Arizona Charter Academy

What Arizona Charter Academy does

Arizona Charter Academy (ACA) is a tuition-free, K-8 public charter school headquartered at 16025 N. Dysart Rd, Surprise, Arizona, founded in 2001 and led by co-founder and CEO Melissa Holdaway. It serves approximately 800 students from Surprise, El Mirage, and the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, maintaining a 24:1 student-to-teacher ratio and holding the A+ School of Excellence designation from the Arizona Education Foundation (awarded 2019 and 2024). The school's core academic offering is built around the Zearn Math blended-learning curriculum and the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) phonics-based reading program, supplemented by an Academic Intervention Program staffed by former principals that has produced measured outcomes including 96%+ of kindergartners at grade level in reading and a 12% year-over-year gain in 3rd-grade ELA proficiency. Beyond core academics, ACA operates an extended portfolio of differentiated programs including the Responsibility Centered Discipline framework with an onsite Solutions Room, Bulldog Adventures before/after-school care (21st Century federal grant funded), Student Ambassadors, Lunch with Leaders, School Participatory Budgeting, middle-school athletics, and clubs such as Hip-Hop, Esports, and Dungeons & Dragons.

ACA's business model is fundamentally a public-sector per-pupil funding model. As a public charter school, it draws the majority of its operating revenue from Arizona state and federal per-pupil allocations tied to enrolled student count, with secondary, marginal revenue from fee-based services (before/after care, middle-school sports, $20-$35 device protection plans, $30 birthday-shoutout LED ads) and from periodic grant awards (notably a $200K A for Arizona Expansion and Innovation Fund grant and an approximately $500K 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, both awarded in 2023). Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-led: open enrollment to Arizona families, daily campus tours, an Instagram channel (@acabulldogs), a Bulldog Bucks parent-referral program, and active community partnerships (Surprise Police Department SRO program, West Valley Rotary, ~10 area preschools for K-readiness kit distribution). The organization employs 51-100 staff and is governed by a charter school board with no parent company or PE backing identified in the available data.

Name

Arizona Charter Academy

Legal name

Arizona Charter Academy

Website

https://azcharter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arizona Charter Academy is a tuition-free, K-8 public charter school in Surprise, Arizona, serving approximately 800 students from the greater Phoenix area with Zearn Math and CKLA curricula, a 24:1 student-teacher ratio, and A+ School of Excellence designation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-8 education
• Public education
• Elementary school programs
• Middle school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Surprise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State and Federal Funding: As a public charter school, ACA receives state and federal funding based on student enrollment, similar to traditional public schools. This is the primary revenue source supporting school operations, teacher salaries, and programs.
2. Before/After School Care Fees: Fee-based before school care and after school enrichment programs for families needing extended childcare beyond regular school hours.
3. Middle School Sports Fees: Fees charged for middle school athletics programs.
4. Device Protection Plans: $20 for device protection management, $35 with laptop coverage.
5. Birthday Shoutout Ads: $30 fee for displaying birthday messages on the school's LED sign during the student's birthday week.
6. Tax Credit Donations: Arizona provides a tax credit for donations to public schools, allowing donors to redirect state tax liability to school donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arizona Charter Academy is a tuition-free K-8 public charter school providing full-day kindergarten, elementary grades 1-4, and middle school grades 5-8 instruction, supplemented by before/after school care, athletics, clubs, academic intervention, civic learning, and leadership development programs. Core instruction relies on the Zearn Math blended learning curriculum and Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) phonics program, while behavior is managed through the Responsibility Centered Discipline framework and a dedicated Solutions Room. The school charges no tuition and serves approximately 800 students from Surprise, El Mirage, and the greater Phoenix area.

Product overview

Arizona Charter Academy is a free, public K-8 charter school offering a unified educational program. The core offerings include free full-day kindergarten (with Early Kindergarten option), elementary grades 1-4, and middle school grades 5-8. The school operates as a unified educational platform with curriculum programs (CKLA for English Language Arts, Zearn Math), student support services (Academic Intervention Program, Solutions Room), enrichment programs (After School Enrichment, Bulldog Adventures, 21st Century Program), and extracurricular activities (Hip-Hop Club, Esports Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, Musical Theatre Summer Camp, Middle School Athletics). Additional programs include leadership development (Student Ambassadors, Leadership Elective Class, Lunch with Leaders), behavior management (Responsibility Centered Discipline, Schoolwide Culture Rubric), civic learning (School Participatory Budgeting), and safety initiatives (School Resource Officer). The school maintains a 24:1 student-teacher ratio and provides programs at no additional charge including STEM, Art, Music, and a wide variety of clubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-8 Public Charter School Education Tuition-free K-8 public charter school education serving approximately 800 students in kindergarten through 8th grade, organized into a kindergarten program, elementary grades 1-4, and middle school grades 5-8, with a 24:1 student-teacher ratio. Includes rigorous academics, character education (GREAT Values), enrichment, athletics, leadership, and civic learning.
• Free Full-Day Kindergarten Tuition-free, full-day kindergarten program aligned to national ELA and Math standards, using CKLA for literacy and Zearn Math. Includes an Early Kindergarten track for students who turn 5 between October 1 and December 31 who may promote to 1st grade.
• After School Enrichment Program Fee-based before school care and after school enrichment programs for families needing extended childcare beyond regular school hours.
• Middle School Athletics Competitive athletics program for middle school students that promotes teamwork, confidence, and school pride. Participation requires a per-sport fee.
• Bulldog Adventures (21st Century Program) Before and after school tutoring and enrichment program serving grades 2-6, with academic tutoring on Tuesdays-Thursdays and enrichment activities on Fridays. Funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant.
• Academic Intervention Program Small group tutoring program staffed by former principals that pulls K-4 students to close achievement gaps and improve reading outcomes, with 96%+ of participating kindergarteners reaching or exceeding grade level.
• Musical Theatre Summer Camp Intensive 10-day summer program in which students in grades 5-8 learn and perform a full musical theatre production.
• School Participatory Budgeting Civic learning program in which middle school students allocate real school funds for improvement projects, learning democratic decision-making.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96%+ of kindergarten students on or above grade level in reading
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Surprise Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership providing a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) on campus. Officer Nick Wylie serves in three roles: law enforcement officer ensuring campus safety, public safety educator providing knowledge about the law, and informal counselor/mentor building relationships with students. The partnership provides significant benefit by fostering greater sense of safety and security among students and staff.
• Mad Science of NE PhoenixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience enrichment provider for weekly hands-on science experiences in summer school program. Through interactive experiments, demonstrations, and activities, students explore scientific concepts in an educational and engaging way.
• Area Preschools and Community CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with approximately 10 area preschools and community centers to distribute Kindergarten Readiness Kits to Pre-K families and promote early childhood education transitions to kindergarten.
• Responsibility Centered Discipline (RCD)coreTechnology or IntegrationProven discipline program partner providing training and support for ACA's behavior management approach. Includes onsite master certified trainer who trains staff. The 3-year investment focuses on helping students take responsibility for actions and develop plans to change behavior.
• City of Surprise OfficialsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Surprise city officials and other charter school leaders to secure a $72,000 federal grant for safer routes to school. Working together provides benefit to the community and supports the charter school movement.
• National Honor Society and Mentor ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-led service organizations contributing to civic engagement and service learning projects that are a strength of ACA's civic education programs.
• West Valley Rotary ClubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through service learning projects contributing to ACA's civic engagement awards and student development programs.
• Community Organizations and Local BusinessesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious community partnerships for Lunch with Leaders program speakers, including Surprise and El Mirage city council members, former military members, and West Valley bankers. Also includes local food trucks for school carnivals.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Imagine Schools: National charter management organization operating tuition-free K-8 schools in multiple states including Arizona. Comparable public-charter operator with similar per-pupil funding model and community-based enrollment approach.
• National Heritage Academies: National charter management organization operating tuition-free K-8 (and some K-12) schools with a 'moral focus' character-education program. Comparable business model and program architecture to ACA's GREAT Values and character programs.
• ASU Preparatory Academy: Network of charter schools affiliated with Arizona State University serving K-12 across multiple Phoenix-area campuses. Comparable as a high-performing Arizona charter with university backing, though broader in scope than ACA's single-site K-8 model.

Direct peers

• Candeo Schools: Tuition-free Arizona charter serving K-8 in the Phoenix west valley (Peoria/Glendale). Comparable single-site or small-network charter with rigorous academics and character education focus.
• Legacy Traditional Schools: Large Arizona-based charter network with multiple campuses across the Phoenix metro including Surprise, offering tuition-free K-8 education with a comparable community-and-character emphasis.
• Great Hearts Academies: Multi-site Arizona charter network offering tuition-free classical liberal arts K-12 education. Competes with ACA in the Phoenix metro for families seeking rigorous, character-driven public charter options.
• American Leadership Academy: Arizona charter school network operating multiple campuses in the Phoenix area, including locations near Surprise. Comparable tuition-free K-8 model with athletics, arts, and character education.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Arizona-headquartered K-12 charter network consistently ranked among the top-performing public schools in the U.S. Directly comparable as a tuition-free Arizona charter competing for the same high-performing-family demographic in the Phoenix metro.

Regional players

• Dysart Unified School District: The traditional public school district that serves the Surprise, AZ area where ACA operates. Direct local competitor for students and per-pupil funding within ACA's immediate geography.

Emerging players

• K12 Inc. (Stride): National online learning operator offering tuition-free virtual charter K-12 programs in Arizona. Adjacent competitor sharing the public-charter funding model but delivering instruction online rather than at a physical campus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/azcharteracademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/acabulldogs
• Xx.com/ACAbulldogs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Arizona Charter Academy