Total Charter Conversion Of 2 East Nashville Schools May Come A Year Early

NASHVILLE, TN — Two East Nashville schools would be completely turned over to charter operators a year earlier than planned under a proposal from MNPS Director Shawn Joseph.

Currently, MNPS operates third- and fourth-grades at Kirkpatrick Enhanced Option and seventh- and eighth-grades at Neely's Bend Middle Prep, with KIPP Nashville and LEAD Public Schools running the rest of the grades. Under Joseph's plan, outlined in a memo to school board members last month, MNPS would operate one grade in the 2017-18 school year, turning over the schools entirely to the charters for 2018-19. Originally, the charter phase-in wasn't to be complete until 2019-20.

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A Metro Schools spokesperson told The Tennessean operating the single grade will cost the district roughly $1 million and that 160 families would be effected by the change. Neely's Bend families would be rezoned for Madison Middle Prep, while Kirkpatrick families would be rezoned to Warner Enhanced Option Elementary.

School board member Christiane Buggs said Kirkpatrick families in the district-run grades told her "they feel like guests" and that district teachers at Neely's Bend dislike the structure.

Buggs was not on the board when the initial phase-in plans were approved and she said she'd be hesitant to approve similar plans in the future.

I don't want to say I'd completely oppose it, but as I stand right now, I do," Buggs said, according to The Tennessean. "I want to do what's best for kids, and with the phase-in model, it's hard to have two schools in one building."

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