Original Research by School Decision on James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy High School
James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy High School is a tuition-free public charter school on Indianapolis’s Far Eastside, serving grades nine through twelve. It opened in the 2020-2021 school year, making it a relatively new option for families in that part of the city. The school is part of the Phalen Leadership Academies network, and its enrollment has grown quickly since opening, reaching a size that is moderate for a high school. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic share and a very small number of white students. The school does not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor does it report the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and the supports available.
State testing data was not available for this school, so a direct measure of academic proficiency against state standards is not part of this account. The school is too new to have a reported four-year graduation rate, and the comparison among Marion County’s districts shows that overall proficiency data was not applicable for this entity. The chronic absenteeism rate sits above the midpoint among the county’s districts, meaning a substantial share of students miss a significant number of school days, which is a soft spot a parent may want to look into further with the school. Per-pupil current spending is in the middle range, lower half, among Marion County’s districts.
The school has established a career pathways program that offers industry certifications and dual-credit college courses in fields including Early Education, CNA, Cosmetology and Barbering, Business, Computer Science, and Welding. Publicly reported information indicates that a large portion of high school students complete at least one career certification or dual-credit course before graduation, which is a clear strength for families interested in a practical, career-connected pathway. The school also broke ground on a major athletic complex, a significant capital investment that will provide dedicated facilities for football, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, dance, and other sports.
Because this is a single-school district, the district and the school are the same entity. The school is authorized by the Indiana Charter School Board. A parent considering this school will want to ask about the academic program in more detail, since state testing results are not available in this data, and about the supports for the substantial share of students who are chronically absent. The career pathways and the new athletic facilities are concrete offerings that distinguish this school from many traditional district high schools in the area.
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