North Chicago CUSD 187

What North Chicago CUSD 187 does

North Chicago CUSD 187 (also known as D187 or District 187) is a public K-12 school district chartered by the Illinois State Board of Education and operated under a D187 Independent Authority Board. The district serves pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students in North Chicago, Illinois, with a particular focus on military-connected households due to its proximity to Naval Station Great Lakes. It operates six schools — Green Bay Early Childhood Center, Evelyn Alexander Elementary, Forrestal Elementary, A.J. Katzenmaier Academy, Neal Math and Science Academy, and North Chicago Community High School — and supplements academic programming with health services, food services, social-emotional support, McKinney-Vento homeless-student services, and a NJROTC program. A new Forrestal Elementary School opened on the Naval Station Great Lakes installation in May 2026, financed by a $57 million U.S. Department of Defense grant under the Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) program.

The district's core technology stack is built on third-party platforms: PowerSchool for the parent/guardian Student Information System, SchoolMint for online enrollment and re-registration, the Apptegy content management system for the public website, and the RANG platform for attendance and achievement rewards. Instructional quality is anchored by the Marzano High Reliability Schools framework, with all six schools currently certified and Forrestal Elementary having attained Level 3 (Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum) in April 2026. Operational technology and academic leadership are overseen by a Director of Technology, a Chief Academic Officer, and a Director of Student Achievement.

D187's business model is that of a tax-funded public entity rather than a commercial operator. Recurring revenue is sourced from the Illinois Evidence-Based Funding formula, local property taxes, federal Title grants, and a DOD supplemental stream tied to its military-family mandate; non-recurring capital grants include the $57 million Forrestal funding and approximately $40 million of investment across other buildings. Pricing is set by Illinois statute — free K-12 public education is provided to district residents with no tuition. Supplemental revenue/programmatic capacity is generated through community foundation partnerships (Faith Lutheran Church of Lake Forest, Steans Family Foundation, Gorter Family Foundation, NCPEF) and employer career-exposure partners (AbbVie, Cardinal Health), most visibly through the Warhawk-Lancer Scholarship program with College of Lake County, which scaled from 6 scholars in 2021 to 29 in the 2026 graduating class alongside $3.12 million in class-level scholarship earnings.

Name

North Chicago CUSD 187

Legal name

North Chicago CUSD 187

Website

https://d187.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

North Chicago CUSD 187 is a public K-12 school district operating six schools from preschool through 12th grade in North Chicago, Illinois, with specialized support for military families tied to Naval Station Great Lakes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Primary funding from Illinois state education funding formula, federal grants, and local property taxes. District receives Department of Defense funding for serving military families through Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) program.
2. Grant Funding: Competitive grants including $57M Department of Defense grant for new Forrestal Elementary construction and ongoing operational grants for specific programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

North Chicago CUSD 187 operates a K-12 public school system serving students in preschool through 12th grade across six schools in North Chicago, Illinois, with a focus on military-connected families from Naval Station Great Lakes. The district delivers standard academic instruction, college and career readiness programs (including the Warhawk-Lancer full-tuition scholarship pathway to College of Lake County), health and social-emotional support services, food services, and the Marzano High Reliability Schools framework implemented across all schools.

Product overview

North Chicago School District 187 operates as a unified K-12 public school district serving the North Chicago, Illinois community, including military families at Naval Station Great Lakes. The district comprises six schools: Green Bay Early Childhood Center (preschool), two K-3 elementary schools (Evelyn Alexander and Forrestal), A.J. Katzenmaier Academy (grades 4-5), Neal Math and Science Academy (grades 6-8), and North Chicago Community High School (grades 9-12). The district provides educational services alongside integrated support services including health services, food services, college and career readiness programs, social-emotional support, and multilingual programs. Key programs include the Warhawk-Lancer scholarship partnership with College of Lake County, Marzano High Reliability Schools certifications across all schools, and specialized support for military-connected students and families experiencing homelessness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• North Chicago Community High School (NCCHS) Comprehensive public high school serving grades 9-12 in North Chicago, offering college and career readiness programs, athletics, NJROTC, and the Warhawk-Lancer scholarship partnership with the College of Lake County for graduating students.
• Neal Math and Science Academy (NMSA) Specialized public middle school academy serving grades 6-8 with a focus on mathematics and science education, holding Marzano High Reliability Schools certification.
• A.J. Katzenmaier Academy (AJK) Public elementary academy serving grades 4-5, recognized for PBIS implementation and military-friendly programs supporting military-connected students.
• Forrestal Elementary School Public K-3 elementary school serving military families at Naval Station Great Lakes, housed in a new facility funded by a $57 million DoD grant under the Public Schools on Military Installations program, holding Marzano Level 3 certification.
• Evelyn Alexander Elementary School Public K-3 elementary school offering standard curriculum with family engagement programs and recognized for attendance achievements.
• Green Bay Early Childhood Center (GBECC) Public early childhood education center providing preschool programs for young learners in the North Chicago community.
• Health Services District-wide health services staffed with paramedics, health assistants, and registered nurses providing first aid, medication administration, vision/hearing screenings, and immunization compliance tracking per Illinois law.
• Food Services District nutrition program providing free meals to students, including summer meal programs and daily breakfast/lunch menus.
• College and Career Readiness Programs preparing students for post-secondary success including the Warhawk-Lancer Scholarship (full tuition to College of Lake County), AbbVie career exposure visits, and Cardinal Health workforce partnerships.
• Social-Emotional Support Services Mental health and behavioral support services for students including counseling, social-emotional learning programs, and family resources.
• McKinney-Vento Student Support Support services for students experiencing homelessness, ensuring educational access and continuity under the McKinney-Vento Act.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduation rate improved from 56% to 88%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered key, supporting and core.

• AbbViekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hosting NCCHS students for career exposure visits to AbbVie headquarters, opening eyes to finance and business career paths. Provides continued mentorship and investment in D187 student futures.
• Cardinal HealthkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Won Lake County Workforce Development Board Workforce Impact Award for providing real-world, hands-on career experiences for NCCHS students through career readiness programs.
• RANGsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Attendance and achievement rewards platform connecting school success to real-life rewards. Students earn points for attendance and grades redeemable for prizes including Bulls tickets.
• North Chicago Public Education Foundation (NCPEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Nonprofit foundation supporting D187 students through scholarship programs, mentorship, and educational initiatives. Director Mary Kenny mentors Warhawk-Lancer Scholars through college career.
• College of Lake County (CLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Warhawk-Lancer Scholarship partnership providing full tuition to CLC for North Chicago graduates. Includes laptop, textbooks, $3,500 annual stipend, dedicated success counselor. Grew from 6 scholars in 2021 to 29 in 2026 (7th cohort).
• Ronald McDonald Care MobilesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile health clinic providing school physicals and immunizations for students with Medicaid at various school locations.
• CIMPARsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVaccine clinic partner providing immunization services at North Chicago Community High School for student health compliance.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Waukegan Community Unit School District 60: Neighboring Lake County, IL public K-12 district serving a similar urban/mixed-income community in Waukegan; comparable grade span, funding model, and student demographics including multilingual learners. Most direct peer by geography and population profile.
• Zion Elementary School District 6: Adjacent Lake County K-8 district serving a comparable low-income, diverse community just south of the Wisconsin border; similar revenue constraints and reliance on state funding formula. Direct geographic peer.
• Round Lake Area Schools District 116: Lake County K-12 district serving Round Lake/Beach Park communities with similar demographic challenges and a sizeable multilingual learner population. Comparable in scale and mission.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Schools (CPS): Illinois' largest public school district; operates on a similar state/federal funding model and serves many of the same low-income, urban populations but at vastly greater scale (~600 schools). Sets the policy and funding backdrop that smaller districts like D187 operate within.
• U-46 (School District U-46, Elgin): One of Illinois' largest K-12 districts serving Elgin and surrounding communities with similar demographic profile (large Hispanic/multilingual population, urban-suburban mix). Comparable on instructional framework adoption and college-readiness programs.

Regional players

• Lake Forest School District 67: Affluent Lake County K-8 district in adjacent Lake Forest; geographically closest peer but serves a markedly different demographic. Represents the alternative for North Chicago families via school-of-choice policies.
• Township High School District 113: Lake County high school district serving Deerfield and Highland Park; comparable secondary-only footprint to NCCHS but with vastly different resourcing. Represents competitive destination for boundary-busting high school transfers.
• Gurnee School District 56: Nearby K-8 Lake County district serving a more suburban/middle-income population; comparable operational scale and grade-span structure but different demographic profile.

Others

• Marzano Resources (Marzano Academies): The framework provider whose HRS certification underpins D187's instructional model; an enabling vendor/advisor to D187's academic turnaround rather than a competitor. Relevant as the standards body whose certification D187 was first in Illinois to achieve.
• College of Lake County: Community college partner delivering the Warhawk-Lancer Scholarship pathway to D187 graduates. Ecosystem partner, not a competitor — but is the structural enabler of D187's college-readiness differentiator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nccusd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ronport5659
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCCUSD187

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about North Chicago CUSD 187