What Wellington Unified School District 353 does

Wellington Unified School District 353 is a public K-12 school district operating under the Kansas State Department of Education, serving the Wellington, Kansas metropolitan area through six schools: Wellington High School (grades 9-12), Wellington Middle School (grades 6-8), and four elementary schools — Eisenhower, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Washington (grades K-5). The district is governed by an elected Board of Education and led by Superintendent Adam Hatfield, with a leadership team that includes an Assistant Superintendent, Director of Operations, Director of Finance, and HR, plus school-level principals and specialized support staff.

The district's core product is free, comprehensive K-12 public education funded primarily through local property taxes, state education aid, and federal grants. Beyond standard academic programming, USD 353 offers Career and Technical Education pathways across seven concentrations (Agriculture, Business, Construction, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, Visual Arts, Web & Digital Design), the newly launched Kansas Choose Aerospace aviation maintenance technology program in partnership with WSU Tech, a summer Driver's Education program, the Kids Summer Quest academic intervention program, athletics, fine arts, and special education services. The technology stack is conventional K-12 administrative infrastructure: Infinite Campus for student information, Edlio for the web platform, Clever for SSO, Skyward for HR/payroll, Fastbridge for assessments, Securly for content filtering, and NutriSLICE for food service menus.

USD 353 has no commercial revenue model; ancillary fees (driver's education at $150-$200, yearbooks and prom tickets at $30, a $1,000 Excellence in Teaching Award) are nominal. Distribution is direct-to-consumer within district attendance boundaries, with enrollment managed both online via Infinite Campus and in-person at the Central Office. The district has cultivated community-anchoring partnerships — most notably with the City of Wellington ($800K Sellers Park community building project) and WSU Tech (aviation program backed by $1M in federal funding secured by Senator Jerry Moran) — that extend its operational footprint beyond traditional schooling. As a government state entity, USD 353 does not pursue equity funding, M&A, or geographic expansion outside its legislatively defined service area.

Name

Wellington Unified School District 353

Legal name

USD 353 School District

Website

https://usd353.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wellington Unified School District 353 is a Kansas public K-12 school district operating six schools in the Wellington area, funded by local, state, and federal sources, and serving local families with academic, CTE, and community-integrated programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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. K-12 Public Education Services: Public school district funded through state and local tax revenues, providing free public education to K-12 students in the Wellington, Kansas area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

USD 353 is a public K-12 school district that provides tuition-free education services to students in Wellington, Kansas, operating six schools (Wellington High School, Wellington Middle School, and four elementary schools) supported by core academic programs, career and technical education pathways, Driver's Education, special education, athletics, and nutrition and health services. The district is funded through local property taxes, state education aid, and federal grants, with supplemental fees for select programs such as Driver's Education and yearbooks.

Product overview

Wellington Unified School District 353 is a public K-12 school district operating six schools: Wellington High School (grades 9-12), Wellington Middle School (grades 6-8), and four elementary schools (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Washington for grades K-5). The district offers core academic programs with supplementary offerings including Driver's Education courses, Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in seven concentrations, and the Kansas Choose Aerospace program in partnership with WSU Tech. Special programs include Kids Summer Quest for academic intervention and annual CTE Showcase events demonstrating student work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellington High School Public high school (grades 9-12) offering standard academic curriculum, Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, extracurricular activities, athletics, choir, band, drama productions, and honor roll recognition for students in the Wellington, Kansas area.
• Wellington Middle School Public middle school (grades 6-8) offering academic programs, athletics, choir, honor roll recognition, and extracurricular activities for middle school students in Wellington, Kansas.
• Eisenhower Elementary School K-5 elementary school providing foundational academic instruction and special education services for elementary students in the USD 353 attendance area.
• Kennedy Elementary School K-5 elementary school with academic programs and special education services for elementary students within USD 353.
• Lincoln Elementary School K-5 elementary school hosting the Kids Summer Quest program for reading and math intervention during the summer months.
• Washington Elementary School K-5 elementary school providing foundational academic instruction for elementary students in the USD 353 attendance area.
• Driver's Education Program Summer driver education course for students completing 8th grade who will be 14 by program date, including classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training. Costs $150 for USD 353 students and $200 for non-district students, limited to the first 100 students per session.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs CTE pathways for USD 353 high school students covering Agriculture, Business, Construction, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, Visual Arts, and Web & Digital Design. Includes equipment demonstrations such as x-carve, plasma cam, and 3-D printing, plus an annual CTE Showcase event.
• Kansas Choose Aerospace Program Two-year aviation maintenance technology program offered in partnership with WSU Tech, enabling students to earn a Technical Certificate in Aviation General and work toward an A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) license and an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) degree. Tuition and fees are covered by federal funding, with potential employment pathways at AAR Corp in Wellington.
• Kids Summer Quest Summer learning program for Tier 2 and 3 MTSS groups offering reading and math practice, STEM activities, field trips, and Cosmosphere lessons held at Lincoln Elementary School.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kansas Choose Aerospace program enables students to earn Technical Certificate in Aviation General and pathway to A&P license
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wichita State University Tech (WSU Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellington High School partnered with WSU Tech to launch the Kansas, Choose Aerospace program. This program enables students to earn a Technical Certificate in Aviation General through the Kansas, Choose Aerospace program, setting students on a path to obtaining their A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) license and eventually an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) degree from WSU Tech. Classes are taught at Wellington High School with both high school and WSU Tech faculty. Program is open to juniors and seniors, with tuition and fees covered. Completed with $1 million in federal resources secured by Senator Jerry Moran.
• AAR CorpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAR Corp is mentioned as a potential employer for graduates of the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Wellington High School, creating a talent pipeline for Wellington-based aviation company.
• City of WellingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between USD 353 and City of Wellington for construction of a Community Building/Locker Rooms at Sellers Park. The project includes architectural design and construction for a single-story structure to serve as a community building, football team rooms, concessions, and public restroom facilities. Project cost approximately $800,000.
• Kansas Art Education Association (KAEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAEA coordinates the Kansas Youth Art Month Exhibit/competition sponsored by BLICK Art to celebrate March as Youth Art Month.
• Kansas All-Star Scholars FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas Star program providing $1,500 scholarships for college or technical training for each qualifying student in Sumner County and Mulvane school districts. Deadline typically April 15th.
• Futures UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Futures Unlimited for Futures Preschool enrollment programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Stride (formerly K12 Inc): National online K-12 education provider. Represents an emerging alternative channel for K-12 enrollment that competes indirectly with USD 353 by attracting families seeking flexible or specialized instruction, particularly relevant given Kansas open enrollment dynamics.
• Connections Academy: Operator of tuition-free online public schools serving K-12 students across multiple states. Competes for enrollment in Kansas via virtual public school options, representing a non-traditional alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar districts like USD 353.

Direct peers

• Oxford USD 358: Nearby small rural Kansas public K-12 district in the Sumner County area. Closely matches USD 353 in district size, student population, and operational scope.
• Belle Plaine USD 357: Adjacent Sumner County, Kansas public K-12 district. Highly comparable in size, rural community profile, and student demographics, serving as a near-direct enrollment competitor.
• Caldwell USD 360: Neighboring Kansas public K-12 district in the Sumner County region. Comparable small rural district structure with similar funding model and competitive enrollment dynamics.
• Conway Springs USD 356: Neighboring Sumner County, Kansas public K-12 district serving a similarly small rural community. Comparable in scale, funding profile, and CTE/athletics offerings, making it a close direct competitor for student enrollment under Kansas open enrollment.
• Mulvane USD 263: Adjacent Sumner County, Kansas public K-12 district of comparable size. Directly named alongside USD 353 in the Kansas All-Star Scholars program, indicating shared regional demographics, funding environment, and student competition dynamics.

Regional players

• Arkansas City USD 470: Regional public K-12 district in south-central Kansas near Wellington. Comparable in serving a similarly sized rural-adjacent community with full K-12 programming and overlapping competition for students under open enrollment.

Broad incumbents

• Wichita USD 259: Largest public school district in Kansas, headquartered in the broader Wichita metro area that anchors the regional aviation industry. Operates overlapping CTE and aviation-adjacent programming at much larger scale, serving as the dominant incumbent in USD 353's broader labor market catchment.

Others

• Edlio: K-12 website and communication platform provider whose CMS is the foundation of USD 353's web presence. Serves as an enabling technology vendor rather than a competitor, but is structurally relevant as the district's primary digital communication channel for families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usd353schools
• Facebookfacebook.com/USD353

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Wellington Unified School District 353