Charter school opens new campus in former Parkway Village Kroger

By King Jemison – Daily Memphian

June 20, 2024

A site that once represented Parkway Village’s struggles will now play a part in shaping its future.

On Wednesday, Memphis Merit Academy celebrated the opening of its new campus inside a former Kroger store at 4089 American Way in Parkway Village.

“We’re not just cutting a ribbon today,” said Lakenna Booker, Memphis Merit’s founder and head of school. “We’re opening doors to endless possibilities and bright futures for our young scholars.”

The Kroger closed years ago, a moment that Booker — who grew up in Parkway Village — remembers as a major blow to the neighborhood.

“When I first moved into (Parkway Village), it was a hustling, bustling community,” Booker said. “Now, this community has lots of closed businesses. It’s stretched for (basic) things like grocery stores, access to medical care and also good schools.”

Booker has been working on improving the area’s schools for years. She founded Memphis Merit in 2019 at 4775 American Way, less than two miles east of the new site.

But the original location prevented the school from further expansion, so Memphis Merit sought a new home. It purchased the entire shopping center surrounding the former Kroger for about $920,000 in March 2023, according to property records. After what Booker described as a nearly $14 million renovation, it will now house the only charter school in Parkway Village.

The 11-acre property also includes other retail spaces Memphis Merit owns. It’s not yet clear what will happen with those spaces, but Booker has big plans.

“My vision is that this shopping center becomes a mecca for this community,” Booker said.

New school facility ‘gives hope’

It certainly drew a crowd on Wednesday. Teachers, families and other community members filled the school gym for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that included Juneteenth celebrations, from a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to student-led presentations on the holiday’s history.

Teachers and families expressed their optimism for Memphis Merit’s new facility.

“It gives hope,” said Eden Swinney, a kindergarten teacher. “A lot of the time, we see schools that are falling apart in Memphis. (The new building) gives the opportunity for kids to feel safe, to be inspired and feel like they are in a place that allows their greatness to shine.”

Swinney saw many of her students light up when they entered the building for the first time. Their parents were impressed, too, especially by the school’s innovative safety measures, including a playground in the middle of the facility — an engineering feat that required crews to cut a hole in the roof.

“What I’m mostly excited about with the building being in my neighborhood (is) the school security,” said Jacqueline Brown-Lewis, whose son has attended Memphis Merit for years. “It’s just a sense of security as a parent to know that, when my child walks through these doors, nothing going on outside will harm (them).”

Brown-Lewis is joining Memphis Merit as Director of Schools.

The school will serve almost 500 students in kindergarten through sixth grade in 2024-25 and plans to add a new grade each of the next two years after that to become a K-8 school.

On the most recent Tennessee school report card, Memphis Merit achieved the highest possible score (5) for student growth. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate (20.8%) is better than the Memphis-Shelby County Schools average (28.9%).

“It means something greater than words to me to be able to provide to families, no matter their socioeconomic status, a high-quality option for them,” Booker said.

The road to Wednesday’s celebration was often rocky for Memphis Merit. In its first year, the school was struck by a tornado and a global pandemic. It started with eight staff members and just over 100 students, according to Booker. It now has more than 50 full-time employees and 475 students projected for the upcoming school year, with nearly 200 students on the waitlist.

“It’s a daunting process,” Booker said. “But when you’re fighting for what’s right, nothing is too much.”