Charlotte Lab School
Charlotte Lab School is a tuition-free, K-12 North Carolina public charter school serving approximately 900+ students in Charlotte via lottery-based admissions. It operates a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by per-pupil allocations and philanthropy, distinguished by its Quest challenge-based curriculum and community-as-classroom model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Charlotte Lab School does
Charlotte Lab School is a tuition-free, North Carolina public charter school serving K-12 students through an open lottery-based admissions process. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Mary Moss and Vikki-Rose Tunick, the school operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and reports to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. It serves approximately 900+ students on a consolidated K-12 campus at 2045 Suttle Avenue near Center City Charlotte, following a 2023 relocation that merged three prior campuses into a single permanent facility. The school's identity centers on its "Diverse by Design" lottery structure — which allocates 40% of seats to socioeconomically diverse applicants to mirror Charlotte's demographics — and its use of the surrounding city as an extension of the classroom.
The core academic product is built around the Quest program, an interdisciplinary challenge-based curriculum that scales from whole-class projects in elementary years to self-designed Passion Projects in middle school and offsite internships in high school (with 100% of HS students enrolled in a Quest co-curricular and 40%+ participating in community-based internships). Supporting academic layers include Advanced Placement courses (recognized with AP Honor Roll Silver 2024), partial immersion dual-language instruction in Spanish and Mandarin, the Columbia Teachers College Reading and Writing Workshop, and a weekly advisory program with 10-14 student cohorts focused on social-emotional learning. The school wraps in differentiated services including Exceptional Children support, a McKinney-Vento liaison for housing-insecure families, school-based mental health counseling through Cano Family Services, college and career counseling (Naviance, PrepScholar, dual enrollment at CPCC, Lab Explore internships), chess, athletics (Lab Lions), and before/after care partnerships with STEAM Chasers, The Superlative Club, and the Stratford Richardson YMCA. Recognitions include the 2024 North Carolina Academic Growth Award, a Certificate of Achievement for an Outstanding Graduation Rate above 95%, and an ATSI notification for gifted services.
The business model is public-sector education funding supplemented by philanthropy. Operating revenue comes primarily from NC state and county per-pupil allocations that flow for each enrolled student (charter schools do not receive funding for facilities, capital, transportation for economically disadvantaged students, or after-school care, requiring the school to fill gaps via fundraising). The Lab Innovation Fund annual giving campaign has cumulatively raised over $2 million since founding from families, board members, faculty, staff, grandparents, foundations, and corporate partners (with 46% of philanthropic dollars coming from individuals), augmented by PTSO Fun Run proceeds, Amazon Smile, Harris Teeter VIC, Publix Rewards, Box Tops, Lands' End uniform rebates, and corporate matching gift programs (Ally, Bank of America, Duke Energy, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and others). Marketing is community-led and event-driven, anchored by open houses, virtual information sessions, campus tours, the Friends of Lab newsletter, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube), and earned media coverage in WBTV, WCNC, Charlotte Business Journal, and Charlotte Observer. There is no tuition, no app product, and no parent-facing software of the school's own — distribution runs through Lotterease lottery software, with applications open November through March and lottery results released in March.
Charlotte Lab School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charlotte Lab School
- Legal name
- Charlotte Lab School, Inc.
- Website
- https://charlottelabschool.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Charlotte Lab School is a tuition-free, K-12 North Carolina public charter school serving approximately 900+ students in Charlotte via lottery-based admissions. It operates a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by per-pupil allocations and philanthropy, distinguished by its Quest challenge-based curriculum and community-as-classroom model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charlotte Lab School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)
Keywords
Where Charlotte Lab School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Charlotte Lab School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Public Per-Pupil Funding: As a North Carolina public charter school, Charlotte Lab School receives specified per-pupil public funding from the state and county for each enrolled child. This constitutes the core operating revenue.
- Philanthropy / Lab Innovation Fund (Annual Giving): The Lab Innovation Fund is the school's annual giving campaign bridging the funding gap between public per-pupil revenue and the school's ambitious goals. Since founding, over $2 million has been raised from all sources. Funds support building, playground, curriculum, personalized learning, and staff. 46% of philanthropic dollars have come from individuals (including families, board members, faculty, staff, grandparents, and friends).
- Grants: Charlotte Lab School has received two major national grants and gifts from local foundations for planning year, start-up costs, diversity efforts, playground construction, maker lab, and more. The staff and volunteer Grants Committee continues to research and apply for operating and project/program-specific grants.
- Corporate Rebate Programs: The school participates in corporate rebate programs including Amazon Smile (0.5% of qualifying purchases), Harris Teeter VIC Card (Together In Education), Publix Reward Card, Box Tops for Education, and Lands' End uniform sales, earning a percentage of purchases back for the school.
- PTSO Fundraising: The Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (PTSO) conducts its own fundraising, with the Fun Run being the biggest annual campaign. PTSO funds support 'nice to haves' such as staff appreciation, classroom/playground supplies, and social events. Membership fee is $10 per family.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Free K-12 Public Education |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
Charlotte Lab School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charlotte Lab School is a tuition-free North Carolina public charter school serving K-12 students through a lottery-based enrollment system. The school delivers personalized, progressive education including its signature Quest challenge-based interdisciplinary curriculum, partial immersion dual-language programs in Spanish and Mandarin, Advanced Placement courses, and whole-child development through its Advisory program. Operations are funded primarily by state and county per-pupil public funding supplemented by philanthropic donations and grants.
Product overview
Charlotte Lab School is a K-12 tuition-free North Carolina public charter school operating as a single unified educational institution. The core academic program centers on Quest (challenge-based interdisciplinary learning), Advanced Placement courses, Dual Language Immersion (Spanish/Mandarin), and the Advisory Program. Supporting add-on programs include STEAM Chasers and The Superlative Club (before/after school care), Summer Camps, the Accelerated Learning Program for advanced students, Exceptional Children Services, the Lab Explore career preparation program, and the ONE Access library partnership. The school also offers extracurricular activities including chess and athletics. The school serves approximately 900+ students through an open lottery enrollment system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quest Program
Companies that use Charlotte Lab School
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Charlotte Lab School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature6 records
Charlotte Lab School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Charlotte Mecklenburg LibrarycoreONE Access partnership enables all Lab students to use their Student ID number as a library card number to access e-resources, databases, and borrow up to 10 print/audio books. Mobile library (MoLi) visits campus every few weeks. Students automatically enrolled unless parents opt out. This partnership enriches literacy and research resources available to students.
- Discovery Place SciencecoreOngoing partnership including student visits to exhibits, hands-on experiments in Discovery Place science labs, classroom visits from Discovery Place staff, and 8th grade Quest student internships as docents managing permanent exhibits and engaging visitors. This provides authentic real-world learning experiences for students.
- Charlotte Chess CentercoreHost of regional chess tournaments including the Central Regional Chess Championship. Lab chess team won 1st place in the 3rd-5th grade division (November 2025) and the PAC Championship middle school tournament. The partnership provides competitive chess opportunities for students in grades 1-12.
- Cano Family ServicescoreLicensed therapists from Cano Family Services provide confidential on-campus counseling services organized by grade level (K-4, 5-8, 9-12). Services billed through family insurance or Medicaid. This supports the school's whole-child focus and commitment to student mental health and well-being.
- Stratford Richardson YMCAminorOffsite after school care option with bus transportation provided from Lab campus. Serves kindergarten through middle school. Operates until 6:00 PM on school days with bi-monthly tuition payments (1st and 15th, August-May). My Y Program Scholarships available for eligible families.
- Arts Empowerment ProjectminorPresents free summer camps for Lab students including Gaming + Coding (grades 8-12), Sew + Style (grades 3-6), and Pixel + Purpose (grades 8-12). Camps held at Lab campus and provide enrichment opportunities in technology and arts for students who might not otherwise have access.
- STEAM ChasersminorOnsite K-8 STEAM-based after school program centered on project-based learning with visits from STEAM organizations and field trips. Operates from dismissal until 6pm with monthly and drop-in rate options.
- The Superlative ClubminorOnsite before and after school care program serving K-12. Offers enrichment-based care options for K-8 and options for high school students including a photography club. Operates from 6:30am (before care) and from dismissal until 6pm (after care).
- LottereasecoreThird-party software managing Charlotte Lab School's lottery-based admissions process, including applications, lottery selection, and waitlist management. Replaced manual admissions processes in 2019, enabling the school to host one consolidated lottery while honoring all admissions preferences.
- Corporate Matching Gift PartnersminorCompanies including Ally Bank, American Express, AT&T, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Costco, CVS Caremark, Dell, Duke Energy, Goldman Sachs, IBM, JP Morgan, Lowe's, McDonald's, Merck, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Target, Verizon, Walmart, Wells Fargo, and many others match charitable contributions from employees to Charlotte Lab School, amplifying the impact of individual donations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Charlotte Lab School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National charter school network operating 270+ schools serving K-12 students with a college-prep mission. KIPP is broadly comparable as a multi-state public charter operator, though it is far larger and runs many sites versus Charlotte Lab's single-campus model.
- Friendship Public Charter School: DC-area charter network serving K-12 with rigorous college-prep and dual-language programming. Comparable on charter governance, K-12 progression, and language immersion offerings.
- Summit Public Schools: California-based public charter network focused on personalized, project-based learning with strong college readiness outcomes. Comparable on personalized learning approach and AP/college-prep focus though at much larger scale.
- Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based charter network with rigorous academics and lottery-based enrollment. Comparable on charter governance, lottery admissions, and outcomes-driven approach, though concentrated in NYC rather than Charlotte's market.
- EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning): National network of schools focused on project-based, interdisciplinary 'Expeditions' closely aligned with Charlotte Lab's Quest program. Operates as a school-improvement network across many districts rather than as a direct charter operator.
Direct peers
- High Tech High: San Diego-based charter network built on project-based, real-world learning with industry and community partnerships. Closely comparable to Charlotte Lab's Quest challenge-based curriculum and 'city/community as classroom' philosophy.
- BASIS Charter Schools: Charter school network known for rigorous, college-prep K-12 academics including AP coursework and STEM focus. Directly comparable to Charlotte Lab on dimensions of progressive college-prep curriculum and AP emphasis (Charlotte Lab earned AP Honor Roll Silver in 2024).
- Prospect Schools (NYC): NYC-based progressive charter network with project-based learning, social-emotional focus, and dual-language programs. Closely comparable to Charlotte Lab on progressive pedagogy, dual-language immersion, and whole-child focus.
Regional players
- German International School Washington D.C. K-12 immersion language school offering partial dual-language programs. Comparable to Charlotte Lab's Spanish/Mandarin partial immersion track, though located in a different region with tuition-based model.
Emerging players
- Carpe Diem Schools: Charter network blending online and in-person learning with personalized pathways. Comparable to Charlotte Lab on personalized learning philosophy and charter governance, though uses a hybrid instructional model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Charlotte Lab School social profiles
Digital presenceCharlotte Lab School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charlotte Lab School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Charlotte Lab School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charlotte Lab School 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 Charlotte Lab School
What does Charlotte Lab School do?
Charlotte Lab School is a tuition-free North Carolina public charter school serving K-12 students through a lottery-based enrollment system. The school delivers personalized, progressive education including its signature Quest challenge-based interdisciplinary curriculum, partial immersion dual-language programs in Spanish and Mandarin, Advanced Placement courses, and whole-child development through its Advisory program. Operations are funded primarily by state and county per-pupil public funding supplemented by philanthropic donations and grants.
Is Charlotte Lab School a public or private company?
Charlotte Lab School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Charlotte Lab School founded?
Charlotte Lab School was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Charlotte Lab School based?
Charlotte Lab School is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Charlotte Lab School make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Public Per-Pupil Funding is the primary driver. The others are philanthropy / Lab Innovation Fund (Annual Giving), grants, corporate Rebate Programs and PTSO Fundraising.
Who are Charlotte Lab School's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), Friendship Public Charter School, Summit Public Schools, Success Academy Charter Schools and EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning). Direct peers are High Tech High, BASIS Charter Schools and Prospect Schools (NYC). German International School Washington D.C. is listed as a regional player. Carpe Diem Schools is listed as an emerging player.
Does Charlotte Lab School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charlotte Lab School.
What industry is Charlotte Lab School in?
Charlotte Lab School's product category is K-12 Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAB, Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site), with a secondary code of EDAJACAJ, Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.