Atlanta Public Schools District

What Atlanta Public Schools District does

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is one of the oldest and largest public school districts in Georgia, established in 1872 and governed by the Atlanta Board of Education. It delivers preK-12 education across approximately 87 instructional sites — 65 neighborhood schools organized into 9 K-12 clusters, 18 charter schools, 5 partner schools, 2 single-gender academies, 2 alternative schools, and specialized programs such as Atlanta College and Career Academy and Atlanta Virtual Academy — serving roughly 49,878 students in SY2025 against a designed capacity of 70,000. APS operates under a Georgia Department of Education Charter System designation (since 2016, renewed 2021), which decentralizes decision-making to school-level leadership, and offers a portfolio spanning IB programs, CTAE, JROTC, STEAM, dual-language immersion, exceptional education, multilingual services, athletics, and adult education.

The district's technology stack combines a core instructional and operations layer with selective third-party integrations. Core systems include Infinite Campus (student information system), myBackpack/ClassLink (single-sign-on launchpad), Here Comes the Bus (transportation tracking), and APS Quantum. Instructional technology includes a decade-long zSpace AR/VR partnership (since 2015) for STEM and career-pathway simulation, Amira AI-based speech recognition for kindergarten dyslexia screening (state-funded), and Google AI Essentials as a digital literacy course. Operations technology includes a Facilitron facility-rental platform rolled out across 600+ campuses and a Gatekeeper Systems bus video/surveillance contract covering all 325 buses. Compliance posture covers FERPA and COPPA for student records and online privacy.

APS is funded through state appropriations, local property taxes, and federal programs (notably Title I) — i.e., non-commercial taxpayer revenue rather than sales — with limited ancillary revenue from GoFan athletics e-ticketing, paid facility rentals, and adult education fees. The district's most consequential recent strategic action is the APS Forward 2040 plan (approved December 2025) to close or repurpose 16 schools beginning 2027-2028 to address a roughly $100 million structural budget gap and projected $20-25 million in annual savings; concurrent academic gains (#1 in Atlanta metro for year-over-year gains on 2026 GMAS) and external capital inflows (TGR Foundation + Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation $20 million grant for TGR Learning Lab Atlanta) frame the restructuring as a turnaround rather than a pure contraction.

Name

Atlanta Public Schools District

Legal name

Atlanta Public Schools

Website

https://atlantapublicschools.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Atlanta Public Schools is a Georgia public K-12 district (est. 1872) serving ~49,878 students across 87 schools, funded by state, local, and federal tax revenue and currently restructuring via the APS Forward 2040 plan to close 16 schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH), Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual) (EDAJADAF), GED/HiSET Preparation & Instruction (EDAAABAA)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Charter school system
• Special education services
• Career technical education
• Adult education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Public Education Funding: District receives funding from state (Georgia Department of Education), federal government, and local tax revenue to operate public schools serving approximately 50,000 students
2. Federal Programs: Funding through federal education programs including Title I for schools with high percentages of children from low-income families

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Atlanta Public Schools District operates a comprehensive K-12 public education system serving approximately 49,878 students across 65 neighborhood schools, 18 charter schools, two single-gender academies, two alternative schools, and five partner schools in Atlanta, Georgia. Core offerings include traditional academic instruction, International Baccalaureate programs, career and technical education, exceptional/special education, multilingual/ESOL services, adult education (GED/ESL), and 17 interscholastic high school sports. The district also deploys instructional technology platforms including zSpace AR/VR for STEM, Infinite Campus for student information, and Amira AI for early dyslexia screening.

Product overview

Atlanta Public Schools District operates as a traditional public school system offering a comprehensive K-12 educational portfolio. The district consists of 65 neighborhood schools, 18 charter schools, two citywide single-gender academies, two alternative schools, and five partner schools serving approximately 49,878 students. Core technology products include Infinite Campus (student information system), myBackpack/ClassLink (single sign-on launchpad), GoFan e-ticketing (athletics), and Here Comes the Bus (transportation tracking). Specialized instructional technology includes zSpace AR/VR for STEM/career education and Amira AI for dyslexia screening. Operations technology includes Facilitron for facility management and Gatekeeper Systems for bus video surveillance. Educational programs span athletics (17 sports), adult education, career/technical education, multilingual services, and exceptional education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• APS Forward 2040: Strategic facility consolidation and repurposing plan for under-enrolled schools
• APS Today
• APS Future Ready
• Atlanta College and Career Academy
• Atlanta Virtual Academy (AVA)

Products and services

• K-12 Neighborhood Schools
• Charter Schools
• Single-Gender Academies
• Alternative Schools
• Atlanta Virtual Academy (AVA)
• Atlanta College and Career Academy
• Adult Education Program
• Multilingual Programs and Services
• Exceptional Education (Special Education)
• APS Athletics Program
• School Nutrition Services
• Health Services
• Social Work and Mental Health Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 90.5% graduation rate (SY2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Gatekeeper Systems Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 23 April 2026$1.2 million contract (C$1.7 million) to upgrade 325 school buses with Mobile Data Collectors, interior video systems, and video management software for Live View Wireless, video analysis, and storage. Includes recurring monthly fees.
• zSpace Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 25 March 2026Decade-long partnership (since 2015) using AR/VR learning platform for STEM education and career pathway exploration. Students use immersive technology at Atlanta College and Career Academy for career pathways including dental assisting, automotive technology, HVAC, and allied health practices.
• TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods Foundation) and Arthur M. Blank Family FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2026$20 million grant to launch TGR Learning Lab Atlanta at historic Capitol View Elementary School (unused since 2013), expected to open late 2027. Facility will provide free STEAM programs, career and college readiness, and health and well-being services primarily for APS students. Marks TGR Foundation's 30th anniversary.
• Achieve AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Achieve Atlanta partners with APS and three HBCUs (Spelman College, Savannah State University, Albany State University) to provide scholarships, advising, and emergency grants helping students access and complete postsecondary credentials using cascading leadership model and data-driven interventions.
• Spelman CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically Black College and University partnership with Achieve Atlanta and APS for postsecondary support programs.
• Savannah State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically Black College and University partnership with Achieve Atlanta and APS for postsecondary support programs.
• Albany State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically Black College and University partnership with Achieve Atlanta and APS for postsecondary support programs.
• Atlanta Parks & Recreation, Atlanta Beltline, Park PrideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnerships for 'Make Atlanta Your Own Gym' public health initiative leveraging city's 300+ accessible outdoor spaces, parks, and trails to combat obesity crisis.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gwinnett County Public Schools: Largest school district in Georgia and explicit APS reference partner (uses Facilitron alongside APS); comparable suburban/urban-suburban district with similar enrollment scale, charter-style flexibilities, and K-12 portfolio including career pathways.
• DeKalb County School District: Adjacent metro-Atlanta public school district with overlapping student geography and feeder patterns; serves a comparable urban population with similar demographic and equity challenges. APS athletics leadership has been recruited from DeKalb.
• Fulton County Schools: Metro-Atlanta public school district serving a partially overlapping population; similar K-12 charter and choice portfolios, comparable funding mix, and direct competitor for Atlanta-area families considering transfer options.
• Chicago Public Schools: Major US urban school district co-deploying Facilitron alongside APS; comparable scale, K-12 charter and selective-enrollment school portfolio, similar budget and enrollment pressures, and analogous overcapacity/consolidation dynamics.
• Houston Independent School District: Large urban district facing similar enrollment, budget-gap, and school-closure pressures; operates comparable magnet, IB, and career-and-technical education programs and shares APS-style structural challenges around overcapacity.
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: Southeast US urban/suburban district of comparable scale operating IB, CTE, and traditional/charter portfolio; useful comp for analyzing APS's enrollment and academic-trajectory dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Department of Education: Largest US K-12 public system with a much broader portfolio; analogous enrollment-decline and capacity-rationalization discussions, large ELL/multilingual services, and similar structural exposure to property-tax and state-aid dynamics.
• Los Angeles Unified School District: Large urban district with similar overcapacity, multilingual, and equity challenges; useful comp for APS Forward 2040-style restructuring economics and political dynamics.

Others

• Facilitron: Facility-management platform vendor partnered with APS (and explicitly referenced alongside Gwinnett and Chicago); an enabling technology peer whose customer footprint mirrors APS's K-12 facility profile.
• zSpace: AR/VR learning platform vendor with a decade-long strategic partnership at APS; an enabling technology peer whose APS deployment is one of the longest-running K-12 immersive-learning references in the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@apsupdate
• Facebookfacebook.com/atlantapublicschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlanta-public-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/apsupdate
• Xx.com/apsupdate

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Atlanta Public Schools District