SPANISH FORK, Utah — American Leadership Academy in Spanish Fork is gearing up for its fall festival — and they’re asking the community to help.
Organizers say they’re looking for food trucks to be a part of the event. Money raised will go toward new school supplies and playground equipment for the kids. The fall festival is Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shelbi Soza, a parent council president for American Leadership Academy, said a portion of the sales made through the food trucks will go to things including new basketballs and jump ropes, and art supplies like clay, paper, paintbrushes, and even a fresh coat of paint on their playground for their elementary school kids.
The American Leadership Academy is a K-12 public charter school. The school, founded in 2005, is supported by state and public funding. This year marks the school’s 20th anniversary.
“It’s a great way for our ALA alumni to come back to school and show their kids where they grew up, they got to see what playground they played on, and we’re hoping to build something new for their kids,” Alexa Back, a senior at American Leadership Academy, said.
But behind the public charter school’s celebration is a reality many Utah schools face. U.S. Census data shows Utah consistently spends less per student than almost every other state, leaving families and teachers looking to fill the gap. “While everyone looks at our uniforms and sees our beautiful kids, we’re in a low-income area and it’s important to bring the community together to provide a stable and positive environment for our kids,” Soza said.
While American Leadership Academy receives state funding, the school says that raising money can be harder in a low-income community. “You see more and more teachers having to pull a lot of their own paychecks and provide, whether it’s school supplies or fun decorations for the kids to enjoy,” Soza said.
She said they’ve secured a couple of trucks so far. But their goal is to have at least four food trucks at the festival. “We’ll take as many as we can,” Soza said.
For this school, a night of food and fun is one more stepping stone to a brighter future. “Elementary school kinda shapes how we’re going to do in the future,” Marjorie Morley, a senior at American Leadership Academy, said. "That’s like your first stepping stone."
Soza says food truck owners who want to take part can reach out to the school directly at 801-794-2226.
