5-Star Students
5-Star Students is a US SaaS platform that helps K-12 schools track and incentivize student involvement in activities, events, and behaviors via a web console, mobile apps, and complementary hardware, sold through tiered annual subscriptions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersTemecula, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What 5-Star Students does
5-Star Students Solutions LLC is a privately-held US SaaS company (founded 2013) that provides K-12 schools with a cloud-hosted platform for tracking student involvement in co-curricular activities, events, behaviors, and interventions. The system is delivered as a web-based management console paired with iOS and Android companion apps (a Manager App for administrators and a Student App for students), and it supports multiple event check-in modalities including barcode scanning, Bluetooth proximity beacons (Gimbal Series 21), QR codes, and geolocation. Feature modules span Activities, Events, Hall Passes, Interventions, Behaviors, Surveys & Voting, Rewards, Health Checks, Emergency Check In, Data Analysis, School Web Page, Online Store, and Groups & Classes, with an Online Store module that integrates Stripe for payment processing.
The company monetizes primarily through tiered annual subscriptions differentiated by school segment and enrollment size: secondary schools pay $1,400-$2,650 per year across four tiers ($2,300-$3,850 startup), with an optional communications add-on ($250-$1,000), and elementary (TK-6th) schools pay $1,500 annually ($1,800 startup). Incremental revenue comes from hardware sales (barcode scanners at $175-$299, beacons at $50/unit or $120/3-pack) and professional services such as onsite training at $2,500 per day. Distribution is sales-led, executed via website demo scheduling, phone sales, and email outreach, with district and multi-school discounts available for bundled deals.
Operationally the company is small (1-10 employees), bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no institutional backers), and serves US K-12 institutions only. It positions compliance (FERPA, COPPA, PPRA, WCAG 2.2 VPAT) and SIS integrations with Clever, ClassLink, and PowerSchool as core pillars of its offering, and it explicitly operates as an outsourced institutional function under FERPA 34 CFR Part 99.31(a)(1). Headquarters are listed in Tucson, Arizona (with an alternate Temecula, California reference in firmographic data); the legal entity is an LLC governed by California law per its Terms of Use.
5-Star Students firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 5-Star Students
- Legal name
- 5-Star Students Solutions LLC
- Website
- https://5starstudents.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 5-Star Students is a US SaaS platform that helps K-12 schools track and incentivize student involvement in activities, events, and behaviors via a web console, mobile apps, and complementary hardware, sold through tiered annual subscriptions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
5-Star Students industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Student Engagement Software
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Information Systems (SIS) & School Administration Platforms (EDAJAMAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Digital Classrooms (EDAJAMAA), Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAMAC)
Keywords
Where 5-Star Students is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Temecula
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
5-Star Students business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Secondary School Subscriptions: Tiered annual subscription pricing based on student enrollment (Extra Small <300, Small 300-1,000, Medium 1,001-2,500, Large 2,501-5,000). Includes optional communications add-on for notifications. Multi-year contracts available.
- Elementary School Subscriptions: Annual subscription for TK-6th grade schools at $1,800 startup and $1,500 yearly renewal. Includes mobile app access, SIS integration, and training.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of barcode scanners (Arkscan $299, Zebra DS2208 $175) and Bluetooth proximity beacons ($50/unit or $120/3-pack).
- Communications Add-on: Optional add-on for secondary schools providing student notifications, email weekly snapshots, and push notifications through mobile app.
- Professional Services - Training: Onsite training at $2,500/day, online training included with subscription, refresher training sessions available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Extra Small School (<300 students) |
| Subscription | Annual | Small School (300-1,000 students) |
| Subscription | Annual | Medium School (1,001-2,500 students) |
| Subscription | Annual | Large School (2,501-5,000 students) |
| Subscription | Annual | Elementary School (TK-6th grade) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Arkscan Mobile Barcode Scanner |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Zebra DS2208 USB Barcode Scanner |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gimbal Series 21 Beacon |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Onsite Training |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
5-Star Students product offering
Product offeringCore offering
5-Star Students provides a cloud-hosted SaaS platform that enables K-12 schools to track student participation in activities, events, and behaviors, with point-based incentive and reward systems, digital hall passes, surveys, and reporting. The platform is delivered via a web-based management console and companion iOS/Android mobile apps (Manager App and Student App), and is sold as an annual subscription to middle schools, high schools, and elementary schools.
Product overview
5-Star Students is a comprehensive school involvement management platform designed for K-12 educational institutions. The core system consists of the main platform with two companion mobile apps: the Manager App for administrators and the Student App for students. The platform is organized around feature modules including Activities, Events, Hall Passes, Interventions, Behaviors, Surveys & Voting, Rewards, Health Checks, Emergency Check In, Data Analysis, School Web Page, Online Store, and Groups & Classes. Schools can enhance the system with hardware accessories like Proximity Beacons and Barcode Scanners. The platform integrates with Clever, ClassLink, and PowerSchool SIS for roster management, and uses Stripe for payment processing in the Online Store. Pricing varies by school size (elementary vs. secondary) and student enrollment tier.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 5-Star Students Core Platform A comprehensive cloud-hosted school involvement management system enabling K-12 administrators to track student participation in activities, events, and behaviors, with point-based rewards, surveys, hall passes, and reporting analytics. Sold as an annual subscription to K-12 schools and districts.
- Proximity Beacons Bluetooth proximity beacons (Gimbal Series 21) that enable student self check-in to events via the Student App with up to 50m (~160 ft) range transmission. Sold to K-12 schools as standalone hardware accessories.
- Barcode Scanners Hardware barcode scanning devices including Arkscan mobile barcode scanners (starting at $299) supporting Bluetooth, batch-mode, or wired USB scanning, and Zebra DS2208 USB scanners ($175) for event check-in workflows.
Quantifiable outcome
- Schools can run unlimited surveys and manage unlimited activities, behaviors, and interventions
Companies that use 5-Star Students
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
5-Star Students technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
5-Star Students partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ClevercoreSingle sign-on integration through Clever portal to access the 5-Star Students app. Keeps student, staff, and class rosters up to date automatically. Part of the core SIS integration strategy.
- ClassLinkcoreSingle sign-on integration through ClassLink portal to access the 5-Star Students app. Keeps student, staff, and class rosters synchronized. Part of the core SIS integration strategy.
- PowerSchoolcoreDirect sync of student, staff, and class rosters from PowerSchool SIS to 5-Star Students platform. Enables seamless data flow for school management.
- OmellaminorFundraising partner that allows schools using 5-Star Students to keep 100% of what they raise (no platform fees). Founded by Remind creators. Referral relationship for school fundraising needs.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
5-Star Students competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LiveSchool: K-12 PBIS and student behavior tracking platform with points, rewards, and analytics — overlaps with 5-Star Students' rewards, behaviors, and involvement data modules for US schools.
- SchoolStatus: K-12 communication, attendance, and student data analytics platform with SIS integrations — competes for district-level engagement and involvement use cases.
- Kickboard: K-12 behavior, culture, and student engagement tracking platform used by schools to record positive/negative behaviors and PBIS data — directly comparable to 5-Star Students' behaviors and rewards modules.
- Hero K-12: K-12 student success platform combining attendance, behavior, and course performance tracking — competes in the same student involvement/engagement category.
- Panorama Education: K-12 social-emotional learning, student engagement, and survey platform — directly competes on surveys, student feedback, and engagement analytics.
Broad incumbents
- ClassDojo: Mass-market K-12 classroom communication and behavior management platform — overlaps with 5-Star Students' behaviors/rewards/communication features at much broader scale, often free.
- PowerSchool: Dominant K-12 SIS vendor with a broad student-data portfolio; 5-Star Students integrates with it today, but PowerSchool could expand into involvement/engagement features as a competitor.
- Remind: K-12 communication and messaging platform widely adopted in US schools — overlaps with 5-Star Students' communications add-on and broader engagement messaging.
- Nearpod: K-12 instructional engagement platform with interactive lessons, formative assessment, and analytics — competes for student engagement time and budget within schools.
Emerging players
- Branching Minds: K-12 MTSS and student support platform with intervention tracking — directly comparable to 5-Star Students' interventions module and student involvement analytics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
5-Star Students social profiles
Digital presence5-Star Students compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
5-Star Students financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
5-Star Students leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
5-Star Students funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
5-Star Students 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 5-Star Students
What does 5-Star Students do?
5-Star Students provides a cloud-hosted SaaS platform that enables K-12 schools to track student participation in activities, events, and behaviors, with point-based incentive and reward systems, digital hall passes, surveys, and reporting. The platform is delivered via a web-based management console and companion iOS/Android mobile apps (Manager App and Student App), and is sold as an annual subscription to middle schools, high schools, and elementary schools.
Is 5-Star Students a public or private company?
5-Star Students is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 5-Star Students founded?
5-Star Students was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 5-Star Students based?
5-Star Students is headquartered in Temecula, United States, in the North America region.
How does 5-Star Students make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Secondary School Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are elementary School Subscriptions, hardware Sales, communications Add-on and professional Services - Training.
Who are 5-Star Students's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LiveSchool, SchoolStatus, Kickboard, Hero K-12 and Panorama Education. Broad incumbents are ClassDojo, PowerSchool, Remind and Nearpod. Branching Minds is listed as an emerging player.
Does 5-Star Students have an API?
No public API is recorded for 5-Star Students.
What industry is 5-Star Students in?
5-Star Students's product category is K-12 Student Engagement Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAB, Student Information Systems (SIS) & School Administration Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAJAMAA, Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Digital Classrooms. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7372.