Nashville Classical Charter School
Nashville Classical Charter Schools is a nonprofit public K-8 charter network operating two Nashville campuses (East and West) with a classical curriculum, serving 600+ scholars through lottery-based enrollment and per-pupil public funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nashville Classical Charter School does
Nashville Classical Charter Schools (NCCS) is a nonprofit public charter school network operating two K-8 campuses in Davidson County, Tennessee. Founded in 2013 by Charlie Friedman, the network opened its flagship Nashville Classical East campus in East Nashville with 89 founding kindergarteners and has grown to serve over 600 scholars across both campuses. The 2023 opening of Nashville Classical West on Charlotte Pike, currently serving K-3, extends the network's footprint with a planned buildout to full K-8 by 2032.
The school's core offering is a classical curriculum built on the Core Knowledge Sequence, Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) for foundational reading in grades K-2, and a custom-curated Great Books literary curriculum balanced with diverse modern literature. The structured culture is operationalized through the FIRST Habits system (Focus, Integrity, Resilience, Scholarship, Team) reinforced via daily Community Meetings. Supporting technology includes the Dean's List attendance/behavior portal and Illuminate gradebook — both standard K-8 platforms rather than proprietary systems. NCCS differentiates through teacher pipeline: a residency program with Lipscomb University and Relay Graduate School, 94% teacher retention, and a comprehensive High School Placement Program for 8th graders.
NCCS operates as a tuition-free public charter school authorized by Metro Nashville Public Schools, with revenue derived from per-pupil state and local funding and private donations. Enrollment is governed by the MNPS Optional Schools lottery and sibling preference policy. The network has demonstrated strong academic outcomes — top 2% in Tennessee for math growth, #1 in the state for 8th grade ELA/Math, and 64% of alumni placed in selective magnet or private high schools — while maintaining a racially, geographically, and economically diverse student body representing 26 zip codes.
Nashville Classical Charter School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nashville Classical Charter School
- Legal name
- Nashville Classical Charter Schools
- Website
- https://nashvilleclassical.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Nashville Classical Charter Schools is a nonprofit public K-8 charter network operating two Nashville campuses (East and West) with a classical curriculum, serving 600+ scholars through lottery-based enrollment and per-pupil public funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nashville Classical Charter School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-8 Public Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Classical Education K–12 Schools (EDAJABAF), Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)
Keywords
Where Nashville Classical Charter School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Nashville Classical Charter School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a public charter school, Nashville Classical operates on public dollars through per-pupil funding from state and local sources based on enrollment. The school opened in 2013 and operates without additional public funding for transportation, facilities, or long-term growth.
- Private Donations: The school accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. They have a Sovine endowment and various giving programs including Amazon Smile, Kroger Community Rewards, and Box Tops for Education. The school aims to raise $5,000 per scholar annually through fundraising.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Free public education for all K-8 students in Davidson County |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Nashville Classical Charter School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nashville Classical Charter Schools operates two free, public K-8 charter school campuses in Nashville, Tennessee, delivering a classical curriculum built on Core Knowledge Language Arts for foundational reading, a Great Books literature sequence, and foreign language and music instruction. The schools enroll scholars through the Metro Nashville Public Schools lottery and supplement academics with specials (PE, Spanish, Art, Theater, Music), athletics, after-school enrichment, and an 8th-grade high school placement program.
Product overview
Nashville Classical Charter Schools operates as a K-8 public charter school network with two campuses: Nashville Classical East (founded 2013, flagship campus serving K-8) and Nashville Classical West (opened 2023, expanding to full K-8 by 2032). The core educational offering is a classical curriculum built on great books, foreign language, music, and rigorous academics, using Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) for foundational reading instruction. The network provides supplementary programs including Specials classes (PE, Spanish, Art, Theater, Music), Athletics (Basketball, Soccer, Cheerleading, Jazz Band, Theater), after-school enrichment (Chess, Science Club), and a comprehensive High School Placement Program for 8th graders. Supporting technology platforms include Dean's List for attendance/behavior tracking and Illuminate for grade management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nashville Classical East Flagship K-8 public charter school campus at 2000 Greenwood Ave, Nashville, TN 37206, founded in 2013 and serving more than 550 scholars across Kindergarten through 8th grade with a classical curriculum built on great books, foreign language, music, and rigorous academics. Open tuition-free to all Davidson County residents through the MNPS Optional Schools lottery.
- Nashville Classical West Second K-8 public charter school campus at 1015 Davidson Drive, Nashville, TN 37205, opened August 2023 with an inaugural kindergarten class of 50 scholars. Currently serving grades K-3 with planned expansion to full K-8 by 2032, delivered tuition-free to Davidson County families through the MNPS Optional Schools lottery.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 2% in Tennessee for math growth (21-22 TCAP)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Nashville Classical Charter School
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nashville Classical Charter School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Nashville Classical Charter School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- YMCA Fun CompanycoreYMCA Fun Company provides before and after school care at Nashville Classical West campus. This partnership offers childcare options for working families, addressing a key logistical challenge for parents.
- Preston Taylor MinistriessupportingLocal community center partner providing after care services. Bus routes directly serve Preston Taylor Ministries sites in West Nashville.
- Lipscomb UniversitycorePartner for teacher residency program. College graduates earn their master's degree in education from Lipscomb while completing their teacher residency at Nashville Classical under experienced mentor teachers.
- Relay Graduate SchoolcoreAlternative teacher preparation partner for residency program. Aspiring teachers earn their teaching license through Relay while teaching at Nashville Classical.
- Amazon SmileminorAmazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to Nashville Classical when shoppers select the school as their charitable recipient through Amazon Smile program.
- Kroger Community RewardsminorFamilies can link their Kroger Plus card to Nashville Classical, with the school receiving a percentage of qualifying purchases.
- KABOOM!supportingNational nonprofit partnering with Nashville Classical to build a larger playground at the West campus in 2024.
- Brookmeade (Former Building)supportingNC West campus is located in the adaptive reuse of the former Brookmeade school building, revitalizing a 10-acre property off Charlotte Pike on Davidson Drive.
- Before/After Care Partners (NC East)supportingMultiple organizations provide before and after care options for NC East families. Contact information and partnerships listed on parent resources page.
- Harpeth Hall SchoolsupportingPrivate college-preparatory school for girls. Nashville Classical alumni attend, with dedicated visit days and interview opportunities arranged for NCCS 8th graders.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Nashville Classical Charter School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Liberty Collegiate Academy: Liberty Collegiate is a small charter school operating in the Middle Tennessee region using a classical curriculum model. It is a regional peer with a similar curricular philosophy but smaller scale and slimmer multi-site footprint.
Direct peers
- Intrepid Schools: Intrepid Schools is a Nashville charter operator that was co-approved alongside Nashville Classical in the original 2012 charter cohort. It is a direct local peer competing for the same families and authorizer relationship.
- LEAD Public Schools: LEAD Academy is a Nashville charter network that competed alongside Nashville Classical in the 2012 charter approval process. It serves a comparable student demographic and operates K-12 charter schools in the same authorizer portfolio.
- KIPP Nashville Schools: KIPP Nashville is a multi-site K-12 public charter school network operating in Nashville with comparable enrollment scale, lottery-based enrollment, and a college-preparatory mission — making it the closest direct peer to Nashville Classical in terms of model and geography.
- RePublic Schools Nashville: RePublic Schools is a multi-campus Nashville charter network explicitly named in Nashville Classical's leadership bios. It serves a similar student demographic and operates K-12 charters with comparable scale and mission.
- Great Hearts Academies: Great Hearts operates a national network of classical charter schools with a Great Books-based curriculum and structured culture. It is the most direct curricular peer to Nashville Classical's classical model, though operating in different states.
- Cornerstone Prep: Cornerstone Prep is a Nashville charter school serving a similar demographic with a classical-influenced curriculum. It is a direct local peer competing for the same Davidson County families.
- STEM Preparatory Academy: STEM Prep is a Nashville charter operator serving a comparable demographic of primarily non-white, working-class families. It is a direct competitor in the same charter ecosystem and enrollment market.
- Valor Collegiate Academies: Valor Collegiate is a Nashville charter network serving a similar demographic with a college-preparatory focus. It is a direct peer operating in the same charter ecosystem and competing for the same lottery applicants.
Broad incumbents
- Hillsdale Charter Schools: Hillsdale College's K-12 initiative supports a growing network of classical charter schools nationwide with a curriculum that emphasizes Western civilization and the Great Books. It is a broad incumbent in the classical charter school space with comparable pedagogical approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nashville Classical Charter School social profiles
Digital presenceNashville Classical Charter School compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Nashville Classical Charter School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nashville Classical Charter School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Nashville Classical Charter School subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Nashville Classical Charter School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nashville Classical Charter School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nashville Classical Charter School
What does Nashville Classical Charter School do?
Nashville Classical Charter Schools operates two free, public K-8 charter school campuses in Nashville, Tennessee, delivering a classical curriculum built on Core Knowledge Language Arts for foundational reading, a Great Books literature sequence, and foreign language and music instruction. The schools enroll scholars through the Metro Nashville Public Schools lottery and supplement academics with specials (PE, Spanish, Art, Theater, Music), athletics, after-school enrichment, and an 8th-grade high school placement program.
Is Nashville Classical Charter School a public or private company?
Nashville Classical Charter School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Nashville Classical Charter School founded?
Nashville Classical Charter School was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Nashville Classical Charter School based?
Nashville Classical Charter School is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nashville Classical Charter School make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Per-Pupil Public Funding is the primary driver. The others are private Donations.
Who are Nashville Classical Charter School's main competitors?
Liberty Collegiate Academy is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Intrepid Schools, LEAD Public Schools, KIPP Nashville Schools, RePublic Schools Nashville, Great Hearts Academies, Cornerstone Prep, STEM Preparatory Academy and Valor Collegiate Academies. Hillsdale Charter Schools is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Nashville Classical Charter School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nashville Classical Charter School.
What industry is Nashville Classical Charter School in?
Nashville Classical Charter School's product category is K-8 Public Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAC, Charter School Networks (Multi-Site), with a secondary code of EDAJABAF, Classical Education K–12 Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.