Bentonville Schools

What Bentonville Schools does

Bentonville Schools, legally Bentonville School District 6, is a public K-12 school district headquartered at 500 Tiger Boulevard in Bentonville, Arkansas, governed by an elected Board of Education under Arkansas state law. Founded in 1841 as a subscription school and operating its first public school in 1872, it now serves 19,979-20,167 students across 24 campuses (13 elementary, 5 middle, 4 junior high, 2 high schools) plus virtual, gateway, pre-K, and specialty programs spanning a 142-square-mile district that includes portions of Bentonville, Bella Vista, Cave Springs, Centerton, Highfill, Little Flock and Rogers. The district employs 1,435 certified teachers, 65 of whom are National Board Certified, supported by an executive team led by Superintendent Dr. Debbie Jones (2025 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year and National finalist), Deputy Superintendent & CFO Dr. Janet Schwanhausser, and COO Tanya Sharp.

The district's core technology stack is a Finalsite-powered website integrating BusQuest (transportation registration), Bus Compass (real-time bus tracking), Otus and Home Access Center (grades and attendance), SchoolStatus Connect (family engagement), Nutrislice (menus), a 1:1 Chromebook program, and the recently deployed Transportant cloud-based fleet management system. Academic and workforce programs include Ignite Professional Studies (with AI, robotics, biomedical, and aviation strands), Career & Technical Education with industry certifications, Parent Choice Schools (IB, Arts Integration, Leadership, Visible Learning), TREC gifted programming, NJROTC, and a Visual & Performing Arts program ranked #1 in Arkansas.

Bentonville Schools is funded by per-pupil state aid through the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, local property taxes at a 46.8 millage rate, federal Title I/IDEA/COVID-19 relief, and ancillary student fees (meals K-6 at $2.85, 7-12 at $3.05, adult at $4.75). Its 2024-2025 operating budget is $254,846,400, equivalent to $11,509 per pupil. The district monetizes its public-mission position through program breadth rather than per-seat pricing, achieving a 95% graduation rate, 21 National Merit Finalists in 2025-2026, 79% AP pass rates, $12.9M in scholarships, and a 3rd-ranked US athletics program with 200+ Arkansas state championships.

Name

Bentonville Schools

Legal name

Bentonville School District 6

Website

https://bentonvillek12.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1841

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Bentonville Schools is a public K-12 district in Northwest Arkansas operating 24 schools and specialty programs that serve approximately 20,000 students across a 142-square-mile boundary, funded by state aid, local property taxes, federal programs, and student fees on a $254.8M operating budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ), Public Magnet & Specialty Schools (STEM/Arts/IB/CTE) (EDAJAAAF), District-Run Virtual Academies & Online Programs (EDAJADAB)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• Career technical education
• Student transportation
• Special education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bentonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding: Per-pupil state funding distributed through Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education based on enrollment and performance metrics.
2. Local Property Taxes (Millage): Local revenue from 46.8 millage rate on property values within district boundaries.
3. Federal Programs: Federal funding including Title I, IDEA special education, and COVID-19 relief funds.
4. Student Fees: Meal prices (Student Lunch K-6: $2.85, Student Lunch 7-12: $3.05), facility rentals, and program fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bentonville Schools operates as a public K-12 school district delivering comprehensive primary, middle, and secondary education to approximately 19,979 students across 24 campuses in Northwest Arkansas. The district offers standard academics alongside specialized programs including International Baccalaureate, Career & Technical Education, Ignite Professional Studies, Visual & Performing Arts, Gifted & Talented (TREC), virtual schooling, and parent choice specialty schools, supported by transportation, food services, and family engagement platforms.

Product overview

Bentonville Schools operates as a public school district offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and digital services. The district's core technology platform is its website powered by Finalsite, which integrates multiple digital tools including BusQuest and Bus Compass for transportation management, Otus and Home Access Center for grades/attendance, SchoolStatus Connect for family engagement, Nutrislice for food services, and the Online Safety Hub. The district's academic programs include Ignite Professional Studies (with AI, robotics, biomedical science strands), Career & Technical Education, Parent Choice Schools (offering IB, Arts Integration, Leadership, Visible Learning models), Virtual School, Gateway, Excellent Beginnings (pre-K), Gifted & Talented (TREC), Visual & Performing Arts, and NJROTC. Transportation services utilize Transportant cloud-based technology for fleet management and real-time tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ignite Professional Studies
• Career & Technical Education (CTE)
• Parent Choice Schools
• Bentonville Schools Virtual
• Bentonville Schools Gateway
• Excellent Beginnings
• Gifted & Talented (TREC)
• Visual & Performing Arts
• Bentonville NJROTC
• Student Transportation Services
• Food & Nutrition Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% graduation rate with 1,550 graduates in 2026
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• TransportantcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 February 2026Implementing cloud-based school transportation technology including integrated GPS, routing, and live video capabilities. The system replaces fragmented legacy tools with unified platform enabling real-time bus monitoring and parent arrival updates.
• Alice L. Walton FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Partnership to expand the Ignite Professional Studies program at the planned Bentonville Health Care Campus, creating a pipeline for future healthcare professionals. Students from eight regional districts will gain work-based learning experience and industry credentials before the campus opens in 2028.
• Heartland Whole Health InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Collaborating with Alice Walton Foundation and Bentonville Schools to expand Ignite Professional Studies program focused on healthcare workforce development, potentially doubling enrollment capacity for the health sciences strand.
• Pitt State (Pittsburg State University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship program where ten Ignite Professional Studies students receive full tuition to attend Pitt State.
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Sugar Creek Arts Academy, providing arts integration opportunities for students through museum collaborations.
• AmazeumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Sugar Creek Arts Academy, offering STEAM-focused learning experiences and collaborations.
• Community Businesses and PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal businesses partner with Ignite instructors to provide students workplace experience in environments ranging from boardroom to operating room. Over 2,400 field trips annually supported through community partnerships.
• Arkansas State LegislaturecoreOthersCollaborated on legislation to make schools safer.
• U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritycoreOthersPartnership supporting See Something, Say Something campaign for school safety and threat reporting.

Scale indicators36 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Springdale School District: Adjacent Northwest Arkansas public school district serving a comparable K-12 population with overlapping labor market, transportation corridors, and statewide accountability metrics. Most direct geographic and operational peer for Bentonville.
• Rogers Public Schools: Neighboring NWA public district within the same Benton County labor pool and competing for the same families. Operates a similar K-12 footprint with overlapping district boundaries.
• Fayetteville Public Schools: Northwest Arkansas public district anchored by the University of Arkansas. Comparable size, similar demographics, and competes with Bentonville for regional talent and Walton-family philanthropy.

Regional players

• Cabot Public Schools: One of the largest Arkansas public school districts outside central Arkansas. Comparable scale and statewide accountability framework but operates in a different regional market.
• Fort Smith Public Schools: Large Arkansas public school district operating across a similar enrollment scale. Comparable funding mix (state, local millage, federal) and similar governance structure under Arkansas law.

Broad incumbents

• Gwinnett County Public Schools: Largest public school district in Georgia and one of the largest in the U.S., serving a similar suburban/exurban population with comparable scale and program breadth (CTE, fine arts, athletics).
• Wake County Public School System: Large, high-performing North Carolina public district comparable in size and academic reputation. Frequently cited alongside Bentonville as a top-tier large suburban district.
• Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District: Large Texas suburban district of comparable enrollment scale with strong athletics and CTE programming. Useful peer for benchmarking operating efficiency and program breadth.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: High-performing charter network competing for college-bound families in many of the same metros where Bentonville draws students. Useful proxy for charter/private competitive pressure on enrollment.
• KIPP Public Schools: National charter network with strong college-prep focus. Represents the alternative K-12 model competing for outcome-driven families and benchmarking partner for performance-based funding strategies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bville_Schools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BentonvilleSchools/live
• Facebookfacebook.com/BentonvilleSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/bentonvilleschools/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Bentonville Schools