in low-income communities," the application said.
Change will come through "a scalable and sustainable public-school model" that propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community," the Rocketship Schools application added.
"At Rocketship Public Schools, we believe in the infinite possibility of human potential. Webelieve that every student deserves the right to dream, discover and develop their unique potential, andthat it is our responsibility and privilege to support every Rocketeer we serve to achieve their vision is to create a world with 'equal access to opportunity for all.''
The Rocketship Public Schools application lists Daimon Hardy of Nashville as the chief of staff. He and three other Nashville residents serve on the charter school design team, the 1,075-page application shows.
American Classical Academy: Charter school public hearing speaker slots limited, all went to supporters before state officials
Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@ To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rutherford County Schools to review 2 more charter school applications
