Experience the Difference at Woodbury Leadership Academy

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Woodbury Leadership Academy (WLA) is a tuition-free, K-12 public charter school that is committed to student success, academic rigor, small class sizes and high teacher retention. WLA offers a welcoming, diverse and inclusive culture to all learners.

This fall WLA purchased the building adjacent to the current building for the upper grades – expanding their campus – yet keeping class sizes small. This is what creates the community they are known for. A place where students are loved, known, and challenged. “Choosing WLA offers the benefit of small class sizes. The teachers are dedicated and the close-knit environment ensures that staff members know my child – creating a supportive and welcoming atmosphere.” says Jennifer, a parent of a Kindergarten & 2nd grade student.

Woodbury Leadership Academy is able to offer a smaller setting that really personalizes education, yet have very strong, rigorous academics. WLA caps Kindergarten at 20 students whereas other schools in the area are as high as 26 students per class. WLA caps class sizes at 22 students in grades 1-3, and 24 students in grades 4-5 compared to other schools in the area as high as 30 students per class. In middle school their class sizes cap at 24 students, compared to other schools in the area as high as 34. The results are apparent in their MCA scores. WLA outperforms the surrounding school districts in both math and reading at almost every grade level.

WLA teaches the Core Knowledge Curriculum in grades K-8. The Core Knowledge curriculum is different because it is content-specific, cumulative, and coherent, providing a detailed, grade-by-grade sequence of shared knowledge rather than general goals. This approach prioritizes building a strong foundation of shared cultural and academic knowledge to improve reading comprehension and enable all students to engage in national conversation. It focuses on knowledge-building from preschool to eighth grade, connecting subjects and ensuring that each new piece of information builds upon what students have already learned. “Coming from one of the districts that did most of their work on tablets, it was refreshing to see kids using actual books to learn and have homework! Seeing what is included in the Core Knowledge Curriculum is amazing. My first grader coming home and naming the layers of the earth and the planets was incredible to me!” says Molly, parent of 1st & 4th grade students.

WLA also has a strong character education program to ensure students develop exceptional leadership skills. The character education program includes service learning projects and a focus of five core virtues - respect, responsibility, perseverance, gratitude and humanity.

In high school, WLA offers PSEO (post-secondary educational offerings) and advanced curriculum classes. By the time students graduate they could have earned an Associated Degree at no cost. WLA is able to support students one-on-one in this process.

WLA also continues to grow its extra-curricular offerings. These activities are accessible to all students because of the smaller population, yet they will take part in the Minnesota State High School League.

To learn more, families can attend the upcoming Enrollment Showcase on Thursday, December 11 from 5-7 p.m. at 8089 Globe Drive, Woodbury MN 55125. If you can’t make it to that you can schedule a tour by calling 651-571-2100 or emailing enrollment@wlamn.org.

The enrollment lottery for 2026-2027 is now open and closes January 31, 2026 for families who want to apply. Go to https://apply.wlamn.org

You can learn more at https://www.wlamn.org and follow WLA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wlamn.org

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