American Classical Education Charter Schools Resubmits Applications In Madison And Maury Counties

Local school boards will approve or deny the resubmitted applications later this month.

Image Credit: americanclassicalschools.com

By Adam Friedman [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –

American Classical Education resubmitted amended applications in two of four counties that denied it earlier this year. 

School boards in Madison and Maury counties have until July 28 to review American Classical Education’s latest revision to its charter school applications. 

The Maury County School board will vote on the new applications at July 18 meeting. While school officials with the Jackson-Madison County School System said, its board would hold a special-called meeting before the July deadline to deny or approve the resubmitted application. 

The network applied at the start of the year to open charter schools in Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson and Rutherford counties. The Rutherford school board was the only one of the five to approve the school’s application in the first round.

It’s the second year in a row the conservative college’s charter schools are trying to open in Tennessee. 

Last year, local school boards denied all three applications. The charter network initially appealed those denials to the state charter commission before backing out in the final days. 

Since last year, American Classical regrouped, hiring Chris Burger from Rotunda Public Affairs to run its communications strategy and added former Somerville Republican state Sen. Dolores Gresham to its board. 

American Classical also sought more local support, adding county commissioners and other residents from the counties where they applied this year. 

After the first denial, the charter school process allows America Classical to resubmit an amended application at the local school board level. If the school board denies the charter again, it can appeal to Tennessee Charter Commission. 

The charter commission consists of nine members, all appointed by Governor Lee. 

*Note: This article was edited for length and style by The Tennessee Conservative per The Tennessee Lookout’s republishing guidelines.