American Leadership Academy

American Leadership Academy (ALA) is a regional group of tuition-free public charter schools headquartered in Mesa, Arizona which provides education for Pre-K-12 students.^[1] ALA currently consists of over 30 schools located in Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina; as of the 2019–2020 school year, enrollment exceeded 10,500 students.^[2]

American Leadership Academy
Address
6913 E. Rembrandt Ave. Mesa, Arizona , Maricopa County, Arizona, 85212 United States
District information
Type	Public Charter School System
Grades	Pre-K-12
Established	2009 (16 years ago) (2009)
President	Ralph Pew
Vice-president	Lacey Brown
School board	Brandon Clarke, Treasurer Peter Evans, Director Kacey Hammar, Secretary
Governing agency	Arizona State Board for Charter Schools
District ID	charter.one
Students and staff
Enrollment	10,500+
Athletic conference	AIA, CAA
District mascot	Patriots, Warriors, Eagles, Falcons, Pathfinders, Mavericks
Colors	Red, White, Blue
Other information
Website	www.alaschools.org

ALA's Vision is to: Learn. Lead. Change the World!

ALA's Mission Statement is to: In support of the family, provide the best educational experience to as many students as possible in a moral and wholesome environment.^[3]

ALA's core values are their R.A.I.S.E. values (Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service, Excellence).^[4]

There is no known official affiliation between American Leadership Academy and the K-12 school of the same name in Spanish Fork, Utah.

ALA's current district needs are fulfilled by Charter One, an education management organization,^[3] which was founded in 2018. Charter One is currently owned by SGW Holdings, LLC.^[5]

History

American Leadership Academy, Inc. was founded by Ryan Christensen and Glenn Way in 2009.

ALA's first school was their Gilbert Elementary location, and it opened in 2009.

On June 18, 2025, Shane Smeed, a member of ALA Arizona Board of Directors, resigned from the ALA Arizona Board.^[6] Smeed did not offer a reason for resigning, but thanked the board for their service and said that he enjoyed his time on the board.

Campuses and locations

Arizona Schools

Queen Creek Campus

Referred to as "The Home of the ALA Patriots," this campus is located on the southwest corner of E. Chandler Heights Blvd. and S. Hawes Rd. in Queen Creek, Arizona and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - Queen Creek High School
• American Leadership Academy - Queen Creek Elementary School

Ironwood Campus

This campus, known also as "The Home of the ALA Warriors," is located on W. Combs Rd. (between S. Rittenhouse Rd. and N. Gantzel Rd.) in Queen Creek, Arizona and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - Ironwood High School
• American Leadership Academy - Ironwood Elementary School

Gilbert North Campus

Dubbed as "The Home of the ALA Eagles," this campus is located on the northwest corner of S. Higley Rd. and the Santan Freeway in Gilbert, Arizona and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North High School
• American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North Elementary School

West Foothills Campus

This campus is known as "The Home of the Guardians," this campus is located West of AZ Loop 303 on Olive Ave in Waddell, Arizona and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - West Foothills High School
• American Leadership Academy - West Foothills Elementary School

Mesa North Campus

This campus is known as "The Home of the Mavericks," this campus is located on the southwest corner of N. Recker Rd. and E. Thomas Road in Mesa, Arizona and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - Mesa North High School
• American Leadership Academy - Mesa North Elementary School

Other Locations

There are also several independent schools not located on a major campus. They are as follows:

• American Leadership Academy - Gilbert Elementary
• American Leadership Academy - Gilbert South Elementary
• American Leadership Academy - Mesa Elementary
• American Leadership Academy - Signal Butte Elementary
• American Leadership Academy - San Tan Valley Elementary
• American Leadership Academy - Anthem South Elementary
• American Leadership Academy - Virtual K-12
• American Leadership Academy - Virtual Sierra Vista Learning Center
• American Leadership Academy - Applied Technologies Pre-K and 7-12

North Carolina Schools

Johnston Campus

This campus is located on US-70 BUS W in Clayton, North Carolina and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - Johnston High School
• American Leadership Academy - Johnston Elementary School

South Carolina Schools

Lexington Campus

This campus is located on Innovation Place in Lexington, South Carolina and features the following schools:

• American Leadership Academy - Lexington High School
• American Leadership Academy - Lexington Elementary School

Other Locations in the Carolinas

• American Leadership Academy - Coastal Pre-K-10
• American Leadership Academy - Charlotte Pre-K-6