Katie Smythe knows that Memphis’s most famous celebrity will loom large over her school even once the renovations are complete.
“It helps put (the school) on the register,” Smythe said.
Smythe is the founder of Memphis Middle and High School for the Arts & Technology (MEMArtsTech), a new public school for grades 6 through 12 that will provide academic instruction alongside professional-level arts and technology training. The school is being developed in partnership with New Ballet Ensemble & School, which was also founded by Smythe and will continue to operate independently…