What LEAD Public Schools does

LEAD Public Schools is a Nashville-based nonprofit charter management organization that operates seven tuition-free public schools across Davidson County, Tennessee, serving students in grades K-12. Founded in 2007 by Jeremy Kane as LEAD Academy with 92 fifth- and sixth-grade students, the network has expanded methodically through a mix of open-enrollment campuses and zoned/turnaround campuses, including the historic 2011 Cameron Middle School turnaround — the first successful district turnaround partnership in Tennessee history. The student body is unusually diverse, drawing from 38 countries and 27 home languages, with approximately 75% classified as economically disadvantaged and many entering 2-3 grade levels behind.

Operationally, LEAD runs three high schools (LEAD Academy, LEAD Southeast High, LEAD Neely's Bend High founded 2026), three middle schools (LEAD Cameron, LEAD Neely's Bend Middle, LEAD Southeast Middle), and one elementary school (LEAD Southeast Elementary founded 2025), all unified by a common instructional model featuring Crew small-group advisories, College Seminar, the Greenhouse Program for English Language Learners, full-time college counselors, and wraparound services such as free meals via Taher, Inc. and transportation where available. The network does not build proprietary education technology; instead it integrates standard edtech platforms including SchoolMint for lottery enrollment, Canvas as its LMS, DeansList for student records, Scoir for college visit scheduling, ADP for HR, and Square for donation processing.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through per-pupil state and federal public funding tied to enrollment, supplemented by charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations processed through an EIN-bearing development office and raised via annual events such as Commitment Breakfast and Senior Signing Day. With 101-250 employees and a CEO-led C-suite plus three Head of Schools, the organization is mid-sized for a CMO and is currently navigating a leadership transition as Head of Schools LaVoe Mulgrew retires at the end of 2026-27. Recent academic performance has been a key positioning asset, with four of five testable schools earning Level 5 TVAAS (highest possible academic growth score) for four consecutive years.

Name

LEAD Public Schools

Legal name

LEAD Public Schools, Inc.

Website

https://leadpublicschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LEAD Public Schools is a Nashville-based nonprofit charter school network operating seven tuition-free K-12 schools across Davidson County, Tennessee, serving a diverse student population where approximately 75% are economically disadvantaged and families represent 38 nationalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter Schools

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-12 education
• Charter school network
• College counseling services
• Free public education

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a public charter school network, LEAD receives per-pupil funding from government sources including state and federal education funding based on enrollment. This is the primary revenue stream for operating public schools.
2. Donations and Fundraising: LEAD accepts charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization has a Federal Tax ID (EIN: 20-2526508) for donations, accepts stock donations, ACH/wire transfers, checks, and provides donor-advised fund options. The network hosts an annual Commitment Breakfast event and Senior Signing Day for fundraising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

LEAD Public Schools is a Nashville-based nonprofit charter management organization that operates seven free public charter schools serving grades K-12 in Davidson County, Tennessee. The network delivers college and career preparatory education through open-enrollment and zoned schools, supplemented by full-time college counselors, English Language Learner programs (Greenhouse), wrap-around services such as free meals and transportation, and teacher career pathways including a Master Teacher track.

Product overview

LEAD Public Schools is a Nashville-based charter school network operating seven schools serving grades K-12. The network includes three high schools (LEAD Academy, LEAD Southeast High, LEAD Neely's Bend High), three middle schools (LEAD Cameron, LEAD Neely's Bend Middle, LEAD Southeast Middle), and one elementary school (LEAD Southeast Elementary). The schools operate as both open-enrollment and zoned schools, unified by a mission to prepare students academically, socially, and emotionally for college and career. Key programs include College Counseling with dedicated counselors and College Seminar, the Greenhouse Program for English language learners, Talent Pathways for staff development, and the Master Teacher Program for educator compensation and advancement. All students receive wraparound services including free meals, transportation, and social-emotional support through Crew meetings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LEAD Academy High School Free, open-enrolled public high school in South Nashville (grades 9-12) that emphasizes preparing students with knowledge and skills for college and life, featuring full-time college counselors and intensive College Seminar.
• LEAD Cameron Middle School Free, zone-enrolled public middle school near downtown Nashville (grades 5-8) in the Glencliff Cluster, known for its turnaround success and Greenhouse Program for English language learners.
• LEAD Neely's Bend Middle School Free, open-enrolled public middle school in Madison (grades 5-8) serving a diverse community with deep roots in Madison and north Nashville.
• LEAD Neely's Bend High School Free, open-enrolled public high school in Madison (grades 9-12) serving the Madison community.
• LEAD Southeast Elementary Free, open-enrolled public elementary school in Southeast Nashville and Antioch (grades K-5) creating a joyful learning environment with academic excellence and leadership development.
• LEAD Southeast Middle School Free, open-enrolled public middle school in Southeast Nashville and Antioch (grades 5-8) named a 2024-25 Reward School for academic performance.
• LEAD Southeast High School Free, open-enrolled public high school in Antioch (grades 9-12) serving Southeast Nashville with diverse student population speaking over 20 languages.
• Greenhouse Program Multidisciplinary learning program at LEAD Cameron serving students who are new to the U.S. or learning English, providing sheltered space for language skills and confidence through hands-on projects.
• Master Teacher Program Career pathway opportunity for highest-performing teachers to earn up to $100,000 in base compensation with $1,500 annual professional development budget, remaining in classroom while influencing school and network initiatives.
• Talent Pathways Internal leadership development program featuring succession planning, individual executive coaching, customized 360 feedback, and LEAD-specific training sessions for employee career growth.
• College Counseling Program Comprehensive college and career preparation including full-time college counselors, dedicated College Seminar for grades 9-12, college visits, financial aid assistance, and personalized Best-Fit process for post-secondary decisions.
• Nutrition Services Free healthy breakfast and lunch program for all students through partnership with Taher, Inc., meeting National School Lunch and Breakfast Program regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Four schools earned Level 5 TVAAS (highest academic growth) for four consecutive years (2021-25)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Little Wonders Early Learning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Little Wonders Apprenticeship Program is a workforce development initiative partnering with Lipscomb University to give LEAD Southeast High School students opportunity to work full-time while earning a college degree in early childhood education. The program was named Tennessee's first Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Hub. Currently one LEAD student (Genesis Jimenez Perez) actively enrolled in pilot year.
• Lipscomb UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partnership with Little Wonders Early Learning Center to provide tuition-free pathway for LEAD students to earn a degree in early childhood education while working. Students gain admission to Lipscomb University then enroll in online coursework while employed at Little Wonders.
• Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMNPS proposed first-ever district partnership with Cameron Middle School in 2011, marking the first successful school turnaround in Tennessee history. LEAD operates within the MNPS system and students must accept seats through the MNPS Choice application portal.
• Achievement School District (ASD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEAD partnered with the state-run Achievement School District to operate zone-enrolled schools. LEAD Neely's Bend became the fastest improving school in the ASD in 2018 under this partnership.
• Taher, Inc.minorOthersFood service provider supplying meals for all LEAD schools. Meals are planned with student preferences in mind and follow National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program regulations.
• NAZA (Nashville After-School Zone Alliance)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNAZA provides afterschool programming at LEAD Neely's Bend through their sponsored programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RePublic Schools: Tennessee-based CMO (Nashville + Memphis) operating college-prep charter schools with a similar focus on serving traditionally underserved students across multiple campuses in shared metro geographies.
• KIPP Nashville Schools: Nashville-based charter management organization operating multiple K-12 schools serving similar economically disadvantaged and ELL student populations via per-pupil public funding and donations - directly comparable in scale, geography, and operating model to LEAD.
• STEM Preparatory Academy: Smaller Nashville charter management organization serving similar grades and demographics; comparable in terms of mission and student population focus, though with a STEM-curriculum specialization.
• Purpose Built Schools Nashville: Nashville-resident charter network operating college-prep schools in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, serving a comparable demographic mix in adjacent neighborhoods to LEAD - direct operating peer with shared district-authorizer dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Rocketship Public Schools: National charter network similarly serving elementary-grade students from high-need, ELL-heavy communities via per-pupil public funding; comparable on operating economics and grade-level focus (K-5 anchor).
• Ascend Public Charter Schools: Larger multi-state CMO that has built an integrated K-12 feeder-pipeline model (Brooklyn-based), serving a similar high-need urban student population - relevant for benchmarking per-pupil outcomes and replication playbook.
• Uncommon Schools: Established multi-state CMO operating charter schools that have consistently achieved top-tier academic growth outcomes (Level 5-style scores) in high-need communities - a national-model counterpart comparable in mission intensity but much larger in scale.
• Achievement First: Major multi-state CMO with a comparable teacher-career-pathway model (including Master Teacher-style roles) and turnaround heritage; useful benchmark for governance, expansion pace, and labor strategy.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national CMO with a strong college-prep mission and wrap-around-services model serving similar high-need, mostly minority student populations - comparable operating model at much greater scale (50,000+ students).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leadschools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@leadschools4615
• Facebookfacebook.com/LEADAcademyHS
• Instagraminstagram.com/lead_academy_hs

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries7 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 LEAD Public Schools