High School of Commerce

What High School of Commerce does

High School of Commerce is a public high school located in Springfield, Massachusetts, operated by the Springfield Public Schools district. Founded in 1920, it is the oldest and longest-serving high school in the city and serves students in grades 9-12 drawn from Springfield-area middle schools. The school's core academic architecture is a flex-block scheduling platform that front-loads required coursework in grades 9-10, freeing grades 11-12 for Early College enrollment, workforce training, and paid internships. Students select a career pathway in one of three industries (Health & Human Services, Information Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing), with the ability to pivot through March of freshman year.

The school's product portfolio includes the Pathways Program (project-based 9th-grade career exploration), three Early College partnerships (with Springfield Technical Community College, Worcester State University, and Westfield State University) enabling students to earn up to 60 college credits, stackable workforce credentials in EMT, Sterile Processing, HVAC, Electrical Assembly, Asphalt Inspection, and Water Treatment, a JROTC Red Raiders Battalion with 220+ cadets, and visual/performing arts and athletics programs. The Post-Grad Commerce Promise extends the program into a fully-paid 5th year for 50-75 selected students to complete an Associate's degree, paired with paid post-graduate internships in Photonics, IT, and Health & Human Services.

As a public educational institution, the school charges no tuition and is funded by the Springfield Public Schools district and state education appropriations. Marketing and enrollment are conducted through the school's website (hscommerce.org), social channels (@pathwayshsc), and direct outreach to Springfield-area middle schools during operating hours (7:35 AM to 2:20 PM), with admissions handled via Pre-Admissions (fall of 8th grade) and Regular Admissions (winter of 8th grade). The school is led by Executive Principal Dr. Amanda Gauthier and operates a 251-500 employee headcount.

Name

High School of Commerce

Legal name

High School of Commerce

Website

https://hscommerce.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

High School of Commerce is a public high school in Springfield, Massachusetts, serving grades 9-12 with personalized learning pathways, three Early College university partnerships, career tracks in health, IT, and manufacturing, and a fully-paid 5th-year Associate's degree program for select students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Junior Colleges (6112), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

Keywords

• Public high school education
• Early college programs
• Career pathway training
• Personalized learning plans
• Workforce certification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public high school within the Springfield Public Schools district, the school operates on government educational funding. The Post-Grad Commerce Promise offers a fully-paid 5th year for eligible students to complete their Associate's degree, funded through the school program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

High School of Commerce is a public high school providing personalized learning pathways for grades 9-12, integrating Early College coursework with three partner institutions (STCC, Worcester State, Westfield State) to enable students to earn up to 60 college credits. Students select career pathways in Health & Human Services, Information Technology, or Advanced Manufacturing, complete workforce training certificates, and access paid internships. The Post-Grad Commerce Promise provides a fully-paid 5th year for 50-75 selected students to complete an Associate's degree.

Product overview

High School of Commerce is an educational institution offering a unified portfolio of personalized academic and career preparation programs. The core offering centers on the Pathways Program and Personalized Learning Plan system, supplemented by Early College partnerships with three universities (Worcester State University, Westfield State University, and Springfield Technical Community College) enabling students to earn up to 60 college credits. Students select from career concentration pathways in Health & Human Services, Information Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing, completing workforce training certificates and paid internships. The school also provides JROTC leadership training, Visual & Performing Arts, athletics, and clubs, with the Post-Grad Commerce Promise offering fully-paid fifth-year Associate's degree completion for selected students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pathways Program A personalized ninth-grade program where students engage in project-based learning to explore career pathways across Health & Human Services, Information Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing industries through field visits, practitioner meetings, and college tours. Students select a pathway in Grade 9 and can pivot during Grade 10.
• Early College Programs College credit-earning programs delivered in partnership with Worcester State University, Westfield State University, and Springfield Technical Community College, allowing students to earn up to 60 college credits (STCC) or up to 42 credits (Worcester State, Westfield State) while in high school. Includes degree and certificate options in IT and Cyber Security, Social Work, Business Administration, Digital & Graphic Multimedia Design, Health Science, and Criminal Justice.
• Personalized Learning Plan
• JROTC Program (Red Raiders Battalion)
• Visual & Performing Arts
• Athletics Program
• Clubs & Extracurricular Activities
• Workforce Training Certificates
• Post-Grad Commerce Promise
• Paid Internship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 60 free college credits by graduation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Springfield Technical Community College (STCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Early College partner offering courses on STCC's campus during junior and senior years. Students can earn up to 60 college credits and select from 6 degree and certificate programs: IT and Cyber Security, Social Work, Business Administration, Digital & Graphic Multimedia Design, Health Science, and Criminal Justice. Also provides workforce training pathways for Grade 12 students including Electrical Assembly, Asphalt Inspection & Preparation, and Water Treatment & Distribution.
• Worcester State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly College partner offering courses on the Commerce campus. Students can earn up to 42 college credits with bilingual and English classes. Optional 2-week residential course on Worcester State campus where students stay in the dorms.
• Westfield State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly College partner with split campus arrangement: students take history/English courses at Commerce campus during junior year and choose from hundreds of Westfield State courses at the university campus during senior year. Students can earn up to 42 college credits.
• Springfield Honors Academy (JROTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program with over 220 student cadets in the Red Raiders Battalion. Leadership development program sponsored by the U.S. Army, including drill teams, Physical Training Team, Raider Team, and Academic Team.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bard High School Early College: A network of public early college high schools (NYC, Newark, Cleveland, Washington DC, Baltimore) where students earn up to two years of college credit and an Associate's degree while in high school. Closest structural analogue to Commerce's Early College/Associate's degree model.
• High Tech High: A San Diego-based network of public charter schools known for project-based learning and industry-linked pathways. Comparable to Commerce's PBL-driven 9th-grade exploration across three industries (Health, IT, Manufacturing) and workforce-aligned programming.
• Big Picture Learning: A national network of schools built around personalized learning plans, internships, and mentor relationships. Directly comparable to Commerce's Personalized Learning Plan system and paid internship offerings.
• Cristo Rey Network: A national network of Catholic college-prep high schools serving low-income students through corporate work-study and career pathways. Comparable model combining college preparation with paid workforce experience for similar student demographics.
• Boston Day and Evening Academy: A Boston public competency-based high school serving over-age and off-track students with personalized pathways, dual enrollment, and a competency-based progression model. Most direct Massachusetts-based analogue for Commerce's personalized and competency-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: One of the largest U.S. public charter networks, with a college-prep mission serving predominantly low-income communities. Comparable student demographics and college-readiness focus, though at much greater scale and without the Early College Associate's degree structure.
• Uncommon Schools: A multi-state public charter management organization operating college-prep schools in urban communities (Boston, Newark, NYC, Rochester). Comparable college-prep mission and demographics, but broader portfolio without Commerce's specific Early College degree pathway.

Emerging players

• Pathways in Education: A network of public charter high schools focused on credit recovery, blended learning, and accelerated graduation for over-age and at-risk students. Operates in adjacent space with overlapping emphasis on alternative pathways to graduation and workforce outcomes.

Others

• Year Up: A national workforce development organization providing six-month training plus internships in IT and business for young adults. Comparable workforce credentialing and paid internship components for similar demographics, though focused on post-secondary rather than K-12.
• Per Scholas: A national nonprofit providing tuition-free IT training and career placement for adults from low-income communities. Relevant IT workforce-certification counterpart for Commerce's IT/Cyber Security Early College pathway at STCC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pathwayshsc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnYwTkIXlxPQt587wTUWkww
• Facebookfacebook.com/PathwaysHSC
• Instagraminstagram.com/pathwayshsc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 High School of Commerce