LEAD Neely’s Bend Exits ASD, Joins State’s Charter Commission After Academic Gains
Today, it was announced that LEAD Neely’s Bend will exit the state-run Achievement School District (ASD) to join the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. LEAD Neely’s Bend is the first school in Nashville to exit the ASD based on improved academic performance, marking a milestone in turnaround efforts in Nashville’s public schools.
“Today a new era begins for the staff, students, and families at LEAD Neely’s Bend,” said Dwayne Tucker, CEO at LEAD Public Schools. “We are excited to have met the requirements to leave the ASD by exiting priority status and look forward to continuing our mission of improving academic outcomes under the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.”
At today’s Tennessee Public Charter School Commission meeting, commissioners voted to unanimously approve the recommendation from Executive Director Tess Stovall to move LEAD Neely’s Bend from the ASD to the commission next school year.
“Moving to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission grants us the opportunity to open our enrollment and expand our service to students outside of the Neely’s Bend zone,” said Dominique Smith, principal at LEAD Neely’s Bend. “Our team is excited about this new opportunity and we look forward to making an even greater impact on the students in this community.”
In 2015, LEAD Public Schools partnered with the ASD to turnaround Neely’s Bend, a zone-enrolled school in Madison, after it fell in the bottom five percent of all Tennessee schools for academic performance. In September 2022, LEAD Neely’s Bend met the requirements to leave the ASD by exiting the priority list based on its academic performance during the 2021-22 school year.
