NASHVILLE, TN — KIPP Nashville celebrated the opening of its new K – 8 campus, KIPP Antioch College Prep with a ribbon cutting ceremony honoring its founding families and students. With this addition, KIPP Nashville operates seven schools and educates 2,300 students across Davidson County.
“This is an exciting moment for KIPP Nashville, as we continue to reach new families and students in service of our vision that one day, every student in Nashville will have access to a free, high-quality college-preparatory education,” Randy Dowell, KIPP Nashville Executive Director, said. “Fifteen years ago, we launched that vision with one middle school in East Nashville. Many of those founding KIPPsters are now college graduates, proving the possible, and in some cases, paying it forward by becoming teachers themselves. We look forward to being part of the vibrant, Antioch community, opening our doors to more students and educating the next generation of this city’s leaders.”
“School choice is one of the best tools we can offer Tennessee families and it’s how we empower students for a bright future,” Gov. Lee said. “We celebrate KIPP Nashville and value their commitment to providing students with a high-quality education.”
KIPP Antioch College Prep (KACP) opened its doors with a founding class of kindergartners in 2018 in one of the fastest growing communities in Nashville, where a majority of district schools are at or near capacity.
During its first year, KACP shared space with another charter school while the new building was being constructed. In August 2019, KACP expanded and welcomed more than 400 new and returning students across kindergarten, first and fifth grade.
“The State Board of Education is dedicated to providing a high-quality education for every child in Tennessee through ensuring high academic standards, effective assessments, strong accountability systems and well-resourced schools,” Dr. Sara Morrison, Executive Director of the Tennessee State Board of Education, said. “We are excited for the students, families, teachers and leaders at KIPP Antioch College Prep on their ongoing success in serving Nashville’s students and stand with them to celebrate their new space.”
The 49,803 square foot building is located at 3655 Murfreesboro Pike and was designed to uniquely support the social and emotional needs of students through clustered classroom “neighborhoods”, abundant natural light and exposure to nature.
“Having the opportunity to support KIPP Nashville’s work has been extremely rewarding,” Ethan Levine, Project Architect at Manuel Zeitlin Architects, said. “It’s MZA’s core mission to engage the community, enrich lives and influence positive change. Our partnership with KIPP has been a natural extension of the work we strive to do every day. We hope that the new KIPP Antioch College Prep becomes a place for highly engaged learning, inspired minds and healthy living.”
KIPP Nashville public schools, founded in 2005, have consistently ranked among the highest achieving public schools in Nashville that don’t have entrance requirements, and are open to any student in Davidson County. Three of its schools are recognized as 2019 Tennessee Reward Schools. By the end of eighth grade, 70 percent of KIPP students are on track or mastered in Math, matching the performance of Williamson County. KIPP Nashville’s alumni are on track to graduate college at three times the rate of their peers. You can find KIPP Nashville alumni at colleges and universities across the country, including Princeton University, Duke University, Howard University, Wellesley College, Georgetown University, Smith College, American University, Northeastern University, Vanderbilt University, Fisk University, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee – Knoxville.
“Access to a good education is life-changing, so we were excited when we found out KIPP was expanding in Antioch,” Deepesh Subedi, KIPP Antioch College Prep parent, said. “My son started as a founding kindergartener and it’s been an incredible experience for him. He’s growing by leaps and bounds and is surrounded by loving teachers and staff who push him to reach his full potential. I know my son is receiving the solid foundation he needs to continue being successful as a student and person, and that is priceless.”
KIPP Antioch College Prep will continue to add one grade level each year until it is a fully-grown K – 8 campus. Construction of the new middle school, which will be connected to the current building, is expected to begin in the spring and summer of 2020.
KIPP Nashville is part of a national network of college-preparatory public charter schools, educating students in K-12, and supporting students through college graduation. Founded in 2005 with one middle school, KIPP Nashville now operates seven schools across four campuses in East, North and South Nashville that enroll 2,300 students: KIPP Academy Nashville (Middle School); KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School; KIPP Nashville College Prep (Middle School); KIPP Nashville College Prep Elementary; KIPP Kirkpatrick Elementary School and KIPP Antioch College Prep (K – 8).
To learn more about KIPP Nashville, visit www.kippnashville.org.
