What Burris Laboratory School does

Burris Laboratory School is a public K-12 laboratory school established in 1929 and operated under the governance of the Ball State University Board of Trustees on the BSU campus in Muncie, Indiana. It is the only school in the Burris Laboratory School Corporation and accepts applications from any family residing in the State of Indiana through a lottery-based admissions process, with siblings of current students receiving priority. The school delivers a continuous K-12 educational program that integrates inquiry-based, practitioner-scholar teaching in which faculty conduct action research, publish findings, and apply them directly in classrooms, serving simultaneously as a clinical training ground for Ball State pre-service teachers and as a model laboratory school for the International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS).

The school's product surface is the K-12 educational experience itself, augmented by an array of wraparound services: a library (Room 200), cafeteria, on-site health clinic, performing-arts ensembles (more than half of secondary students participate in choir, show choir, band, orchestra, or jazz band), VEX Robotics competitive programming (four consecutive years qualifying for the VEX World Championship, Energy Award 2026), high-ability programs, special services, McKinney-Vento supports for housing-instable families, and after-school care delivered via the AppleTree YMCA partnership from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. The underlying technology stack is conventional K-12 administrative tooling: PowerSchool for the student information system and parent/grade portal, Canvas (Instructure) as the learning management system, Follett Destiny for the online library catalog, and Ordo / BSU eMarkets (Cashnet) for cafeteria meal accounts including Cardinal Cash prepaid accounts for high school students.

Burris does not charge tuition. Its revenue mechanics are those of a public educational institution: it is funded primarily through State of Indiana appropriations and Ball State University allocations as a laboratory school with the entire state as its enrollment district. Incidental revenue streams include unit-priced cafeteria meal sales ($2.10 breakfast, $3.50 student lunch, $4.30 faculty/staff lunch), a Free and Reduced Lunch program, and charitable giving channeled through Ball State's "Give to Burris" portal and the Burris Alumni Association. Customer segments include Indiana K-12 families as the primary learner base, Ball State pre-service teachers as clinical trainees, and families experiencing housing instability as a protected class under McKinney-Vento. The school reported 101–250 staff across administration, faculty, athletics, office, and support roles.

Name

Burris Laboratory School

Legal name

Burris Laboratory School Corporation

Website

https://burrislab.bsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Burris Laboratory School is a public K-12 laboratory school on the Ball State University campus in Muncie, Indiana, offering lottery-based statewide admissions to Indiana families and serving as a clinical training site for BSU pre-service teachers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Muncie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cafeteria Meal Sales: Charges for student and faculty breakfast ($2.10) and lunch ($3.50 student / $4.30 faculty). Free and Reduced Lunch program available. Cardinal Cash prepaid accounts for high school students.
2. Public School Funding: As a K-12 public laboratory school governed by Ball State University Board of Trustees with the State of Indiana as its enrollment district, Burris is funded through state and university public funding channels.
3. Donations and Alumni Giving: Charitable giving channeled through Ball State's 'Give to Burris' portal and Burris Alumni Association.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Burris Laboratory School is a public K-12 laboratory school located on the Ball State University campus that delivers lottery-admission education to Indiana families from kindergarten through 12th grade. It serves as a clinical training ground for Ball State University teacher candidates and a research-based model school engaged in action research, inquiry-based learning, performing arts, STEM/robotics, special services, and high-ability programming. The school is the sole entity within the Burris Laboratory School Corporation, governed by the BSU Board of Trustees with the State of Indiana as its enrollment district.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burris Alumni Association: The alumni association of Burris Laboratory School, dedicated to strengthening lifelong connections among alumni of the school (the "Owls").
• Burris Owls

Products and services

• K-12 Laboratory School Education Continuous K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grade) laboratory school education for Indiana families admitted via lottery, integrating research-based inquiry-driven learning with performing arts, STEM/robotics, high-ability programming, and special services.
• School Cafeteria Meal Program Cafeteria meal service for Burris students, faculty, staff, and guests, including breakfast and lunch pricing, Free and Reduced Lunch applications (English and Spanish), and Cardinal Cash prepaid accounts for high school students.
• After-school Care (AppleTree YMCA partnership) After-school care from 3:00-6:00 p.m. for Burris students needing extended-day coverage, delivered through partner AppleTree YMCA.
• Burris Alumni Association Alumni engagement community for Burris Laboratory School graduates (Owls), hosting alumni events and fostering lifelong connection to the school.
• Health Clinic Services On-campus student health clinic supporting student health and wellness needs during the school day.
• School Library (Follett Destiny)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Ball State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBall State University is the deep institutional partner of Burris Laboratory School. Burris was established in 1929 as part of Teachers College at BSU and is governed by the BSU Board of Trustees. The partnership supports teacher preparation, classroom observation, action research, BSU faculty and researcher collaboration, and joint performing-arts programming (theatre co-productions).
• Ball State University faculty and researcherscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBSU faculty and researchers partner with Burris teachers to explore how learning happens and how schools can continuously improve. Burris teachers conduct action research, collaborate with university partners, and publish findings.
• AppleTree YMCAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides after-school care at Burris from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for students who need extended-day coverage.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool is the student information system used by Burris to provide 24/7 access to grades and attendance to parents and students; faculty use PowerTeacher gradebook module.
• Canvas (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationCanvas is the learning management system used for school calendar, teacher communications, and assignment distribution to students and parents.
• International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurris is an active member of the International Association of Laboratory Schools, contributing to global conversations on inquiry-based learning, teacher preparation, and educational research.
• Ball State University TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurris theatre is offered through a partnership with Ball State University, bringing BSU theatre students together with Burris students each fall and spring to produce a full theatrical performance.
• Indiana Department of Education / McKinney-Vento NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoordination with state and federal McKinney-Vento programs and resources (NAEHCY, NCHE, School House Connection, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty) to support homeless children and youth.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Lab School of Washington: Independent K-12 lab school founded on research-based pedagogy and engagement with university researchers; shares the practitioner-scholar teaching model and inquiry-based curriculum emphasis that Burris promotes.
• Bank Street School for Children: A progressive K-8 school attached to the Bank Street College of Education, with a research- and practice-based pedagogy closely mirroring Burris's practitioner-scholar framework and teacher-preparation orientation.
• Hunter College High School: Selective public K-12 school affiliated with Hunter College (CUNY), governed by a public university board. Comparable in its selective admissions, K-12 continuity, and integration of teacher preparation and academic enrichment programming.
• The School at Columbia University: University-affiliated K-8 lab school operated by Columbia University's Teachers College, sharing Burris's identity as a clinical training ground for educators and a site for educational research published by university faculty.
• Indiana University High School: Indiana university-affiliated K-12 lab school; near-identical regulatory and operating framework to Burris (state-university governance, statewide Indiana enrollment, selective admissions), making it the most geographically and structurally comparable peer.
• University of Illinois Laboratory High School (Uni High): Public K-12 laboratory school hosted on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Closest direct peer: another state-university-affiliated lab school with selective admissions, faculty-research integration, and a similar BSU-style institutional partnership structure.

Regional players

• Park Tudor School: Indianapolis-based independent K-12 school with a comparable profile of academic excellence, performing arts depth, and STEM/robotics engagement; serves as a private-school alternative for high-achieving Indiana families in Burris's catchment.
• Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities: Statewide Indiana public residential high school hosted on the Ball State University campus. Shares the same Indiana statewide enrollment district and BSU host-campus footprint as Burris, but is a residential high school rather than a K-12 day lab school.

Emerging players

• Signature School: Highly ranked Indiana public charter school with selective admissions and a STEM/academic-excellence focus. Competes with Burris for academically oriented Indiana families who would otherwise consider the Burris lottery.

Broad incumbents

• University of Chicago Lab Schools: Prestigious university-affiliated N-12 lab school with a deep practitioner-scholar model, research-based pedagogy, and selective admissions — the same conceptual model as Burris, but operating as a private, fee-paying incumbent with national brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXKCsEJ4zcdVXm2Ft8TEkyg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Burris.PTSO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burris Laboratory School