NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WGNS) — The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission has unanimously approved Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee’s appeal to open a new charter school campus in the LaVergne/Smyrna area of Rutherford County.

The decision clears the way for Rocketship to launch its fourth Tennessee campus—and its first outside of Davidson County.

“Today’s decision allows Rocketship to move forward with our plans to launch a fourth Tennessee campus and our first located outside of Davidson County,” said Dr. Eric Dailey, executive director of Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee. “We are deeply grateful to the Commission staff for their thorough and transparent appeal process, and to the Commission members for their thoughtful deliberation. This decision affirms the strength of our model and our commitment to partnering with families to ensure every child—regardless of zip code—has access to an excellent public school.”

According to Rocketship, the success of its existing campuses in Davidson County—several of which have earned “Reward School” status from the state—has fueled strong interest from Rutherford County parents. More than 50 parents attended the Commission’s public hearing, and 174 individuals submitted written comments supporting the school’s appeal.

“Their advocacy exemplifies the power of parent partnership that’s at the heart of Rocketship’s mission,” Dailey said. “We’re excited to partner with them to create an elementary school where every child is given the opportunity to unleash their full potential.”

Rocketship Public Schools is a nonprofit network that operates high-performing public elementary charter schools across the United States, primarily serving historically underserved communities. Founded in 2007, the organization has been cited by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) as a “gap-busting” charter network for its role in helping narrow student achievement gaps.