Millington Early Learning Academy

Millington Municipal Schools to Open North Shelby County’s
First Publicly Owned Early Learning Academy

New Academy to Begin Serving Pre-K Students in Fall 2025 
in Partnership with Porter Leath & First 8 Memphis

Millington, TN – Millington Municipal School District (MMSD) is preparing for an exciting expansion 2025. MMSD will open the first publicly funded, free-standing early learning academy for Pre-K students in North Shelby County next fall.

The new early learning academy will be located at 3719 Shelby Rd. in Millington, which is the former site of Lighthouse Christian Academy. MMSD purchased the building last year to increase access to high-quality education in the area and strengthen its programming from early childhood to college and career-readiness. The project is supported through a federal grant awarded to Porter-Leath to expand its Head Start programs for 3- and 4-year-old children in Shelby County.

“We are so excited and fortunate to open this new early learning academy in Millington,” MMSD superintendent Bo Griffin said. “Our community is growing rapidly, and we are committed to providing access to exceptional learning programs for local families. By partnering with Porter Leath, we can help meet the needs of our youngest learners and give them a strong foundation for their journey to graduation. We are also very proud because this project contributes to the continued growth and economic impact in Millington.”

First 8 Memphis (F8M) is also a key partner in the project. As Shelby County’s leading organization for early care and education systems-building, F8M funds and supports dozens of Pre-K classrooms across Shelby County, including multiple classrooms in Millington. F8M provides expertise and collaboration around Pre-K instruction and ongoing support for educators, as well as wraparound services for students and their families.

The new early learning academy is expected to serve approximately 150 Pre-K students in its first year, with capacity to expand up to 300. Currently, MMSD is collecting input from its families and staff for the name of the new building. The name of the academy and additional details of the project will be announced later this fall.