Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools

What Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools does

Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools (Freedom Prep) is a nonprofit network of tuition-free public charter schools founded in Memphis, Tennessee in 2009 by Roblin Webb. The network serves nearly 2,000 students across grades PreK through 12, operating five Memphis campuses (Westwood Elementary, Whitehaven Elementary, Flagship Middle, Whitehaven Middle, and Freedom Prep High at Brownlee), one newly opened Birmingham, Alabama campus, and a Montgomery, Alabama campus in pre-enrollment. Its educational model rests on four pillars: a college-readiness curriculum aligned to state standards, socio-emotional learning supported by full-time social workers at each campus, teaching outside the classroom through field lessons and college visits, and an affirming school culture focused on character development. Reported outcomes include a 100% four-year college acceptance rate at the high school, Level 5 TVAAS status across all five Memphis campuses, and Tennessee Reward School recognition for Whitehaven Elementary.

The organization operates on a publicly funded, per-pupil revenue model characteristic of U.S. charter schools, with secondary revenue from USDA child nutrition programs (NSLP, SBP, CEP, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program) and philanthropic donations processed through Givebutter and Double the Donation matching. There is no tuition. Enrollment is conducted via InfoSnap in Tennessee and PowerSchool in Alabama, with a lottery system applied when demand exceeds capacity. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-family, relying on community events (Family Day, Juneteenth Parade), campus tours, virtual office hours staffed by dedicated enrollment coordinators, and social media.

Operationally, Freedom Prep runs on a standard education technology stack — PowerSchool, BambooHR, Parchment, Stripe, Zoom, Calendly, and Google Analytics — with no disclosed proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities. Key partnerships include Harmony Transportation LLC for student transit, Memphis Inner City Rugby for athletics (producing 9 college rugby scholarships to date), and SLA Management for food services. In 2026, Ra'Chel Ford was appointed CEO following a national succession search, succeeding founder Roblin Webb.

Name

Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools

Legal name

Freedom Preparatory Academy

Website

https://freedomprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Freedom Preparatory Academy is a nonprofit network of tuition-free public charter schools serving nearly 2,000 PreK–12 students across seven campuses in Memphis, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama, funded primarily by state per-pupil allocations and focused on college readiness, socio-emotional learning, and character development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 education services
• College preparatory programs
• Public charter schools
• Primary secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public charter school network, Freedom Prep's primary revenue comes from per-pupil state funding from Tennessee and Alabama based on enrollment. This is recurring revenue dependent on student enrollment counts.
2. USDA Child Nutrition Programs: Freedom Prep participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for free meals to all students. Funding comes from USDA child nutrition programs.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: The school accepts charitable donations through its Giving page, with options for electronic giving via Givebutter and traditional check donations. The Liberation Legacy Campaign and other fundraising initiatives support the school's mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Freedom Preparatory Academy is a network of tuition-free public charter schools operating seven campuses across Memphis, TN and Birmingham/Montgomery, AL, serving nearly 2,000 students in grades PreK-12. The network delivers a college-preparatory academic program integrated with socio-emotional learning, character development, and field-based teaching (college visits, field lessons), supplemented by full-time social workers, ESL and Special Education services, transportation, USDA-funded meals, and extracurricular athletics including a competitive rugby program.

Product overview

Freedom Preparatory Academy is a network of tuition-free public charter schools serving nearly 2,000 students in Memphis, TN and Birmingham, AL. Founded in 2009, the organization operates a PreK-12 educational system comprising seven distinct school campuses: two elementary schools (Westwood Elementary at Parkrose Campus and Whitehaven Elementary at Millbranch Campus), two middle schools (Flagship Middle at Jonetta Campus and Whitehaven Middle at Brownlee Campus), one high school (Freedom Prep High at Brownlee Campus), and two Alabama campuses (Birmingham Elementary and the upcoming Montgomery Campus). The schools operate as a unified network under a college-preparatory model emphasizing academic rigor, character development, and socio-emotional learning. Core programs include College-Readiness education, Socio-emotional Learning support, and Teaching Outside the Classroom through field lessons and college visits. Supplementary services include transportation (via Harmony Transportation LLC), social work support at each campus, ESL/Special Education services, after-school clubs, athletics including a notable rugby program, and theatre arts. The network is governed by separate Tennessee and Alabama boards and operates from a central office in Memphis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FPA Westwood Elementary at Parkrose Campus Tuition-free public charter elementary school serving 393 students in PK through 5th grade at 778 Parkrose Rd., Memphis, TN. Offers literature, science, mathematics, study of influential authors and historical figures, and extracurricular activities including Ivy League Honors Club, Broadcast Club, youth sports, Theater Club, and project-based learning. School hours 7:45am-3:30pm. Head of School Dr. Arthur Rosenthal.
• FPA Whitehaven Elementary at Millbranch Campus Tuition-free public charter elementary school serving 500 students in K through 5th grade at 3750 Millbranch Rd., Memphis, TN. Recognized as a Tennessee Reward School for two consecutive years. Offers Spanish instruction for all students and extracurriculars including Spanish Club, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, Student Government Association, and Healthy Kids. School hours 7:45am-3:00pm. Head of School James Johnson.
• FPA Flagship Middle at Jonetta Campus Tuition-free public charter middle school serving 253 students in 6th through 8th grade at 5132 Jonetta St., Memphis, TN. Offers rigorous curriculum, Honor Roll, athletics, tutoring, and focus on social-emotional learning with support for English language learners. School hours 8:00am-3:30pm. Head of School Natasha Jean-Louis. Will become unified middle school campus in August 2026.
• FPA Whitehaven Middle at Brownlee Campus Tuition-free public charter middle school serving 334 students in 6th through 8th grade at 817 Brownlee Rd., Memphis, TN. Level 5 middle school with 100% of graduates from first four classes accepted into four-year colleges. Extracurriculars include basketball, cheerleading, soccer, track, Student Government Association, Game Club, Girls on the Run, and tutoring. School hours 7:50am-3:30pm. Head of School Jeremiah Frazier. Will unify with Flagship Middle in August 2026.
• Freedom Prep High School at Brownlee Campus Tuition-free public charter high school serving 451 students in 9th through 12th grade at 817 Brownlee Rd., Memphis, TN. Celebrates 100% four-year college acceptance rate for all graduating classes and earned TCSC Changemaker Charter School awards in 2023 and 2024. Achieved Level 5 TVAAS status. Rigorous college-preparatory curriculum with Honor Roll, athletics, tutoring, and dedicated support for English language learners. School hours 7:30am-3:30pm. Head of School Roderick Barber.
• FPA Birmingham Elementary Campus Tuition-free public charter elementary campus serving students in K through 5th grade in Birmingham, AL, at 630 1st Street South (historic Titusville community, former Catholic high school site). Emphasizes core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, and excellence with focus on character development and social-emotional growth. Head of School Jessica Ramey.
• FPA Montgomery Campus Upcoming tuition-free public charter campus in Montgomery, Alabama, currently in pre-enrollment phase. Founding Head of School In Residence is Dr. Toyia Curry. The campus will extend the network's Alabama footprint beyond Birmingham.
• Rugby Program Athletic program in partnership with Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) provided free to Freedom Prep students. Achievements include 4 Tennessee State Championships (Girls), 2 West TN Conference Championships (Boys), 9 college rugby scholarships, and travel to 21 states and 4 countries. MICR provides coaching, transportation, and competitive opportunities.
• Theatre Arts Program High school elective program introduced Fall 2025, culminating in the inaugural Winter Arts Showcase demonstrating student performance, creativity, and growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% four-year college acceptance rate for all Freedom Prep High School graduating classes
• +4 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

Integration19 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Harmony Transportation LLCcoreOthers · 1 January 2017Partnership with Harmony Transportation LLC provides safe, reliable, and high-quality transportation services for Freedom Prep students and staff in Memphis. Since 2017, Harmony Transportation has been a dedicated partner ensuring efficient and dependable transport for the school community. Ms. Tiffany Williams serves as Director of Transportation.
• Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Memphis Inner City Rugby began in 2013 with boys team, expanding to girls team in 2015. Achievements include 4 Tennessee State Championships (Girls), 2 West TN Conference Championships (Boys), 9 college rugby scholarships, travel to 21 states and 4 countries. Rugby is completely free for FPA students through this partnership. MICR provides coaching, transportation, and competitive opportunities.
• SLA (SLA Management)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSLA partners with Freedom Prep to operate the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and free meal program for all students. SLA provides farmers markets at FPA campuses, bringing fresh produce directly to families. Verlie Holloway, Assistant General Manager of SLA, leads these initiatives which also include holiday food drive support.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IDEA Public Schools: Large national charter network operating PreK-12 college-preparatory public schools with strong outcomes in underserved communities; similarly emphasizes character development and AP/college readiness, with a comparable tuition-free model and multi-state footprint.
• BASIS Charter Schools: College-preparatory public charter network known for a rigorous AP-heavy curriculum and high university placement rates; similar PreK-12 college-prep tuition-free model with strong measurable outcomes that competes for the same parent demographic.
• Uncommon Schools: Nonprofit charter management organization running high-performing urban public schools in the Northeast with a mission to prepare students from low-income families for college; closely aligned college-prep K-12 model and similar free-meal, social-worker, and enrichment program structure.
• Aspire Public Schools: California-based nonprofit charter network operating college-preparatory public schools with a focus on underserved communities; similar PreK-12 college-readiness mission and tuition-free enrollment model with a comparable regional expansion strategy.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Nonprofit charter operator focused on college readiness in underserved urban areas; runs a portfolio of public charter high schools and middle schools with mission overlap to Freedom Prep and a similar per-pupil funding model.
• KIPP: Largest national network of public charter schools with a college-preparatory mission serving predominantly low-income communities; operates PreK-12 campuses with comparable emphasis on character development and college readiness, making it the most directly comparable charter operator to Freedom Prep.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: High-performing public charter school network with a rigorous academic culture and demonstrated college-prep outcomes; serves a comparable urban demographic with a tuition-free public charter model and similarly standardized operational back-office.

Broad incumbents

• National Heritage Academies: Established charter management organization operating a larger portfolio of public charter schools across multiple states; broader portfolio but overlapping K-8 charter management approach and per-pupil state funding reliance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/freedomprepacad
• Facebookfacebook.com/freedomprepacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/freedom_prep_memphis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freedom-prep-charter-schools

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools