National Heritage Academies

What National Heritage Academies does

National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a privately held charter school management company headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1995 by J.C. Huizenga with the opening of its first school, Excel Charter Academy. The company partners with local communities and state-authorized authorizers — primarily public universities such as Grand Valley State University and Central Michigan University — to operate 103 tuition-free public charter schools across nine U.S. states (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, and Wisconsin). NHA serves more than 65,000 K-12 students through approximately 7,500 employees. Its core instructional differentiator is the proprietary Moral Focus character education program, integrated across all schools and complemented by structured academics, an EXCEL-ERATE advanced-learning track for high-performing K-8 students, AP coursework at its high schools, and an Early Middle College dual-enrollment program in Michigan that enables students to graduate with an associate degree.

NHA's product portfolio extends beyond physical campuses to include two fully online K-12 schools: PrepNet Virtual Academy (Michigan, opened 2020) and National Heritage Online Academy – North Carolina (opened 2026), both offering live-online and self-paced models. Supporting infrastructure includes the Parent Portal and NHA SchoolConnect communication platform for family engagement. The company derives revenue almost entirely from per-pupil public funding allocated by state and local education agencies on a recurring basis, supplemented by Title I, Special Education federal funding, and start-up grants. There is no tuition charged to families; enrollment is direct-to-consumer via the NHA school finder, with a random lottery and sibling preference when applications exceed available seats. Distribution is direct to individual families through individual school websites, with community-based marketing via events, school tours, content marketing, and organic social channels. Operations are governed by authorizer oversight and individual school boards, with no disclosed parent company, equity sponsors, or M&A history.

Name

National Heritage Academies

Legal name

National Heritage Academies, Inc.

Website

https://nhaschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

National Heritage Academies is a privately held Grand Rapids, Michigan-based charter school management organization operating 103 tuition-free public charter schools across nine U.S. states, serving over 65,000 K-12 students funded by per-pupil public allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Management

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual/Online Charter Schools (EDAJACAD)

Keywords

• Charter school management
• K-12 public education
• Tuition-free charter schools
• Character education curriculum
• Virtual K-12 academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: Charter schools receive public funding based on student enrollment numbers, similar to traditional public schools. They also receive grants for start-up costs and are eligible for federal funding programs like Title I and Special Education.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Heritage Academies partners with local school boards to build and operate 103 tuition-free public charter schools serving more than 65,000 K-12 students across nine U.S. states, delivering a research-based academic curriculum integrated with its proprietary Moral Focus character-education program. It supplements the in-person school network with two fully online K-12 academies (PrepNet Virtual Academy in Michigan and National Heritage Online Academy in North Carolina) and offers specialized tracks such as EXCEL-ERATE advanced learning, Advanced Placement courses, and Early Middle College dual enrollment.

Product overview

National Heritage Academies operates a portfolio of tuition-free public charter schools across nine U.S. states, comprising the core in-person school network (103 schools serving K-12), supplemented by two online school offerings: PrepNet Virtual Academy (Michigan) and National Heritage Online Academy (North Carolina). The portfolio includes dedicated high schools (Arbor Preparatory High School, Canton Preparatory High School, Grand River Preparatory High School, Taylor Preparatory High School, Westfield Preparatory High School, Wellspring Preparatory High School) and specialized programs including the Moral Focus character education curriculum, EXCEL-ERATE advanced learning program, AP courses, and Early Middle College dual enrollment. Supporting infrastructure includes Parent Portal and NHA SchoolConnect for family engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PrepNet Virtual Academy: A fully online K-12 public charter school based in Michigan offering both live-online and self-paced learning models.
• National Heritage Online Academy - North Carolina
• EXCEL-ERATE
• Moral Focus

Products and services

• National Heritage Academies In-Person Charter School Network Network of 103 tuition-free public charter schools serving K-12 students across nine U.S. states, combining strong academics with the proprietary Moral Focus character education program. Most schools serve kindergarten through 8th grade, with high schools in Michigan and K-12 campuses in Michigan and North Carolina.
• PrepNet Virtual Academy Fully online K-12 public charter school based in Michigan, offering both live-online and self-paced learning models taught by NHA teachers using a custom-developed curriculum.
• National Heritage Online Academy - North Carolina Online tuition-free K-12 public charter school serving families across North Carolina, offering live-online or self-paced learning models with the same college-prep curriculum and Moral Focus program as NHA's in-person schools.
• Moral Focus Program Proprietary character-development curriculum teaching monthly virtues (wisdom, respect, gratitude, self-control, perseverance, courage, encouragement, compassion, integrity) integrated into daily learning across all NHA schools.
• EXCEL-ERATE Program Advanced learning program for top-performing students in grades K-8 offering accelerated content beyond grade level and allowing middle school students to earn high school credits.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Courses College-level courses offered at NHA high schools where students can earn college credit, with all NHA high schools requiring completion of at least two AP courses before graduation.
• Early Middle College Program Five-year program available to high school students in Michigan offering the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree or certificate tuition-free, providing a head start on college and career goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 out of 4 NHA schools outperform local districts on state tests
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grand Valley State UniversitycoreOthersAuthorizer for many NHA schools in Michigan, including Vanguard Charter Academy and PrepNet Virtual Academy. Grand Valley State University monitors the performance, finances, and organizational stability of charter schools as part of the charter authorization process.
• Central Michigan UniversitycoreOthersAuthorizer for Eagle Crest Charter Academy. Monitors school performance and organizational stability as part of charter oversight responsibilities.
• AramarkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilities management partner providing custodial services to NHA schools. Search open jobs through Aramark careers portal.
• Enviro-CleanminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilities management partner providing cleaning services to NHA schools. Search open jobs through Enviro-Clean job portal.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Green Dot Public Schools: Nonprofit CMO operating 20+ charter schools across California, Tennessee, and Washington. Comparable multi-state CMO with similar college-prep mission and outcomes-focused positioning.
• KIPP Foundation (KIPP Public Schools): Largest U.S. charter management organization operating 270+ public charter schools serving primarily underserved K-12 students. Directly comparable as a multi-state CMO with a college-prep mission and similar per-pupil public funding model.
• Charter Schools USA: One of the largest for-profit charter management organizations in the U.S., operating ~90 schools across multiple states. Directly comparable as a multi-state CMO with similar centralized operating model and per-pupil revenue structure.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large nonprofit CMO operating 80+ schools across Texas, Louisiana, and Florida serving ~80,000 K-12 students. Comparable multi-state CMO with similar college-prep focus, character development curriculum, and outcomes-driven positioning.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: New York City-based CMO operating 45+ high-performing charter schools known for strong academic outcomes. Comparable as a charter school network with similar results-driven brand and K-12 college prep focus.
• Uncommon Schools: Nonprofit CMO operating 25+ schools across NJ, NY, and Massachusetts serving predominantly low-income students. Comparable multi-state CMO with rigorous college-prep model and strong outcomes positioning.
• Academica: Florida-based charter school management company operating 100+ schools serving ~50,000 students, with strong South/Southeast presence. Directly comparable as a multi-state CMO operating charter schools on per-pupil public funding.

Emerging players

• Rocketship Public Schools: Nonprofit CMO operating ~15 charter elementary schools across CA, TN, WI, and DC with a hybrid in-person/tutoring model. Comparable as a multi-state charter network with elementary-heavy focus and differentiated learning model.
• Stride (formerly K12 Inc.): Large publicly traded online learning provider serving K-12 students, including online charter schools. Relevant peer to NHA's PrepNet Virtual Academy and National Heritage Online Academy online charter offerings.
• Connections Academy: Operator of tuition-free online public schools (online charter and cyber charter schools) across 30+ states. Comparable as a multi-state online charter school operator competing with NHA's expanding virtual academy portfolio.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nhaschools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nhaschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/nhaschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-heritage-academies
• Instagraminstagram.com/nhaschools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 National Heritage Academies