New charter school based on traditional educational values breaks ground in Lexington

Lexington, SC 05/25/2022 - On Wednesday, May 25, local community leaders gathered to break ground on the new American Leadership Academy Lexington campus located near the intersection of Highway 6 and I-20.

Several guests of honor were present at the ceremony, including Lexington Mayor Steve MacDougall, Lexington Town Council Member and Charter Institute at Erskine Board Member the Honorable Todd Carnes, Charter Institute at Erskine Superintendent Cameron Runyan, American Leadership Academy Lexington Board Chair Reese McCurdy, and several other members of the school’s Board.

“We are one of the fastest growing communities in the state,” said Carnes. “This is going to be a great addition to our community. Any time anybody wants to come here and offer great programming and great education for our students and the people of our town, we’re excited to have them here.”

American Leadership Academy Lexington (ALA) is a K-12 tuition-free public charter school that will open its doors to an anticipated 2,000 students in August 2023. The campus will include a lower and upper school building as well as a baseball field, softball field, and football field. The mission of American Leadership Academy is to “provide the best educational experience to as many students as possible in a moral and wholesome environment”. ALA aims to “[combine] academic excellence and character development to create an exceptional educational experience where students can grow as leaders in the classroom and in their community.”

American Leadership Academy was granted a charter by the Charter Institute at Erskine’s Board of Directors in 2021. The Lexington campus is the first of three approved schools, with two more ALA schools anticipated to open in Greenville and North Augusta in the coming years.

“We are excited to bring an innovative school choice option to the Lexington community and look forward to bringing these opportunities to more communities statewide,” said Runyan.

Learn more about American Leadership Academy Lexington at www.alaschools.org/lexington.