RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Novus SMART Academy will not be able to open its doors in 2025 after the Tennessee State Charter Commission denied its appeal.
The Rutherford County School Board (RCS) had also denied its proposal, citing financial concerns. On top of that, three other charter schools already opened for the 2024-2025 school year.
RELATED: Nearly 100 students leave charter school, return to Rutherford County school system
“We’re still faced with the same budget we had before, but with a loss of $14 million and the prospect of adding $10 million more to that really led to the board’s decision to deny Novus based on that negative financial impact,” RCS School Choice coordinator, Jeff McCann, said.
Of the three charter schools, Rutherford Collegiate Prep, or RCP, saw nearly 100 students return to the district within the first month. According to state data, the school’s enrollment is nearly 40% less than expected.
“They are not helping address our overcrowding at all, we need to be able to focus as a district on our growth, make sure that we have adequate facilities in place and we don’t need the added burden of charter schools that we don’t want,” parent and founder of Save RCS, Lea Maitlen, said.