The Soulsville Charter School

What The Soulsville Charter School does

The Soulsville Charter School (TSCS) is a public, tuition-free charter school located in South Memphis, Tennessee, at 1115 College Street within the historic Soulsville neighborhood. Founded in 2005 with an initial cohort of sixty sixth-graders, the school has grown into a full grades 6-12 institution serving more than 650 students. It is authorized by Memphis-Shelby County Schools through the Tennessee Department of Education and is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Its mission is to prepare students for college and life success in an academically rigorous, music-rich environment, with core values of Community, Respect, Integrity, Scholarship, and Empathy.

The school's core products are its middle-school (grades 6-8) and high-school (grades 9-12) academic programs, a structured Music Education program (String Orchestra, Band, Choir, Music Theory and History), athletic teams, and approximately twenty after-school clubs. Its most differentiated product is the College & Alumni Support program (TSCS CAST), which includes a mandatory Summer Growth Experience for rising 10th-12th graders, Junior/Senior Seminars, ACT preparation, and ongoing post-secondary support through the Choose901 alumni program. The school reports a 100% college acceptance rate since its first graduating class in 2012 and a college-completion rate that it states triples the national average for its alumni. The technology stack is administrative (PowerSchool for enrollment, Kindful for donations) with no proprietary technology platform; the technology gap is filled by deep human capital and a network of institutional partners.

The business model is a public-charter funding model: per-pupil state allocations from Tennessee's Basic Education Program are the primary revenue stream, supplemented by philanthropic donations routed through the Soulsville Foundation's Kindful donation portal. There is no tuition, and families are not billed; instead, enrollment is the unit of value delivery. The go-to-market is direct-to-family community recruitment through the school website, One Soulsville Recruitment Day events, social media, and earned media coverage of student and alumni outcomes. The school shares its South Memphis campus with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Stax Music Academy, and maintains named partnerships with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Soulsville Foundation, Choose901, Hire Local 901, the St. Jude Research Program, and Memphis Teacher Residency. There is no venture, private equity, or institutional investment ownership evidenced in the data.

Name

The Soulsville Charter School

Legal name

The Soulsville Charter School

Website

https://soulsvillecharterschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Soulsville Charter School is a public, tuition-free charter school in South Memphis serving 650+ students in grades 6-12, delivering college-preparatory academics, intensive music education, and post-secondary support that has produced a 100% college acceptance rate since 2012.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• College preparatory programs
• Music education K-12
• Public charter schooling
• Alumni college support

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Per-pupil State Funding: As a public charter school authorized by Memphis-Shelby County Schools through the Tennessee Department of Education, the school receives per-pupil state funding based on enrollment. The school is tuition-free, meaning families do not pay tuition costs.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The school accepts donations through the Soulsville Foundation's Kindful donation portal. Donors can contribute to support the school's operations, programs, and scholarships such as the Jatavius Benson Memorial Scholarship for graduates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Soulsville Charter School is a public, tuition-free charter school serving grades 6-12 in South Memphis, offering college-preparatory academics integrated with intensive music education (String Orchestra, Band, Choir, Music Theory). Core offerings include middle and high school academic programs with AP coursework, athletic teams, after-school clubs, a mandatory Summer Growth Experience program, and ongoing College & Alumni Support (TSCS CAST) covering college applications, scholarships, financial aid, and post-secondary persistence.

Product overview

The Soulsville Charter School is a public, tuition-free charter school serving grades 6-12 with a comprehensive educational portfolio centered on academic rigor and music education. The school's core offerings include Middle School and High School Academic Programs featuring college-preparatory curriculum with AP courses, a robust Music Education Program with String Orchestra, Band, and Choir, Athletic Teams (Basketball, Rugby, Track, Volleyball), and nearly 20 After School Clubs. The institution differentiates through its distinctive College & Alumni Support Program (TSCS CAST), which includes mandatory Summer Growth Experiences (SGE) and post-secondary counseling, achieving a 100% college acceptance rate. The school is authorized by Memphis-Shelby County Schools and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Academic Programs Middle school education for grades 6-8 covering core academics including Reading, Writing, Library, Physical Education, and Music Education (Choir, Strings, Band). Designed for students in the foundational years of the college-preparatory pathway.
• High School Academic Programs Comprehensive high school curriculum for grades 9-12 including Math (Math I-III, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, Statistics), Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science), English, Social Studies, Foreign Languages (Spanish I-IV), Electives, and AP courses.
• Music Education Program Intensive music education program offering String Orchestra, Band, Choir, Music Theory and History, with partnerships providing small group instruction and performance opportunities with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Available to all students in grades 6-12.
• Athletic Teams Varsity and middle school athletic programs including Basketball, Rugby, Track and Field, and Volleyball, providing student athletic participation alongside academics.
• After School Clubs Nearly twenty different clubs for middle and high school students including Art Club, Drama Club, Debate Club, Future Healthcare Professionals, Film Club, Tennis Club, and others, supporting student interests outside the academic core.
• College & Alumni Support (TSCS CAST) Comprehensive post-secondary preparation and support including Summer Growth Experiences (SGEs), Junior Seminar, Senior Seminar, and Alumni Support services. The program maintains a 100% college acceptance rate and triples the national average completion rate.
• Summer Growth Experience (SGE) Required summer program for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders offering jobs, internships, research programs, college programs, and travel opportunities including destinations like New England, Idaho, and Chile.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Soulsville FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Soulsville Foundation is the primary organizational partner supporting the charter school. The Foundation provides fundraising infrastructure (Kindful donation portal), community programming, and the Soulsville Charter School is located within the neighborhood sharing campus with Stax Museum and Stax Music Academy, both associated with the Foundation. The Foundation supports initiatives including the Soular Women Fellowship awarding $500 grants to senior girls.
• Memphis Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSCS partnership with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra provides students special opportunities including small group instruction, playing alongside professionals on stage, performing for dignitaries such as former First Lady Barbara Bush (and later Laura Bush), and attending rehearsals and concerts with world-renowned musicians including Yo-Yo Ma.
• Stax Music AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnique partnership with Stax Music Academy provides top-tier after-school music programming for selected Soulsville students. Several Soulsville students engage in the academy's after-school programming. Alumni have come through both programs, and the school shares campus proximity with the academy.
• Choose901 Alumni ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoose901 Alumni program exists to empower the next generation of local leaders in Memphis. All Soulsville graduates have access to post-secondary support including career consultations, resume building, exclusive experiences through this alumni program.
• Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMemphis Teacher Residency program allows graduate students to be coached and co-teach with lead teachers in preparation for leading their own classrooms. Staff member Alandria Williams serves as an MTR Mentor, with resident Emily Dobesh hired as 7th grade science teacher for 2023-24 school year.
• St. Jude Research ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour TSCS students were selected to participate in the competitive St. Jude Research Program as part of the Summer Growth Experience opportunities.
• Medical District Collaborative's Hire Local 901minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Career Launch Academy participants with pathways toward healthcare careers. Student Taveon Warren featured on WREG's Live at 9 spotlight.
• Posse Scholarship ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious scholarship program that connected valedictorian Janiyah Robinson with Cornell College. The Posse scholarship provides a built-in support system and diverse group of students for recipients.
• Junior AchievementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSCS became the first school to integrate Junior Achievement into a full academic year curriculum at the middle school level, recognizing and preparing top middle-schoolers for their next chapter.
• Gates Millennium Scholar ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGates Millennium Scholar Program awarded scholarship to student Londyn Grisby, making her the school's second recipient in two years.
• QuestBridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeveral students earned spots through QuestBridge program connecting them with elite colleges and scholarships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Compass Community Schools: Memphis-based public charter school network serving K-12 students in underserved Memphis neighborhoods. Competes directly with TSCS for the same families in the local charter enrollment market, with comparable tuition-free, public-authorizer model.
• Gestalt Community Schools: Memphis-area public charter school network serving grades K-12. Direct competitor for students in South Memphis and broader Shelby County, operating under similar MSCS authorization with a college-prep focus.
• Power Center Academy: Memphis-based charter school focused on college preparation for underserved students. Competes for the same applicant pool as TSCS in the Memphis charter school market.
• Frayser Community Schools: Memphis-based charter school network serving the Frayser neighborhood. Operates as a direct local competitor to TSCS in the Memphis charter enrollment market with a similar mission of serving underserved students.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): One of the largest U.S. charter school networks with a college-prep mission targeting underserved communities. Operates broadly across many states and cities; overlaps with TSCS on mission, college-prep orientation, and target demographic.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National charter school network renowned for rigorous academics and outstanding college placement outcomes. Comparable to TSCS in delivering strong college-prep results, though with a different pedagogical model and broader geographic footprint.
• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter network with rigorous college-prep curriculum targeting students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable to TSCS in mission and outcome orientation, though larger in scale and operating across multiple Northeast/Mid-Atlantic markets.
• Achievement First: Charter school network operating across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island with a college-prep mission. Shares TSCS's focus on closing college-completion gaps for students of color, though at much larger scale.
• IDEA Public Schools: One of the largest U.S. charter networks with a college-prep mission and strong outcome orientation. Compares to TSCS on serving predominantly low-income students and emphasizing college readiness.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Charter management organization operating public charter schools focused on college readiness in underserved communities across multiple states. Operates at significantly larger scale but shares TSCS's college-prep, public-authorizer model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tscsmemphis

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Soulsville Charter School