John Adams Academy
John Adams Academy is a tuition-free, public TK-12 charter school network serving ~5,200 scholars across three Northern California campuses and a statewide online program, delivering a proprietary American Classical Leadership Education® rooted in classical trivium pedagogy and servant leadership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersRoseville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What John Adams Academy does
John Adams Academies, Inc., operating as John Adams Academy, is a tuition-free, public charter school network serving approximately 5,200 TK-12 scholars across three Northern California physical campuses (El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, and the founding Roseville campus) and one statewide online program (JAA Online). Founded in 2011 by Dr. Dean Forman and Linda Forman, the academy delivers a proprietary "American Classical Leadership Education®" methodology that integrates the classical trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric stages) with servant leadership principles, primary-source pedagogy, Socratic discussion, and American heritage. Signature programs include the Keep Books tradition, Senior Capstone (thesis, service project, and speech), Patriot Expedition, and the Harvard Classics Challenge. The Roseville campus is accredited by Cognia.
The business model is a nonprofit public benefit corporation chartered under California law, with revenue primarily derived from state per-pupil apportionment and federal/state nutrition program funding. Tuition is $0; ancillary revenue includes voluntary $100-per-scholar material donations, before/after-school Foundations EXL programming ($60-$180/week), and the PIE enrichment program ($50/year). Enrollment is managed through a lottery-based admissions process. Operational technology consists of commodity K-12 platforms: Aeries for student information, ParentSquare for family communication, LINQ Connect for meal programs, Stripe for donations, and Zoom for lottery streaming. Marketing is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, the Parent Service Organization, campus tours, and community events. The academy is a member of the American Classical Lyceum, which provides curriculum guidance and peer-network support.
John Adams Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- John Adams Academy
- Legal name
- John Adams Academies, Inc.
- Website
- https://johnadamsacademy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- John Adams Academy is a tuition-free, public TK-12 charter school network serving ~5,200 scholars across three Northern California campuses and a statewide online program, delivering a proprietary American Classical Leadership Education® rooted in classical trivium pedagogy and servant leadership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
John Adams Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charter School Education (K-12)
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Classical Education K–12 Schools (EDAJABAF)
Keywords
Where John Adams Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roseville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
John Adams Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Public Charter School Funding: John Adams Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school operating under California law. Funding is derived from state per-pupil apportionment and other public education allocations. A portion of funding is tied to free and reduced meal eligibility data collected from families.
- Voluntary Materials Donation: Families are invited to contribute a voluntary $100 per scholar materials donation to offset classroom supply costs (paper, pencils, pens, Keep Books, etc.). This is a tax-deductible donation and is not a required fee.
- JAA Online Materials Contribution: JAA Online families contribute $100 to cover curriculum materials, technology/computer equipment, professional development, digital learning platforms, and scholar enrichment opportunities provided directly to families.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Tuition-Free TK-12 Education |
| Other | Annual | Voluntary Materials Donation |
| Unit Pricing | Weekly | Foundations EXL - Before School |
| Unit Pricing | Weekly | Foundations EXL - After School |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Foundations EXL - Daily Drop-in |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | PIE (Personal Interest Enrichment) Registration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
John Adams Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
John Adams Academy operates Northern California's only tuition-free TK-12 public charter school network, delivering American Classical Leadership Education® through three in-person campuses (El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Roseville) and one online program (JAA Online). The core curriculum is structured around the classical Trivium stages (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric), taught via primary-source pedagogy and Socratic discussion, and is supported by signature traditions including the Keep Books library, Senior Capstone, Patriot Expedition, and the Harvard Classics Challenge.
Product overview
John Adams Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school network operating three in-person campuses (El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Roseville) and one online program (JAA Online), all delivering a TK–12 American Classical Leadership Education. The core academic program is structured around the classical Trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric stages), using primary-source pedagogy and Socratic discussion. The portfolio includes the foundational in-person campus programs (El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Roseville) and the JAA Online remote program, supplemented by Foundations EXL extended day care and PIE enrichment classes. Signature academic programs include the Senior Capstone (Senior Thesis, Service Project, and Speech), the Keep Books Tradition, the Harvard Classics Challenge, and the Patriot Expedition senior trip. The Roseville campus, the founding campus, is accredited by Cognia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- John Adams Academy – El Dorado Hills Campus
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduates complete a Senior Capstone including a 15-20 page thesis, oral defense, Senior Service Project, and 10-15 minute inspirational Senior Speech
Companies that use John Adams Academy
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
John Adams Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature1 record
John Adams Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- American Classical LyceumcoreJohn Adams Academy is a member of the American Classical Lyceum, an organization dedicated to advancing American Classical Leadership Education. The Lyceum provides curriculum guidance, accreditation support, and a network of classical charter schools implementing the same educational philosophy.
- Ibiley Uniforms & MoreminorIbiley Uniforms & More serves as the official uniform store for John Adams Academy. The company maintains a complete line of approved uniform polo shirts, uniform-style slacks, skirts, and skorts available through campus-specific ordering portals.
- ParentSquarecoreParentSquare is the academy's primary communication platform for all families. Upon enrollment in Aeries, families automatically receive communications through ParentSquare. The platform supports multi-language translation, volunteer sign-ups, event RSVPs, and volunteer hour logging.
- Aeries (Student Information System)coreAeries is the student information system used by John Adams Academy to manage enrollment data and scholar records, which feeds into ParentSquare for family communications.
- LINQ ConnectcoreLINQ Connect is the platform used for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, including free and reduced meal applications, as well as daily menu access for the academy's nutrition services.
- StripeminorStripe is used as the payment processor for the academy's online donation and payment portal, enabling families to make material donations, PSO donations, field trip payments, spirit wear purchases, and other contributions online.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
John Adams Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stride, Inc. Stride, Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.) is a leading online education provider operating tuition-free online public schools statewide, including in California. It is the most direct comparable to John Adams Academy's JAA Online program in terms of online tuition-free K-12 delivery model and statewide reach.
- Charter Schools USA: Charter Schools USA is one of the largest charter management organizations in the U.S., operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple states with extensive operational infrastructure. It is a broad incumbent in the same K-12 charter education category as John Adams Academy.
- National Heritage Academies: National Heritage Academies is a large for-profit charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools nationwide serving over 60,000 students. It is a broad incumbent peer in the managed charter school category with far greater scale and geographic reach than John Adams Academy.
- Aspire Public Schools: Aspire Public Schools is a California-based nonprofit operator of tuition-free public charter schools serving tens of thousands of TK-12 scholars across Northern and Southern California. It is a broad incumbent charter operator competing for the same California charter funding pool and family demand as John Adams Academy.
Regional players
- Western Sierra Collegiate Academy: Western Sierra Collegiate Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Rocklin, California serving grades 7-12 with a college-preparatory focus. It competes for the same Northern California Placer County families as John Adams Academy's Roseville Secondary campus.
- Rocklin Academy: Rocklin Academy is a TK-8 public charter school located in Rocklin, California — adjacent to John Adams Academy's Roseville headquarters. It is the most direct local competitor for Northern California families evaluating charter K-8 options, serving overlapping catchment families.
Direct peers
- BASIS Charter Schools: BASIS operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools (and affiliated BASIS Independent campuses) offering a rigorous, accelerated college-prep curriculum. It is a direct charter K-12 peer by structure and tuition-free model, even though the pedagogical approach is STEM-focused rather than classical.
- Great Hearts Academies: Great Hearts Academies operates the largest tuition-free classical charter school network in the U.S., serving tens of thousands of K-12 scholars with a classical, liberal-arts pedagogy. It is the closest direct peer to John Adams Academy in mission, pedagogical model, and tuition-free charter structure, though it is meaningfully larger and multi-state.
- Leman Academy of Excellence: Leman Academy of Excellence operates tuition-free K-8 (and expanding) classical charter campuses in Arizona using a classical, virtue-based curriculum. It mirrors John Adams Academy's model of leveraging a codified classical pedagogy across multiple campuses, differing primarily by geography and grade span.
- The Classical Academies: The Classical Academies in Escondido, California operate a K-12 classical, charter-friendly school network with a comparable trivium-style curriculum. It is a same-state California classical peer to John Adams Academy, sharing the tuition-free charter classical positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
John Adams Academy social profiles
Digital presenceJohn Adams Academy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
John Adams Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
John Adams Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
John Adams Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
John Adams Academy 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 John Adams Academy
What does John Adams Academy do?
John Adams Academy operates Northern California's only tuition-free TK-12 public charter school network, delivering American Classical Leadership Education® through three in-person campuses (El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Roseville) and one online program (JAA Online). The core curriculum is structured around the classical Trivium stages (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric), taught via primary-source pedagogy and Socratic discussion, and is supported by signature traditions including the Keep Books library, Senior Capstone, Patriot Expedition, and the Harvard Classics Challenge.
Is John Adams Academy a public or private company?
John Adams Academy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was John Adams Academy founded?
John Adams Academy was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is John Adams Academy based?
John Adams Academy is headquartered in Roseville, United States, in the North America region.
How does John Adams Academy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Charter School Funding is the primary driver. The others are voluntary Materials Donation and JAA Online Materials Contribution.
Who are John Adams Academy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stride, Inc., Charter Schools USA, National Heritage Academies and Aspire Public Schools. Regional players are Western Sierra Collegiate Academy and Rocklin Academy. Direct peers are BASIS Charter Schools, Great Hearts Academies, Leman Academy of Excellence and The Classical Academies.
Does John Adams Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for John Adams Academy.
What industry is John Adams Academy in?
John Adams Academy's product category is Charter School Education (K-12). Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAL, Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models), with a secondary code of EDAJABAF, Classical Education K–12 Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.