The Tennessee Charter Commission approved one and denied one of American Classical Education’s (ACE) applications to open charter schools in Maury and Madison counties on Thursday.
Both votes were 9-0, according to WKRN State Capitol Reporter Chirs O’Brien.
In an emailed statement, ACE board member Dolores Gresham called the commission’s approval of the education group’s application to open a school in Madison County a “victory for more than 7,000 families who have said they want such an option in Tennessee and the many more who will benefit from it in the years to come.”
“We’re pleased that the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission supported local students and families by approving the application of a tuition-free public charter school in Jackson-Madison County School District. This school will open in Fall 2025 along with American Classical Academy Rutherford (Fall of 2024), which was approved at the local level earlier this year. These schools will provide a high-quality classical K-12 education option for local parents, students and teachers,” Gresham said.
Acknowledging the commission’s downvote on ACE’s application to open a school in Maury County, Gresham added, “However, we are confused and disappointed that the Commission denied the opening of a third school in Maury County that clearly met the rubric and that had support from hundreds of local families and many local elected officials.”
“The local ACE board and its families are evaluating all options going forward and will release any further information at a later date,” Gresham said.
ACE charter schools use “classical methods rooted in Western and American heritage” in its classrooms, according to the school’s website.
The charter school approved to open in Madison County is the second school to be approved to open by ACE this year. In April, the Rutherford County School Board voted to approve ACE’s application to build a charter school in a 5-2 vote, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
