MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - From knocking on doors to visiting preschools there’s a big drive to recruit children to join a successful Memphis charter school.
KIPP collegiate school is in the midst of opening its first elementary school in north Memphis. The school's mission is to get low income kids ready for college.
"Here in Tennessee we've been one of the highest performing public schools,” said the new KIPP Middle School Principal, Andy Bobowski.
That's one of the reasons the charter school is expanding. KIPP Memphis serves more than 500 students at two public charter schools. Many students come from low income families.
"A lot of our students we have come in through 5th grade are currently coming in 2 grade levels behind. So the opportunity to start with students in kindergarten means that they never really have a chance to fall behind,” said the new KIPP Memphis Collegiate Elementary School Principal, Grace Williams.
The kindergarten school will open in July with 100 students. This fall, KIPP's second middle school will open.
"We're actually surpassing the national average in terms of college graduation rates,” said Bobowski.
The goal is simple.
“Making sure that they never have a chance to fall behind in school and that we're able to stay with them all the way through. For my first class it's 2029, is when they'll graduate from college and we'll be with them all the way through,” said Williams.
There are also plans to open charter schools in south Memphis neighborhoods.
