Frequently Asked Questions - American Leadership Academy | Tuition-Free PK-12 Charter Schools (2024)

We will begin tours of the campus once construction is completed. We are not able to be on the campus until we receive the letter of occupancy.

We do not foresee this happening. Construction is ahead of schedule at this point. ALA Johnston has contracted with School House Development to build the school. They have built over 80 schools. School House Construction has been through this process before.

Currently, the Course Catalog is waiting for final revisions and approval. Once the Course Catalog has approval, the Course Catalog will be posted on the school website AND an email with the course selection process link and instructions will be sent to each 7-10 student. Update - The email for the 7th-10th students has gone out (2/23/22). In that email, there is a link to the form students will use to select their elective classes. Those courses need to be selected by 3/4/22.

For the JH/HS students, starting Spring and early Summer, our Student Service department will be reviewing transcripts and placing students in needed classes, and finalizing schedules. Official transcripts will be needed to finalize course acceptance and complete the graduation plan.

Scheduling will happen in late Spring and early Summer for student placement and class schedules. As the school starts getting closer, more information will follow about teachers, schedule, and schedule changes.

The school is projected to be finished a month before school starts. The building so far is on schedule and progress will be able to be seen on the school’s websites.

The school day begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 3:00 pm. These times may be subject to change. A final schedule will be posted in the Spring.

Unsupervised students are not allowed on campus prior to 7:30 am or after 3:30 pm. There is a childcare program for those families who need to have students on campus different than these times. There are a few programs/activities that run before or after these times like sports and marching band that will be the exceptions.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the first day of school is August 22, 2022. There will be several events happening on campus prior to this first day. More announcements to come about Patriot Days, Back to School Days, and Meet the Teachers Night.

ALA Johnston is on a traditional school calendar.

The monthly and yearly calendar will be available on the school’s website once it has Board approval.

Yes, ALA Johnston partners with Innovation Learning to provide before and after-school care. Registration and tuition information is forthcoming.

No, K-6 students do not switch classes except for Specials (PE, art, music, technology, leadership).

Yes, both the junior high and high school students have 7 class periods a day that switch each period.

Yes, students can drive to school with proof of a driver’s license, the parking fee is paid, and a parent permission slip is signed.

Yes, 7-12 students share the same building but there is an attempt to separate them as best as possible with different lunches, assemblies, and by course subjects.

There are two separate buildings for the elementary and JH/HS students. There will only be a handful of times that the JH/HS student will be on the Elementary campus. The junior high and high school students are in the same building but in general, junior high students will be on one floor and high school students will be on another floor. The seventh and eighth-grade students will have the first lunch and the upper grades will eat at the second lunch.

No, ALA Johnston is not an allergy or nut-free school. Food allergies must be reported to the Health Office. Students with severe allergies should complete an allergy action plan, which will be available at the Health Office.

Yes, we have a school nurse (RN) and 1 or 2 health aides.

Yes, we encourage parents to be involved in the classrooms. The teachers will communicate with the families regarding opportunities to volunteer in the classroom. The administration will communicate opportunities to volunteer at events and activities.

Both the elementary and JH/HS buildings have full-size serving kitchens and a cafeteria.

No, students should bring lunches from home that do not require warming.

Yes, students will eat lunch in the cafeteria with their peers. Lunch will be available for purchase. A lunch menu will be posted to the ALA Johnston website each month.

Student safety is one of ALA Johnston’s top priorities and therefore ALA Johnston maintains a closed campus. Students are prohibited from leaving campus for any reason during school hours or during after-school activities unless excused or accompanied by the adult supervisor of that activity.

Students should bring lunches to school that do not require warming, we do not provide microwaves for student use.

The K-6 students are in a separate building than the 7-12 junior high and high school building. There will be some interaction between the grade levels at times, but everyday school life is separate.

Class size depends on grade levels and subjects. Lower grades will have fewer students and upper grades will have more students per class. At the JH/HS class size is determined by subjects. P.E will have more students than an AP class. Classes should average 25, 28, and 30 per class.

Yes, to help the traffic flow off of Business 70 and in and out of the school, there will be turn lanes and a stoplight.

There will be an eleventh grade added in 2023-2024 and then a twelfth grade added in 2024-2025.

ALA does not notify the previous school the student is transferring to ALA Johnston. The families should visit or contact the previous school and notify them of the transfer.

You may apply for admittance through ALA Johnston’s website during the open enrollment period. At the close of the open enrollment period, a lottery will be held to determine students’ acceptance and enrollment into the school. Update- This lottery has happened. At this point, some grade levels have reached capacity and have a waiting list, and others grade levels are on a “first-come, first enrolled” basis.

Currently, the Student Handbook is waiting for final revisions and Board approval. Once the Student Handbook has Board approval, the Handbook will be available on the school’s website.

Students who were accepted at the time of the Lottery were notified through email. Those families who were not accepted at the time of the Lottery received notification through email. Those families have been placed on waiting lists. As families come and go over the next few months, those families on the waiting list will be moved off the waiting list and placed in the school. At that time, families will be notified through email.

Now that the Lottery is over, grade levels with openings, those families are on a first-come, first enrolled basis. That placement notification will be through an email. The first initial acceptance emails have gone out. As families accept or decline their spot at ALA. the next set of acceptance emails is sent out. This process continues until all the spots are filled.

Until mandated by law, masks and COVID vaccines will be optional. We will follow the mandates set by the county and state.

Limited free transportation will be provided. The bus stops will be determined based on the location of students requesting transportation. These will be shuttles from one location to another rather than neighborhood pickups.

At registration, one of the fields needed on the application for completion was a question of whether bussing was needed. Once we know where most students live who have requested bussing, shuttle routes will be determined. Parents will be notified through email once students have been placed on a route or not.

Yes, students in grades K-12 wear uniforms. *Parent-Student Handbook with additional details to be posted to the webpage soon.

In the Spring, the link to the ALA Apparel shop will become active. It is through that link uniforms can be ordered. Each month, starting in March, we will have uniform nights which will allow families to try on sizes and select options before they order online. The events will be announced through emails and the school website.

Once the Student Handbook has finished its final revisions and is approved by the Board, there will be a link on the school’s website for the Handbook that has a detailed description of the dress code for ALA Johnston.

ALA Johnson will have embroidered polo shirts and screen Friday shirts available online through our apparel shop. We will notify parents once the online apparel shop is open. We also will have a few uniform evenings in the Spring so students can try on shirt sizes. We will also stock a limited supply of shirts in the front offices for in-person purchases once school starts.

No. ALA Johnston provides a full-time in-person educational experience.

ALA Johnston’s instructional model is Direct Instruction complemented with Project-Based Learning. We believe that for an education to be transformational, it must be rigorous. At ALA Johnston we hold all students to high expectations and engage students in a rigorous curriculum.

Yes, at the K-6 level, students will participate in a rotation of PE, Music, Art, Technology and Leadership. At the 7-12 level a variety of electives will be offered in Physical Fitness, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, and more!

Yes, teachers will provide weekly tutoring sessions based on student needs.

ALA Johnston offers Standard, Honors, and STEM diplomas.

Through ALA Johnston’s partnership with nearby colleges, students in grades 9-12 may take college-level courses which can be applied towards high school graduation credit requirements.

RAISE Leadership lessons are taught once per week. However, RAISE is incorporated into everything we do. RAISE is embedded into every lesson and is referenced and practiced throughout the day, every day.

All students will have access to a Chromebook when needed. Chromebooks will stay on campus and will NOT be sent home for daily use. The use of the Chromebooks is limited to benchmark testing, state testing, and specific classroom assignments. Most classwork, homework, and assignments will be completed by hand.

Our primary focus is one highly effective Tier 1 instruction, which reduces the need to rely on intervention programs. However, additional support, when needed, will be provided to students by classroom teachers in a variety of ways including adjusting instruction and reteaching, small group instruction, and tutoring. Additionally, Exceptional Student Services will be available for those students who qualify.

For both 504s and IEPs, accommodations will follow the existing 504 or IEP.

School communication will typically be sent to families through PowerSchool, by email, and/or by phone. Teacher communication should be on a weekly basis.

Yes, this will include the Beginning-of-Grade 3, Grade 3 Read to Achieve (RTA), ECOs, and EOGs.

At a minimum, 50% of ALA Johnston teachers will be certified.