Western Toledo Preparatory Academy is a public charter school serving students in Early Education through 8th grade in Toledo, Ohio. Ohio grades every school on an annual state report card, and Western Toledo Prep earned 5 stars for Progress in 2024-25, the highest rating in that category. The school’s Performance Index jumped more than 15% in a single year, one of the largest gains in the entire state.
The school is built around sports. Athletics aren’t enrichment extras. They’re the method. Students learn discipline, teamwork, and how to push through hard things by practicing them every day, on a court, a field, and in a classroom. The physical demands of sport carry into every subject. Students who learn to compete also learn to try again when they fail.
That same integration extends to how families experience the school day. Tutoring and social-emotional support run alongside the athletic schedule — everything in one place, so students stay engaged from the first bell to the last.
Western Toledo Preparatory Academy is a publicly funded school. There’s no tuition, no fees, and no cost to families. The school also provides free breakfast and lunch every day and free transportation to and from school.
The school is located at 6145 Hill Ave, Toledo, OH 43615. For enrollment information or to schedule a visit, call (419) 697-1518.
Kechan Johnson, Principal
Mr. Johnson, a Toledo native, is a previous professional athlete, experienced educator, and founder of the C2K Toledo Thunder AAU Girls & Boys Basketball club and college prep program. Mr. Johnson joined ACCEL Schools in 2018 and has worked at two public charter schools as Dean of Students, paraprofessional, and coach. While at Toledo Preparatory Academy, he coached the Middle School Boys Basketball Team to win the Ohio Community Athletic Conference (OCAC) championship in 2020. Prior to ACCEL Schools, Mr. Johnson worked for other schools in the Toledo area including the Toledo Autism Academy and Central Academy. Mr. Johnson holds an Associate’s degree from Florida Community College at Jacksonville and a Bachelor’s degree in PE and Health Education from the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
Dr. Chad Carr, Superintendent
Dr. Chad Carr is the creator of the Blitz™ Academic Model and oversees academics at over 40 public charter schools in Ohio. Under his leadership the past five years, schools have seen an average growth of 15 Performance Index points. Dr. Carr joined ACCEL Schools in 2015 with over 20 years of experience as a K-12 educator, coach, principal, and superintendent of schools in Ohio and Kentucky. Prior to joining ACCEL Schools, Dr. Carr served as Executive Vice President of Mosaica Education, where he turned-around failing charter schools in Ohio. His turnaround achievements include Columbus Preparatory Academy which became the top-performing school in the state of Ohio under his principalship from 2011 to 2018. Dr. Carr holds a Ph.D. in Education from Morehead State University and three Master’s degrees in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, and Administration from the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University.
Staff Directory
Founded in 2014, ACCEL Schools is a K-12 public charter school management organization (CMO) serving students across the United States in brick-and-mortar, virtual, and hybrid school settings. We focus on improving academic outcomes of students regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic factors. The leadership team at ACCEL Schools has a combined 1000+ years of experience as global school management operators with expertise in curriculum research and design, assessment, student support services, and education consulting. Our entire team fundamentally believes that all children deserve a great education and students should be supported as they pursue a wide variety of post-secondary options. Our robust technology increases engagement, access to resources, efficiencies, and academic results helping our students become productive global citizens.
