KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In November, Knox County Schools leaders did not agree on a charter agreement with Knoxville Preparatory School, and so it did not pass. A month later, it passed the Board of Education after some small changes.
Board members said they did not have enough time to thoroughly go through the agreement in November. It did not pass in November after KCS failed to reach a quorum, effectively giving members another month to review the documents before it was brought back for a vote.
Knoxville Preparatory School is an all-boys charter school that plans to open in fall 2024. The agreement would be in effect through June 2035. KCS previously approved the school's application after considering it twice, after board members first failed to agree on whether to allow it to operate in Knox County amid concerns about federal Title IX non-discrimination guidelines and whether the community would benefit from a charter school.
Because the application was ultimately approved, Knoxville Preparatory School can continue with enrollment, recruiting and hiring teachers. It plans to operate at the Boys and Girls Club building located at 957 Irwin Street and 967 Irwin Street. Staff members of KCS previously said the agreement was similar to Emerald Academy, another charter school in Knoxville.
Katherine Bike, a member of the board of education, said she had requested changes to the agreement after it was brought to the board in November. She said the school would now need to give KCS 90 days' notice if it plans to move buildings.
The new agreement also requires the school to notify KCS if it enters a memorandum of understanding about school nutrition.
The charter agreement for Knoxville Preparatory School passed Thursday with five "yes" votes, two passes, and a "no" vote.