Washington Leadership Academy

What Washington Leadership Academy does

Washington Leadership Academy (WLA) is a free, open-enrollment, non-selective public charter high school operating a single campus at 3015 4th Street Northeast in Washington, D.C., near the Brookland-CUA Metro station. The school serves DC-resident high school students, with an explicit focus on Black, Latinx, and differently-abled students from underrepresented communities, and is one of the first ten XQ Super Schools in the United States. Its core product is a college-preparatory academic program with a four-year computer science focus, including AP CS Principles, AP Capstone, CS Art & Music, MakerSpace, certifications, hackathons, and a mandatory junior-year internship program.

The school runs on standard third-party K-12 operational technology: PowerSchool as its student information system and Canvas as its learning management system. There is no proprietary technology platform; the school's differentiation rests on its curriculum design and its designation as an XQ Super School rather than on a custom-built software stack.

WLA is structured as a District of Columbia nonprofit public charter school governed by an independent Board of Directors (chaired by Erica Beal, with members from Citi Private Bank, EagleBank, Under Armour, and other organizations). Revenue is generated through two streams: per-pupil allocations from the DC government based on enrolled student count, and philanthropic grants from a coalition of foundations and venture philanthropy funds including Walton Family Foundation, New Schools Venture Fund, CityBridge Foundation, Charter School Growth Fund, and Building Hope. Student enrollment is administered through the citywide MySchoolDC public school lottery.

Name

Washington Leadership Academy

Legal name

Washington Leadership Academy

Website

https://washingtonleadershipacademy.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Washington Leadership Academy is a free, open-enrollment public charter high school in Washington, D.C., offering college-prep academics with a four-year computer science focus. It serves DC students, particularly those from underrepresented communities, and is one of ten XQ Super Schools in the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter High School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• College preparatory education
• Computer science curriculum
• High school education
• STEM secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Government Funding: As a public charter school, WLA receives per-pupil funding from the District of Columbia government based on student enrollment
2. Philanthropic Grants and Donations: Funding from foundations including Walton Family Foundation, New Schools Venture Fund, CityBridge Foundation, Charter School Growth Fund, and others

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Washington Leadership Academy operates a free, open-enrollment, non-selective public charter high school in Washington, D.C. that delivers college-preparatory academics integrated with a four-year computer science curriculum, including AP CS Principles, CS Art & Music, hands-on MakerSpace experience, certifications, and hackathons, complemented by a mandatory junior-year internship, AP Capstone, community service, and civic engagement programming.

Product overview

Washington Leadership Academy is a single K-12 educational institution (public charter high school), not a technology product company. The school offers a unified educational program combining college-prep academics with a computer science focus. Key programmatic offerings include: AP courses (AP CS Principles, AP Capstone, AP Art & Music), MakerSpace for hands-on technology experience, a mandatory junior-year internship program, community service requirements, and career/college readiness pathways. The school utilizes third-party educational technology platforms (PowerSchool for student information, Canvas for learning management) but these are operational tools, not products sold to others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Washington Leadership Academy High School

Quantifiable outcome

• Every student graduates prepared for 4-year college with access to AP courses

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• XQ The Super School ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational initiative that selected WLA as one of the first ten XQ Super Schools, providing strategic support and recognition.
• Next Generation Learning ChallengesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on advancing next generation learning models in education.
• LearnServe InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides opportunities for students to develop entrepreneurial skills through social entrepreneurship programs.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPminorOthersLaw firm providing legal support and pro bono services to the school.
• StemlyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM education organization supporting the school's technology and science programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: National charter school network known for rigorous college-prep academics including STEM/CS emphasis. Comparable on the academic-rigor-plus-CS differentiation angle.
• KIPP (National): Largest U.S. charter network; parent organization of KIPP DC. Comparable college-prep, equity-focused charter model with national foundation relationships.
• Achievement First: Multi-state charter school network operating dozens of college-prep campuses with a similar equity/college-readiness mission. Comparable on model and mission; broader geographic footprint than WLA.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based high-performing charter network with rigorous college-prep academics. Comparable mission and selectivity-free college-prep model, though different geography.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national charter network with strong college-prep outcomes and STEM/CS pathways. Comparable on college-readiness-plus-tech-career positioning.
• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter network operating college-prep campuses serving predominantly low-income students of color. Comparable on mission and demographics.

Direct peers

• KIPP DC: Largest charter school network in Washington, D.C. operating multiple college-prep campuses with a similar equity-focused mission and per-pupil-plus-philanthropy funding model. Most directly comparable peer on geography and student demographic.
• DC Prep: DC-based public charter school network serving elementary through middle school with a college-prep mission. Directly comparable on geography, charter model, and equity-focused student population.
• SEED Schools: College-prep charter boarding school network serving predominantly underrepresented students. Comparable on equity mission and college-prep rigor, though residential model differs.

Emerging players

• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable as a charter operator peer, though with a broader rather than college-prep-focused positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/washingtonleadershipacademy
• Xx.com/WLApcs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington Leadership Academy