Forget the former thingsdo not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing!Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wildernessand streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Where to turn when no options exist
Sherita Finnie wanted something different for her only son Abayomi. As a single mother living in Memphis, Tennessee, she was aware of the numerous complex challenges of a large, urban public school district. She had a strong desire for her son to be in a Christian school that would prepare him not only for college but also for life.
Finnie was aware of numerous private school options in her city but understood that financial and geographic barriers would make these options impossible. But then she was introduced to a young Episcopal priest who dreamed of eliminating these barriers.
Finnie’s story is similar to countless others in the city of Memphis. The statistics are daunting: according to 2024 TCAP (state assessment) data, only 22.4% of 3rd-12th-grade students in Memphis Shelby County Schools “met or exceeded expectations” in reading and 20% in math. With a graduation rate at slightly over 80%, many parents feel trapped with limited options and no hope for their children.
Thanks to visionary leadership and very generous donor support, Memphis has been blessed by a unique and hopeful option that has impacted not only the children and families served, but the entire community.
Visionary leadership
Fresh off his graduation from Princeton Theological Seminary, Stephen Carpenter was recruited to return to his hometown to start something new. Carpenter had attended all of the finest schools and was determined to act on his belief that all children deserved the same quality of educational opportunities regardless of their socioeconomic status or address. He and his school co-founder Lila Wilkinson literally went door to door in the housing projects of downtown Memphis and offered a private, Christian, college-preparatory education to anyone wanting to come.
Launched in the basement of a church, New Hope Christian Academy started with 20 students in K-2nd grade in 1996. Adding a new grade each year, they quickly outgrew their space and were forced to move. Carpenter negotiated a great deal so New Hope could renovate and eventually inhabit the vacated Federal Reserve Bank located at 168 Jefferson Avenue. With a playground on the roof and a chapel housed in the old vault, New Hope was one of the most unique schools in the region, located in the heart of downtown Memphis.
The closing and renovating of many housing complexes in the downtown area displaced numerous families. New Hope followed them. Acquiring an abandoned private school in the North Memphis community of Frayser, New Hope continued to grow, impacting hundreds of children and families by challenging the generational curse of educational inequity. The irony of this facility is profound: a school built to escape the integration of schools in the 1970s was purchased, renovated, and repurposed to provide streams in a wasteland of education.
The uniqueness of New Hope Christian Academy
From its humble beginnings in the basement of a church, New Hope Christian Academy now serves 420 students each year in grades PK3-6. With 80% of their students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, 99% receive financial aid, and tuition is on a sliding scale. This year alone, New Hope will award $4.2 million in financial aid.
Traditional private schools rely on tuition income and fees to fund the majority of their programs. At New Hope 87% of the budget comes from private donations, and 99% of students enrolled receive substantial financial aid. This model necessitates endowment funding and continual generosity from the community.
New Hope’s campus includes a five-acre urban farm and forest that provide hands-on learning opportunities. Under the guidance of a full-time horticulturist, students and teachers grow a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. They offer a “pay-what-you-can” fresh fruit and vegetable stand to the Frayser community every Friday, and the students, faculty, and staff consume what they grow as well.
New Hope for life
As the school grew, the founders realized that continued support of alumni was crucial to long-term success. Even after deciding to terminate their onsite offerings after 6th grade, each New Hope graduate has the opportunity to attend any private school in Memphis with continued funding via “The New Hope Scholarship.” Of their current 230 alumni in grades 7-12, 69% attend a private school and 31% attend a high-quality public or charter school.
New Hope’s graduation rate throughout their 28-year history is an astounding 99.9%. Their Alumni Scholarship Office tracks each student through the end of their educational journey and beyond. Tracking the education of the 230 alumni in grades 7-12 and the lives of 372 alumni post high school has been a remarkable achievement. Thanks to these efforts, 63% of New Hope’s alumni have either graduated from college, are enrolled in college, are serving in the military, or are actively pursuing a certification program.
Current Head of School Lionel Cable often says, “We are about cultivating the next generation of leaders and Christ followers. The impact that New Hope is having on the students we serve is inspiring, and the impact that they will have on our great city will be transformational.”
