Prospect Hill Academy Charter School

What Prospect Hill Academy Charter School does

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School is a tuition-free, PreK-12 public charter school operating across four campuses in Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1,000 students drawn from more than 40 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Founded in 1995 and now in its 30th year of operation, the school is governed by an independent Board of Trustees and led by Head of School/CEO Dr. Angela Allen, who has held the role since 2015. The institution delivers a college-preparatory academic program supplemented by a broad portfolio of specialized offerings: Early College dual enrollment with Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Institute, a Multilingual Learners program supporting 44% of students whose first language is not English across 25+ home languages, a Restorative Practices school culture framework, STEAM Saturday enrichment, an athletics program as a founding member of the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization, and the Junior Journey international/domestic travel experience for all juniors. Additional wraparound services include the Champions and Y@PHA (Somerville YMCA) after-school programs, the Champ Camp summer program, a USDA-compliant meals program brought fully in-house for 2025-2026, and the PHA THRIVE parent-run food assistance initiative.

The underlying technology stack is purpose-built for K-12 administration rather than product commercialization. PowerSchool serves as the student information system powering the Parent Portal and the public enrollment application portal; Edlio hosts the school's public website with integrated calendar, news, and staff directory; Google Workspace for Education provides productivity infrastructure; and Khan Academy is integrated into junior-year SAT preparation. The school also partners with Lands' End and Collegiate House for uniform procurement, and uses Formstack for translation/interpretation request workflows. There is no proprietary platform, API, or externally marketed product; the institution operates as a single-tenant educational provider rather than a technology vendor.

The business model is that of a nonprofit public charter school funded primarily through per-pupil state and local aid from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with supplementary revenue from federal grants (including ESSERIII), private donations via a dedicated Advancement department and Director of Advancement, donor-advised fund contributions, the annual Building Bright Futures gala, and community partnerships such as the Whole Foods 5% Day program supporting the THRIVE backpack food initiative. The customer base is tuition-free families; there is no commercial pricing model. Distribution occurs through open enrollment, building tours, community-led outreach across the Greater Boston region, and segmented campus-level Instagram and Facebook channels. The institution does not report commercial revenue figures; operating scale is best understood through the ~1,000-student enrollment and ~196-staff headcount.

Name

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School

Legal name

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School

Website

https://phacs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School is a tuition-free, PreK-12 public charter school operating four campuses in Somerville and Cambridge, MA, serving approximately 1,000 students from 40+ Massachusetts cities and towns with a college-preparatory program and multilingual support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

Keywords

• K-12 charter education
• College preparatory programs
• Multilingual learner education
• Dual enrollment programs
• Restorative school practices

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 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. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a Massachusetts public charter school, PHA receives per-pupil funding from state and local sources based on enrollment.
2. Federal Grants: ESSERIII and other federal education grants support school operations and improvement initiatives.
3. Private Donations and Fundraising: The school operates a Development department and receives charitable contributions through its Support PHA program, including the annual gala and donor-advised fund donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter school delivering college-preparatory PreK-12 education to approximately 1,000 students across four campuses in Somerville and Cambridge, MA. Core offerings include daily academic instruction, dedicated college counseling, dual enrollment with Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Institute, multilingual learner support across 25+ languages, restorative practices, athletics, meals, and supplementary programs (STEAM Saturday, Champions, Y@PHA, Champ Camp, Junior Journey).

Product overview

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School is a tuition-free PreK-12 charter public school serving approximately 1,000 students across four campuses in Somerville and Cambridge, MA. The school operates as a single unified educational institution offering a comprehensive academic program centered on college preparation, supplemented by specialized programs including Dual Enrollment/Early College (partnering with Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Institute), College Counseling, Multilingual Education, STEAM Saturday, Restorative Practices, Champions After-School Care, Champ Camp summer program, Athletics (MCSAO member), and the Junior Journey travel program. Additional support services include the Meals Program (participating in USDA NSLP/SBP/FFVP), PHA THRIVE food assistance, and Y@PHA after-school programming (in partnership with Somerville YMCA). The school uses PowerSchool for student information management and Edlio for its website platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PreK-12 Charter School Education Tuition-free college-preparatory charter public school serving approximately 1,000 students in grades PreK-12 from 40+ cities and towns in Massachusetts, operating across four campuses with daily academic instruction, dedicated college counseling, dual enrollment, multilingual learner support, restorative practices, athletics, and meals.
• College Counseling Program College preparation program for grades 6-12 with advisory lessons beginning in 9th grade, PSAT administration in 10th-11th grade, individually assigned college counselors in junior year, and senior-year support for applications, essay writing, and financial aid guidance.
• Dual Enrollment / Early College Program Early college program enabling high school students to earn college credits through dual enrollment partnerships with Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Institute.
• Champions After-School Program Before and after-school child care program operated in partnership with Champions, offering enrichment activities for PreK-8 students.
• Champ Camp Summer Program Full-day summer camp for rising K-8 students running late June through mid-August, with themes of friendship, outdoor exploration, creativity, and movement, plus STEM, art, science, and literacy activities.
• Y@PHA After-School Program After-school and vacation camp program operated by Somerville YMCA at PHA's Early Childhood and Upper Elementary campuses, exclusively for PHA students.
• Athletics Program MCSAO member athletic program offering fall sports (cross-country, volleyball, soccer), winter sports (basketball), and spring sports (track, softball, baseball) for grades 6-12. PHA is a founding member of MCSAO and has won multiple state championships.
• Junior Journey Program Travel program for junior class students providing out-of-state and international experiences to destinations such as Phoenix, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, New Orleans, Western MA, and historically Guatemala.
• Meals Program USDA-compliant food service offering free breakfast and lunch to all students through the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. All meals are prepared in-house.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of graduates enroll in two- and four-year colleges
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Champions (After-School Program)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChampions provides before/after-school care and summer camp (Champ Camp) at PHA's Early Childhood campus. The program offers enrichment activities including STEM, arts, literacy, and physical activities for rising K-8 students.
• Y@PHA (Somerville YMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between PHA and Somerville YMCA to create The Y@PHA, an after-school and vacation camp program run by the YMCA at PHA's Early Childhood and Upper Elementary campuses, exclusively for PHA students.
• Whole Foods MarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWhole Foods Market partnership launched in September 2016 with 5% Day events. 5% of profits from designated days at all Cambridge Whole Foods stores benefited PHA THRIVE program, with $12,930 donated to support the backpack food program for families in need.
• Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization (MCSAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHA is a founding member of MCSAO. Students compete interscholastically in soccer, cross-country, basketball, volleyball, track, baseball, and softball leagues and tournaments. PHA teams have won multiple state championships.
• Bunker Hill Community College & Franklin Cummings InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly College program partnership providing high school students with opportunities to earn college credits through dual enrollment courses with Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Institute.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Excel Academy Charter Schools: East Boston-based charter network operating multiple schools serving predominantly students of color with a college-prep mission. Comparable in charter structure, demographic focus, and regional geography.
• Brooke Charter Schools: Boston-area charter network founded on college-preparatory principles serving predominantly students of color. Comparable in mission, charter model, demographic focus, and Boston-region geography.
• KIPP Massachusetts: Massachusetts affiliate of the national KIPP charter network operating multiple college-prep schools in Boston and Lynn. Comparable college-prep mission, charter structure, and demographic focus.
• Boston Preparatory Charter Public School: Boston-area independent charter public school with a college-preparatory mission serving grades 6-12. Direct comparable to PHA in mission, Boston-region geography, college-prep identity, and student demographics (majority students of color).
• Edward Brooke Charter School: Boston-area charter network operating PreK-8 college-preparatory schools. Comparable in charter status, college-prep mission, Boston-region geography, and student demographics.
• Roxbury Preparatory Charter School: Boston-based college-prep charter school within the UP Education Network with a comparable mission of preparing students of color for college success. Closely comparable in college-prep focus, Boston geography, and student demographics.
• City on a Hill Charter Public School: Massachusetts charter public high school explicitly organized around college preparation for students from Boston-area urban communities. Comparable college-prep mission, public charter status, and student population.
• MATCH Charter Public School: Boston-based PreK-12 charter public school with an extended-time college-prep model. Direct comparable in tuition-free college-prep mission, multi-campus Boston footprint, and similar student demographics.
• Pioneer Charter School of Science II: STEM-focused Massachusetts charter public school serving grades 7-12 and a fellow MCSAO athletic conference member with PHA. Comparable in charter status, STEM orientation, and athletic-program structure.

Emerging players

• Conservatory Lab Charter School: Greater Boston charter public school with a distinctive dual-curriculum model combining academics with music education. Comparable as a Boston-area charter with a unique programmatic identity, though with a smaller footprint than PHA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PHACharter
• Instagraminstagram.com/phacharter
• Xx.com/PHACharter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

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 Prospect Hill Academy Charter School