Enrollment
211
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mesa, AZ
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa
Federal NCES profile for Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040039502826Charter school
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data.
- #69 of 70
- schools in Mesa · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 46.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 211
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa ranks #69 of 70 schools in Mesa, AZ.
School address
District: Lead Charter Schools (79967) · Arizona
NCES ID 040039502826 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Free-lunch eligible
46.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-3% vs state
What stands out at Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Mesa, Arizona, enrolling 211 students.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 211 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 109 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #79, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%) (diversity index 58/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lead Charter Schools (79967) spends $9,159 per pupil, 30% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mesa's public schools, it stands alongside Eastmark High School (1,889 students): Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Lead Charter Schools (79967) also operates Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Elementary (282 students) and Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College (194 students) alongside Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa compares
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.9% | ▼ 3% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 211 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
211
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Engagement
32.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,159
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 47.9%
Hispanic or Latino 42.7%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.4, Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lead Charter Schools (79967), which includes Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa.
$9,159
Per student
-30%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.2%
State 73.6%
Federal 17.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College | Similar size | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Leading Edge Academy Online | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 282
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 194
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 70
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Mesa
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Eastmark High School
Standard public school
1,889 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Sequoia Choice School Arizona Distance Learning School
Standard public school
1,711 students
Silver Valley Elementary
Standard public school
1,384 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Astravo Online Academy
Standard public school
849 students
Eagleridge Enrichment Program
Standard public school
694 students 63.1:1 students per teacher
American Leadership Academy Virtual
Standard public school
660 students
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa's federal record.
- Compare Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa against another school. Compare schools
- Lead Charter Schools (79967)'s spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa
How many students attend Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa?
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa has 211 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mesa, AZ.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa?
46.9% of students at Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa?
The largest demographic group at Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa is White at 47.9% of enrollment, in Mesa, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa?
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa rank among schools in Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa ranks #69 of 70 schools in Mesa, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mesa on the city page.
Is Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa a good school?
Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lead Charter Schools (79967)?
Besides Leading Edge Academy at East Mesa, Lead Charter Schools (79967) also operates Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Elementary (282 students), Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College (194 students), and Leading Edge Academy Online (70 students). See the Lead Charter Schools (79967) district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.