Franklin Pierce Schools
Franklin Pierce Schools is a Washington State public K-12 school district headquartered in Tacoma, serving nearly 7,000 preschool-through-grade-12 students across 14 schools, funded by voter-approved levies, state apportionment, and federal grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersTacoma, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Franklin Pierce Schools does
Franklin Pierce Schools (legal name: Franklin Pierce School District No. 402) is a Washington State public K-12 school district headquartered at 315 129th St. South, Tacoma, WA, serving nearly 7,000 students from preschool through grade 12 across 14 schools: one early learning center, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, two traditional high schools, and one alternative high school (GATES). Established in 1949 and governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors, the district employs approximately 1,000 staff and operates on a public education funding model — local property tax levies (Propositions 1 and 2 approved by voters in February 2026), state apportionment, and federal grants — with tuition-free education for resident students.
The district's operating technology stack is conventional K-12 administrative infrastructure rather than proprietary product: Canvas by Instructure for learning management (vendor hit by a cybersecurity incident in April 2026), Qmlativ for student information and payroll, Skyward Family Access for parent/student portals, ParentSquare for family communication, Finalsite for the public website, Modern Health for employee assistance, GoFan for athletics ticketing, and InformedK12 for transcript request forms. No proprietary AI/ML systems or differentiated technology assets are disclosed.
Programs include Career and Technical Education, Dual Language Immersion, Highly Capable, Native American Education, Special Education, Title I, athletics, and a Farm at Franklin Pierce, supported by a 2016 voter-approved $157 million capital program that delivered five prototypical elementary schools (2020-2021), the Ford Middle School gymnasium, a Performing Arts Center, STEM facilities, and a relocated GATES High School in Fall 2023. The district's go-to-market is geographically bounded to Pierce County with enrollment open to district residents, and its stakeholder ecosystem includes the Franklin Pierce Foundation, the Family Resource Center at Franklin Pierce, Pacific Lutheran University's School of Education, Pierce County Skills Center, and the Summit Parkland Youth Association.
Franklin Pierce Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Franklin Pierce Schools
- Legal name
- Franklin Pierce School District No. 402
- Website
- https://fpschools.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Franklin Pierce Schools is a Washington State public K-12 school district headquartered in Tacoma, serving nearly 7,000 preschool-through-grade-12 students across 14 schools, funded by voter-approved levies, state apportionment, and federal grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Franklin Pierce Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Public Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)
Keywords
Where Franklin Pierce Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tacoma
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Franklin Pierce Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Public Education Funding: As a public school district, Franklin Pierce Schools is funded through a combination of local levies, state education funding, and federal grants. In February 2026, voters approved Propositions 1 and 2 (replacement levies).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Franklin Pierce Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Franklin Pierce Schools is a public K-12 school district providing tuition-free preschool-through-grade-12 education to nearly 7,000 students across 14 schools in Tacoma/Pierce County, Washington. Its offering spans Early Learning, elementary, middle, and high school education, including Career and Technical Education, Dual Language Immersion, Special Education, Title I, athletics, and before/after-school care, delivered by approximately 1,000 staff.
Product overview
Franklin Pierce Schools is a public K-12 school district serving nearly 7,000 students in Tacoma, Washington. The district operates as a unified educational system rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include an Early Learning Center, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, two traditional high schools, and one alternative high school (GATES). The district provides educational programs through its Teaching and Learning Services department, which oversees curriculum, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Dual Language Immersion, Special Education, and Title I programs. The district's Capital Projects Program (funded by a $157 million bond) has modernized facilities including STEM academies, gymnasiums, and a Performing Arts Center. The district's public-facing digital presence includes a website powered by Finalsite, with integrated platforms for learning management (Canvas), student information (Qmlativ), family communication (ParentSquare), and employee wellness (Modern Health).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- K-12 Public Education Services (Preschool through Grade 12)
- Early Learning Center (Dr. Frank Hewins ELC)
- Career and Technical Education (CTE)
- Special Education Services
- Athletics Program
- Before and Afterschool Care
- FPS Learning Plan / Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 7,000 students served annually across 14 schools
Companies that use Franklin Pierce Schools
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Franklin Pierce Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature2 records
Franklin Pierce Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Franklin Pierce VoterscoreLocal voters approved Propositions 1 and 2 (replacement levies) in February 2026, demonstrating community support for the district's educational mission.
- Franklin Pierce FoundationcoreNonprofit foundation supporting Franklin Pierce Schools through fundraising, community engagement, and providing additional resources to enhance educational programs and student experiences.
- Summit Parkland Youth Association (SPYA Rec)coreCommunity recreation organization partnered with the district for athletics programs, providing recreational opportunities for middle school and high school students.
- Family Resource Center at Franklin PiercecoreCommunity resource center providing family support services, food assistance, before and afterschool care, and other community resources to Franklin Pierce families.
- Pacific Lutheran UniversityminorPLU's School of Education partners with the district, with district board member Angenette Pickett Call serving as program manager at PLU.
- Pierce County Skills CenterminorCareer and technical education partnership providing students with specialized vocational training and skills development opportunities.
- Instructure (Canvas)coreCanvas is the district's Learning Management System vendor. Instructure experienced a cybersecurity incident on April 25, 2026 affecting district data.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Franklin Pierce Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Seattle Public Schools: Much larger Washington state public K-12 district operating under the same state funding formula with similar K-12 offerings. Useful as a benchmark on a much larger scale for program breadth, IT systems, and equity initiatives.
Direct peers
- Puyallup School District: Larger nearby public K-12 district in Pierce County operating on the same state funding formula with similar K-12 grade span and levies/bonds funding model. Geographic neighbor competing for enrollment.
- Sumner-Bonney Lake School District: Pierce County public K-12 district with similar grade span and funding structure. Operates a comparable school board governance model with levy and bond funding cycles.
- Tacoma Public Schools: Largest neighboring public K-12 district in Tacoma, WA serving a comparable urban/suburban student population with similar K-12 grade span and public funding model. Direct competitor for resident students in overlapping attendance boundaries.
- Bethel School District: Adjacent Pierce County public K-12 district serving Spanaway/Frederickson area with similar grade span and funding structure. Directly competes for residential enrollment on Franklin Pierce's borders.
- White River School District: Rural-adjacent public K-12 district in Pierce County with similar governance structure and state funding model. Comparable in scale and program offerings.
- Steilacoom Historical School District: Smaller adjacent public K-12 district in Pierce County with similar grade span and funding model. Competes for enrollment in overlapping Lakewood/Steilacoom areas.
- University Place School District: Adjacent Tacoma-area public K-12 district. Notably, Franklin Pierce Superintendent Dr. Goodpaster previously served as principal in this district (2002-2013), making it a closely comparable operational peer.
- Clover Park School District: Neighboring public K-12 district in Lakewood, WA serving similar community demographics with overlapping programs (CTE, special education, alternative high school). Operates with similar scale and funding model.
Others
- Pierce County Skills Center: Regional CTE consortium that Franklin Pierce partners with for vocational training. Not a competitor but an operating peer/agencies serving secondary students in Pierce County through cooperative agreements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Franklin Pierce Schools social profiles
Digital presenceFranklin Pierce Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Franklin Pierce Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Franklin Pierce Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Franklin Pierce Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Franklin Pierce Schools
What does Franklin Pierce Schools do?
Franklin Pierce Schools is a public K-12 school district providing tuition-free preschool-through-grade-12 education to nearly 7,000 students across 14 schools in Tacoma/Pierce County, Washington. Its offering spans Early Learning, elementary, middle, and high school education, including Career and Technical Education, Dual Language Immersion, Special Education, Title I, athletics, and before/after-school care, delivered by approximately 1,000 staff.
Is Franklin Pierce Schools a public or private company?
Franklin Pierce Schools is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Franklin Pierce Schools founded?
Franklin Pierce Schools was founded in 1949. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Franklin Pierce Schools based?
Franklin Pierce Schools is headquartered in Tacoma, United States, in the North America region.
How does Franklin Pierce Schools make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Education Funding.
Who are Franklin Pierce Schools's main competitors?
Seattle Public Schools is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Puyallup School District, Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, Tacoma Public Schools, Bethel School District, White River School District, Steilacoom Historical School District, University Place School District and Clover Park School District. Pierce County Skills Center is listed as an others.
Does Franklin Pierce Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Franklin Pierce Schools.
What industry is Franklin Pierce Schools in?
Franklin Pierce Schools's product category is K-12 Public Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAB, Public Elementary Schools, with a secondary code of EDAJAAAC, Public Middle Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.