On the Merit System

Mornings at Memphis Merit Academy begin with 112 kindergarteners and first graders in crisp maroon uniforms chanting the school mantra:

“Who are we?
Merit Academy!
Where are we going?
To college!”

A charter school opened in 2019, Merit is located in Parkway Village, one of Memphis’ most disadvantaged neighborhoods. In this community, 65 percent of children under the age of 5 live in poverty. Liquor stores outnumber grocery stores and the crime rate is among the highest in Memphis.

“We know what we refer to as ‘the brutal facts,’ but we don’t let them get in the way,” says Lakenna Booker, Merit’s founder and head of school. “Every student deserves a school where the leaders and teachers work daily to close the achievement gap between affluent and non-affluent students. Merit is that school.”

Merit’s location was chosen with care. In a low-income community, ease of transportation can be a critical factor in whether a child makes it to school regularly or not; it was important that the school be located within the Parkway Village community. Merit plans to add a grade every year up to grade 8, so it was vital that the space chosen offer room for growth.

HOPE not only provided funding for renovations to the space, but played a critical role in choosing it.

“HOPE was a partner in our two-year planning process,” Booker says. “HOPE looked at our vision and at our budget and provided realistic numbers for us to use to determine how much space and what kind of renovations we could afford.”

Merit chose a 34,000-square foot space in the heart of Parkway Village. HOPE helped develop a plan to renovate an initial 14,000 square feet, saving upfront renovation costs, but allowing Merit the space it will need to grow. Inside that space, barriers are being broken.

“Merit isn’t just closing the gap. We go beyond the gap,” says Alexia Hudson, Merit kindergarten teacher. “We aren’t just giving our students a seat at the table. We are building the table.”