The Hamilton County school board again denied the application for a new charter school, citing concerns about its academic plan and a lack of confidence in the school opening successfully.
Tennessee Wildflower Public Charter School, which hoped to provide elementary school students with a Montessori education, submitted an amended application after it was voted down by the board in April. Another charter school that was denied earlier this year did not resubmit.
Only applicants that meet standards in all major areas on the Tennessee Department of Education’s evaluation rubric should be considered for recommendation based on the standards set in state law, Fannie Moore, the district’s charter school coordinator, told school board members Thursday.
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Although the amended proposal showed some improvements, the review team found that it still fell below the “meets standards” threshold and was not recommended for approval, she said.
The school board voted 10-0 Thursday to deny the charter application. School board member Gary Kuehn, R-Ooltewah, was absent.
Charter schools are public schools and are funded by state and local tax dollars. The schools are approved and overseen by the local school board or a state commission, but they are governed by their own board of directors.
Hamilton County has nine charter schools that serve just under 3,000 students. The county’s newest charter, a bilingual middle and high school, opened roughly a year ago.
Tennessee Wildflower, which intended to open in fall 2026, would follow a microschool model with mixed-age classrooms, according to its application. At capacity, it would enroll 140 students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade.
The review team pointed to inadequate staffing levels, financial concerns due to the small enrollment and an academic plan that the district found lacked specificity, compliance and inclusivity. The charter management organization, the Wildflower Foundation, also did not have enough data to demonstrate consistent success, the review team said.
The proposed school can appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. If the charter commission approves the school, the district could choose to become its authorizer. Otherwise, the commission would monitor the school.
Contact education reporter Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.