Tennessee Charter Schools

Tennessee charter schools are tuition-free public schools run by independent nonprofit boards under performance contracts with an authorizer, usually a local district or the statewide Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.

Tuition: $0 – Completely FREE. Charter schools are public schools and may not charge tuition.

Authorization: Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002 (Title 49, Chapter 13) and the High-Quality Charter Schools Act of 2017

Oversight: Seven authorizers oversaw charter schools in 2024-25, and local school boards authorized 82%: Memphis-Shelby County (55 schools), Metro Nashville (26), Hamilton County (9), Knox County (2) and Rutherford County (2). The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission authorized 17. It is the statewide authorizer and hears appeals when a local board says no, but it authorizes schools rather than operating them. The State Board of Education sets charter rules and performance frameworks.

Achievement School District: The ASD authorized 3 schools in 2024-25 and is being phased out starting in 2026-27, with its remaining Memphis campuses returning to Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

Who Can Attend: Charter schools are open to all students. They must operate as public, nonsectarian and non-religious schools, run by nonprofit 501(c)(3) boards, not for-profit companies.

Admission Process:

• Apply directly to the school. There is no statewide charter application
• When applications exceed seats, admission is by random lottery
• Returning students who re-enroll are excluded from the lottery
• Waitlists are common at high-demand schools

Application Timing: Set by each school and not centralized statewide, so check the enrollment page of each school you are considering.

Accountability: Charter schools are held to state academic standards and can be closed for failing their performance contract.

Funding: Charter schools are funded through the state’s TISA formula. The FY 2026-27 base is $7,530 per average daily membership, and charter students generate roughly $500 more in direct allocation. A state facilities program helps with buildings.

Program Scale: 114 charter schools enrolled 44,689 students in 2024-25, about 4.6% of Tennessee’s public school enrollment.

What Changed in 2026:

• Public Chapter 1012 changed the charter enrollment lottery process and protects charter per-pupil funding if a district misses a December 1 financial report
• Public Chapter 1128 lets private colleges, including religiously affiliated ones, operate a public charter school, applying to the local board or directly to the Commission. The school itself must still run as nonsectarian and non-religious, and may prefer children of the institution’s employees or board members on the same terms already allowed for public colleges

Special Education: As public schools, charters keep students’ public-school rights under IDEA.

Transportation: State charter guidance does not address it, so ask each school directly before you enroll.

Finding a School:

• TDOE Charter Schools, which links the Tennessee School Directory. Search School Type “Public Charter”
• Commission school list, or Charter.Schools@tn.gov