Lift For Life Academy

What Lift For Life Academy does

Lift For Life Academy (LFLA) is an independent public charter school founded in 2000 and operating in its 25th academic year from a single campus at 1731 S Broadway in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis City, Missouri. The academy delivers K-12 education across three schools on one campus — Elementary (K-4), Middle School (5-8), and High School (9-12) — serving more than 800 students drawn from over 20 ZIP codes via a lottery-based PowerSchool enrollment application. The student body is 93% African American and over 90% qualify for free or reduced-price meals, with most entering one to three years below grade level in reading and math. LFLA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University, and operates with no tuition charge to families; the school is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), achieving a 70.4% three-year APR composite in 2025 with the state's highest Math growth rating.

The academy's flagship program is SOAR (Student Ownership, Autonomy & Relevance), which provides high-school students with eight career pathways — Arts and Design, Business and Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Culinary, Fashion, Health Sciences, Social Justice and Social Service, and Skilled Labor and Trades — through internships, mentorship, and dual-credit coursework delivered in partnership with Mercy Hospital (PCA certification and clinical shadowing), 1904labs (weekly coding workshops), Washington University in St. Louis (OT interns and dual credit), SLATE (paid daytime internships), Stifel/ThrottleNet/NetSkope, Milwaukee Tool and Concrete Strategies (Trades shop buildout), and St. Louis University (1818 dual-credit program). Underlying K-12 instruction is delivered through research-based commercial curricula (Heggerty, Fundations, Fountas & Pinnell, Wit & Wisdom, iReady, Big Ideas, MySci, Character Strong). The technology stack is consumer-grade and entirely vendor-sourced: PowerSchool for SIS and enrollment, Edlio for the website, PayPal/Square/IATS for donations and dues, and Trustwave for annual PCI DSS validation; the academy has no proprietary platform, no public API, and no internal AI/ML capability.

Revenue is generated exclusively through per-pupil state and local tax funding routed through the SEMO charter sponsor, supplemented by federal program allocations for a high-poverty enrollment and by philanthropic donations processed via the Foundation Board and major annual events — most notably the Fashion Showcase at The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis. There is no tuition for K-12 enrollment; preschool access is delivered through partner operators (SouthSide, Beginning Futures Learning Center, Guardian Angel Early Childhood Center). Go-to-market is lottery-based enrollment with no paid acquisition; awareness is sustained through the academy's own website, Constant Contact newsletters, Facebook/Instagram/X/Vimeo channels, and earned local media (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fox2, KMOV, KSDK, KMOX). The institution reports 25 years of operation, more than 200 combined Kindergarten/4th/8th/12th-grade graduates in 2024, and a current strategic emphasis on extending the SOAR program downward into Middle and Elementary grades and pursuing DESE accreditation milestones.

Name

Lift For Life Academy

Legal name

Lift For Life Academy

Website

https://liftforlifeacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lift For Life Academy (LFLA) is an independent, volunteer-Board-governed public charter K-12 school in St. Louis City, Missouri, serving 800+ students from 20+ ZIP codes and operating the SOAR eight-pathway career program through a 60+ community-partner ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB), Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF), College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 education services
• Career pathway programs
• Public charter schooling
• College and career readiness

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

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 State and Local Funding: As a charter school, Lift For Life Academy receives funding from state and local tax dollars. There is no charge to families. The school is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, and every dollar of funding stays at the school. Operates under sponsorship of Southeast Missouri State University.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lift For Life Academy is a public charter school providing tuition-free K-12 education on a single campus in St. Louis, Missouri, serving Elementary (K-4), Middle School (5-8), and High School (9-12) students. The academy delivers a comprehensive academic curriculum with grade-specific instructional frameworks and supplements high school programming with the SOAR (Student Ownership, Autonomy & Relevance) career-focused program offering eight pathways, internships, mentorship, and real-world career exploration.

Product overview

Lift For Life Academy is a K-12 public charter school operating as a single unified educational institution with three schools on one campus: Elementary School (K-4), Middle School (5-8), and High School (9-12). The school provides academic education through grade-specific curricula and supplements this with the SOAR (Student Ownership, Autonomy & Relevance) program for high school juniors and seniors, which offers career-focused pathways and real-world experiences. Supporting platforms include PowerSchool for enrollment and student management, and an online donation system for charitable contributions. The institution does not offer a public API or AI-powered products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lift For Life Academy K-12 Education Public charter school education program serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade across a single campus in St. Louis, MO, with Elementary (K-4), Middle (5-8), and High School (9-12) divisions.
• SOAR Program (Student Ownership, Autonomy & Relevance) A career-focused program for high school juniors and seniors providing real-world educational experiences through internships, mentorship, and career exploration across eight pathways including Arts and Design, Business and Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Culinary, Fashion, Health Sciences, Social Justice, and Trades.
• High School Curriculum Comprehensive high school academic program offering courses in Communication Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, Family & Consumer Science, World Languages (Spanish, Chinese), Business Education, Visual Arts, and Music.
• Middle School Curriculum Middle school academic program for grades 5-8 with courses in English Language Arts, Mathematics using iReady and Big Ideas Curriculum, Social Studies, Science using MySci Curriculum, and Social Emotional Learning using Character Strong Curriculum.
• Elementary School Curriculum Elementary academic program for grades K-4 using research-based curricula including Heggerty for phonemic awareness, Fundations for phonics, Fountas & Pinnell and Wit & Wisdom for reading and writing, iReady for mathematics, and Character Strong for social emotional learning.
• PowerSchool Enrollment Portal Online enrollment and registration system used for new student applications, returning student registration, and ongoing student information management through the parent and student portal.
• Donation Platform Online donation system supporting one-time and recurring donations with restricted gift options for specific funds including Bruce Schneider Memorial Fund, Fashion Show, Investing In Student Success, Literacy, STEM/Technology, and Trauma Support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Earned state's highest growth level rating in Math and second-highest in Communication Arts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 1904labscoreTechnology or IntegrationTech company in the Cortex community that developed a coding workshop for middle schoolers. Volunteers come to school once a week to teach students how to create their own apps, exposing them to a progressive tech environment and increasing self-confidence.
• Mercy HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare partner for the SOAR Health Sciences pathway. Students shadow medical professionals, complete PCA certification training, and intern at the hospital. Mercy opens doors to students for career exploration in healthcare professions.
• Southeast Missouri State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity sponsor of Lift For Life Academy's charter. Provides oversight and ensures consistent, excellent, individualized education. Offers dual credit courses through the SOAR program.
• Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Occupational Therapy programcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlants OT interns at the elementary school, offering students extra guidance and coaching to improve emotional and social regulation and enrich educational outcomes.
• St. Louis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners through SLU's 1818 program offering dual credit courses including College Philosophy, College World History, College Calculus, and Probability and Statistics for SOAR students.
• St. Louis Chess ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides chess instruction and competition opportunities for students through after-school club programs.
• The Ritz-Carlton St. LouiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Fashion Showcase event venue. Hosts the academy's major annual fundraising fashion show featuring student designs.
• SLATE (St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitates paid internships for SOAR 2 students during the school day. Helps connect students with employment opportunities in their chosen career pathways.
• EmersonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting workforce development and career exploration opportunities.
• Milwaukee ToolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated tools, volunteers, and financial support to help launch the Skilled Labor and Trades SOAR pathway.
• Concrete StrategiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to build out the shop classroom for Skilled Labor and Trades SOAR pathway students.
• SouthSidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood education partner offering programs for children ages 3-5. Creates equitable and inclusive learning opportunities with focus on education, health, connection, and anti-racist practices.
• Beginning Futures Learning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood partner providing high-quality care and education while strengthening families through parent engagement. STEAM-enriched environment cultivates multiple intelligences.
• Guardian Angel Early Childhood CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood partner offering programs for children from birth to six years. Uses creative, play-based curriculum approved by State of Missouri and Federal funders. Partner of Head Start and Early Head Start.
• Gene Slay's Boys & Girls ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development partner providing after-school programs and activities for students.
• Eye ThriveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile vision clinic providing eye exams and prescription glasses to students at no cost.
• Big Smiles DentalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile dental services providing dental care to K-12 students with consent forms on file.
• Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState program in which LFLA participates. Student Asher Yisrael won the annual JAG essay contest sponsored by Governor Parson.
• Missouri Department of Mental HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Social Justice and Social Service SOAR pathway for a pilot program to get more students into the mental health field.
• Goldfarb School of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare education partner providing additional opportunities for Health Sciences SOAR pathway students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls: Single-sex urban charter school in St. Louis serving middle and high school girls from low-income backgrounds. Comparable in demographic focus and single-campus charter structure.

Broad incumbents

• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large NYC-based charter network with strong academic outcomes. Comparable as a high-performing urban charter operator with rigorous curricula serving predominantly low-income students of color.
• Uncommon Schools: Northeast US charter network operating K-12 schools with strong college-prep outcomes. Comparable as a mission-aligned, multi-school charter operator with proven academic growth model.
• KIPP (National Network): National nonprofit charter network operating 270+ schools. Comparable in mission, college-prep curriculum, career pathways, and underserved-student focus; provides benchmark for network expansion potential.
• YES Prep Public Schools: Houston-based charter management organization operating K-12 schools. Comparable in scale, college-readiness focus, and career-pathway programming for underserved urban students.
• Noble Network of Charter Schools: Chicago-based charter network operating 18+ high schools. Comparable in career-pathway model, single-city concentration, and college/career readiness emphasis for urban students.

Direct peers

• City Garden Montessori: St. Louis City charter school serving elementary and middle school students from urban, predominantly low-income families. Comparable in mission, demographic, and city footprint.
• KIPP St. Louis: Part of the national KIPP charter network operating multiple schools in St. Louis City serving predominantly underserved students. Directly comparable urban charter operator in the same city and demographic.
• Confluence Charter Schools: St. Louis-based charter school operator serving K-12 students across multiple campuses. Closely comparable in geography, grade span, and student demographic to LFLA.
• Gateway Science Academy: St. Louis-area charter school network with strong STEM focus serving a similar urban, minority-majority student population. Comparable on grade span, demographic, and STEM/career pathway emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LifT4LifeAcad
• YouTubevimeo.com/liftforlifeacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/liftforlifeacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/liftforlifeacademy/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Lift For Life Academy