Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy

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Status: Opened 1996
Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 155

Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy Charter School began in 1996 with a focus on art and a partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona. The museum hosts the school's five modular buildings on its 400-acre campus. In return, the school offers its buildings to the museum for summer outreach programs. The modulars accommodate not only academic classrooms, but also a dance studio. The museum offers students and teachers a library, as well as apprenticeship and staff development opportunities. Additionally, Flagstaff Academy teachers integrate museum exhibits into the school curriculum.

A dance studio is housed in a modular unit.

One of the school's five modular buildings.

Academy director Karen Butterfield says the school's most helpful facilities resource has been the CEO of the museum, Mike Fox, because he holds an overall vision for a multigenerational campus. He has been supportive not only of the school, but also of a senior citizens' community living center that opened at the museum in 1999. The school has leased the modulars for five years and plans during that time to build a permanent building on the campus that will fit in with the architectural style of the museum and senior center.

The school shares an auditorium with the museum of Northern Arizona.

The school's founders are currently in the process of raising capital funds for the construction project, estimated at $3 million. Their main challenge is finding adequate funding. Since the school is located on private property, no public funds can be used to build the permanent facilities. Based on her experience, the director advises charter school developers interested in partnering with other organizations to make sure that the visions of the two organizations are aligned, to anticipate needs, and to get advice from experts. Finally, she emphasizes that any successful partnership must be based on open communication and trust.

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