Leading Edge Academy celebrates new wing

By R. Mason Callejas

The Leading Edge Academy charter school hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday to inaugurate the newest wing of their Maricopa campus.

In attendance were representatives from city and state governments and the nearby Ak-Chin Indian Community. State Sen. Steve Smith and Maricopa Vice Mayor Marvin Brown spoke at the event, each voicing their admiration for the academy’s success and underpinning the growth of charter schools.

Smith asserted pride in the state’s education policy and its role in promoting attendance at charter schools like Leading Edge.

“Arizona is No. 1 in the nation in school choice,” Smith Said. “So if you’re a parent you vote with your feet, you vote with your dollars.”

Brown also spoke of the potential fiscal backwash of education, citing conversations with developers and businesses where, along with inquires about population and infrastructure, education was of paramount concern.

“We brag and we brag mightily of our charter schools, and this school [Leading Edge Academy] especially,” Brown said.

The newly constructed 28,500-square-foot multi-story addition at 18700 N. Porter Road provides students with a full-size gymnasium and 18 new classrooms nearly doubling the school’s size.

Lead Edge Expansion Ribbon Cutting

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