Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa

www.leadingedgeacademy.com/new/east-mesa/

Charter School 211 Students

Other K - 12th

School Overview

Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa is a tuition-free public charter school serving students in grades K-8. The school is part of a larger network of Arizona charter schools that emphasizes a values-based curriculum, focusing on character development alongside traditional academic rigor. Their educational philosophy is built upon the "Leader in Me" framework, which integrates Stephen Covey’s *7 Habits of Highly Effective People* into the daily school experience to help students develop leadership skills, responsibility, and goal-setting abilities.

Academically, the school maintains a structured learning environment that balances core subjects like math, reading, and science with enrichment opportunities. By fostering a close-knit campus culture, Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa prioritizes small-school benefits, such as increased individualized attention for students and a strong partnership between teachers and families. The school aims to prepare its students not only for academic success in high school but also to become productive, principled members of their community.

211

Total Students

18.0

Full-Time Teachers

11.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa
Demographic	Student Count
White	101
Hispanic	90
Black	4
Asian	1
Two or More	13
American Indian	2

White
101 (47.9%)
Hispanic
90 (42.7%)
Two or More
13 (6.2%)
Black
4 (1.9%)
American Indian
2 (0.9%)
Asian
1 (0.5%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Other
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	LEAD Charter Schools (79967)
Phone:	(480)984-5646
Website:	http://www.leadingedgeacademy.com/new/east-mesa/
Grade Range:	K - 12th
Total Students:	211
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	18.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	11.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 23

Grade 1 27

Grade 2 27

Grade 3 23

Grade 4 18

Grade 5 26

Grade 6 21

Grade 7 27

Grade 8 19