By Thomas Grant Jr.
American Leadership Academy Blythewood is now an official member of the S.C. High School League.
The Executive Committee voted 16-0 to accept the new charter school as an at-large member for the 2026-27 school. In the appeal presentation, athletics director Jarred Strait said athletic facilities will be available on campus to start the school year and they expect to field 11 sports.
Last week, the school began to put its coaching staffs in place. The school announced the hiring of Matthew Hornsby as head coach. He led Gray Collegiate Academy last season and previously spent three seasons at Dreher High School.
The new school also announced the hiring of Brandi Thompson (volleyball) and Mackenzie Azuero (girls’ soccer). Thompson brings along a decade of college experience, while Azuero played at Presbyterian College from 2019-23.
Daniel Morgan will serve as the school’s athletics director. ALA Blythewood joins ALA Lexington as charter schools created under the Charter Institute of Erskine and is part of a broader effort to bring American Leadership Academy’s model to South Carolina.
ALA’s 2023 charter application stated the school would offer a “moral, wholesome, positive, and clean environment to allow students to learn, explore, and reach their individual potential.”
