Arizona Lutheran Academy

I’m on the fence. I went here freshmen through junior year (’07-’10) and it was a mixed bag. If you’re not WELS Lutheran, you or your kid won’t be accepted as easily unless you’re a hardcore PTA mom type. They are not tolerant towards anybody different: if you’re pregnant you kicked out, if you’re gay you get kicked out. My brothers year (class of ’10) was a very rowdy class and my class was told that we shouldn’t be friends with them because they weren’t headed in the right direction. The campus pastor told my brother he wasn’t going to amount to anything. Granted, he hasn’t but you don’t tell a kid that. My freshman year, there was this thing with a guy who sexually harassed me and the principle told me I was trying to ruin a good Christian boy’s reputation. So the teachers and administrators? With the exception of Mr. Gray and Ms. T, they could use some work. Mr. Gray and Ms. T are phenomenal. The curriculum was challenging and I learned a lot. Even though I didn’t agree with the religion classes, it was great to learn about another point of view and it helped me to solidify my beliefs. Extra Curriculars are pretty good, too. It’s not a school you go to to get a sports scholarship, but they’re run well and they bring some great experiences to the table. Going to NYC with the choir is the single happiest memory of my life. When I made the decision to leave ALA my senior year, it was my first choice as an adult and it’s still both the best and worst choice I’ve made. Three stars is solid unless you’re WELS and believe everything ALA believes. This review isn’t for you. It’s for the non believers ;) I’m Lutheran, just not the «right» kind of Lutheran.