New Directions Academy

New Directions Academy is a small alternative school in Charlotte, Tennessee, serving 61 students in grades 3 through 12 within the Dickson County Schools district. Its most urgent issue is chronic absenteeism: 60.5% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, far higher than the district rate of 13.6% and the state rate of 18.3%. That is a real improvement — in 2022–2023, a staggering 92.3% of students were chronically absent — but most students still miss enough class time to make academic progress difficult.

Academic proficiency is well below district and state averages. In 2024–2025, just 12% of students were proficient in ELA, compared to 44.2% in the district and 38.9% statewide; math, science, and social studies are similarly low, often 20 to 40 points behind. The school spends far more per student than typical schools — $23,595 in 2024–2025, up to $63,690 in 2022–2023 — with a student-teacher ratio of just 2.2 to 1. By contrast, Dickson County Distance Learning Academy, another alternative school in the district, spends only $5,662 per student and posts somewhat higher proficiency. Riverside Academy, a similar school in the Cheatham County Schools district, spends over $50,000 per student and also has high chronic absenteeism at 52.6%.

None of this means money is wasted; it reflects how expensive it is to support students with significant academic, behavioral, or emotional challenges. With only 61 students, test scores can swing sharply from year to year, so results need careful interpretation. Encouragingly, attendance improved dramatically in 2024–2025, and math and social studies scores ticked upward. If the school keeps reducing absenteeism, learning gains are likely to follow. For parents, the key takeaway is this: New Directions Academy provides a highly supportive, very small setting, but consistent attendance is the single most important factor for success there. It is well worth asking what supports the school offers to help families overcome attendance barriers.