CHEATHAM

Proposed charter school rejected again

Tim Adkins
tadkins@mtcngroup.com

The Cheatham County School Board rejected a revised application Tuesday for a proposed charter school.

It was the second time the board turned down the application for Cumberland Academy.

In June, the board denied the original application, but school organizers appealed the decision.

All six board members voted against the application at Tuesday's meeting.

"We are obviously disappointed … we are going to have to examine all our options going forward to make sure our families are getting their just treatment. We will decide our next steps within the week," said Jimmy Hopper, one of the organizers, after the vote.

The organizers can appeal the decision with the Tennessee Board of Education.

If ultimately approved, Cumberland Academy would be one of the first rural charter schools in Tennessee.

The organizers want to open Cumberland Academy in the fall of 2015 and start with the fifth-grade and then add a grade level each year until it reaches twelfth grade.