Founded in 2001, The Arts and College Preparatory Academy (ACPA) is a tuition-free, public, charter high school located on the east side of Columbus, Ohio and serving students in grades 9-12. It is a model charter school combining rigorous academics and interdisciplinary arts instruction. The school has a diverse population of 260 students with wait lists in each grade. Fifty-five percent (65%) of ACPA students come from families living below the federal poverty line. \\Mission: The mission ACPA is to sustain a culture aligned with the vision. Commitments to sustainability include: 1) ensuring that the ACPA physical plant and property is designed and evolves to support and complement instructional programs; 2) retaining committed ACPA students and encourage additional high school students to join the ACPA community; 3) recruiting and hiring faculty and staff with the qualities, skills, experience, and commitment consistent with the ACPA vision and mission; 4) employing best-practice instructional methods; 5) developing school-wide student and faculty programs that support student recognition, academic achievement, and arts integration; 6) engaging parents in student recruitment, retention, support of the academic and arts programs; 7) designing and implementing professional development consistent with the emerging needs of individual faculty and ACPA; and finally 8) actively pursuing and securing private donors, state, federal, and foundation funding.