Lakes International Language Academy

What Lakes International Language Academy does

Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) is a tuition-free public charter school headquartered in Forest Lake, Minnesota, operating as Minnesota Independent School District #4116 under charter authorization from Volunteers of America of Minnesota. Founded in 2004 by a parent group, LILA serves preK through grade 12 students across three Forest Lake campuses (Kinder Center at 121 11th Ave SE, Lower School at 246 11th Ave SE, and Upper School at 19850 Fenway Ave N) with 251-500 staff members. The school's core offering combines full-day language immersion in Spanish or Mandarin Chinese (French is also offered at the Upper School) with the complete International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum: the Primary Years Programme (PYP, authorized 2007), Middle Years Programme (MYP, authorized 2018), and Diploma Programme (DP, authorized 2018). English instruction is introduced in second grade for the Chinese track and third grade for the Spanish track, and by middle school students have logged 7,000+ hours of target-language instruction.

LILA's product portfolio spans core academic programs (preK-12 IB-anchored immersion) and fee-based add-on modules: Kinder Prep Preschool (4-Star Parent Aware rated), Little Explorers preschool care, Explorer Club K-5 school-age care, Camp del Sol and Camp Taiyang summer language day camps, the Language Ambassador cultural-exchange program, and Arts/Activities/Athletics enrichment. Business model is anchored on per-pupil state funding from Minnesota under the charter school formula (K-12 enrollment is tuition-free), supplemented by preschool tuition, before/after-school child care fees, summer camp tuition, and donations channeled through the LILA Foundation (501(c)(3) established 2008) and LILA Booster Club (501(c)(3) established 2019). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via an annual admissions cycle (applications open November 1), school tours, community-driven word-of-mouth referrals through the PTO, and transportation partnerships extending bus service from White Bear, Hugo, Ham Lake, Blaine, Chisago, and Lindstrom. Out of the analysis it represents a stable, mature educational-services organization with diversified funding streams and 20+ years of operating history.

Name

Lakes International Language Academy

Legal name

Lakes International Language Academy

Website

https://mylila.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Lakes International Language Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Forest Lake, Minnesota (preK-12, ~270 staff) offering full language immersion in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese anchored by the complete International Baccalaureate continuum (PYP, MYP, DP).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Immersion Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Language Schools (611630), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Development & ESL/Multilingual Learner Materials (Dual-Language, ELL) (EDACAJAI), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

Keywords

• Language immersion education
• International baccalaureate programs
• Charter school education
• Bilingual K-12 schooling
• Preschool child care

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest Lake

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public charter school, LILA receives per-pupil general education revenue from the State of Minnesota. This is the primary funding source for K-12 operations. Charter schools receive less per-pupil funding than district schools due to inability to levy local taxpayers.
2. Preschool Tuition: Fee-based preschool program (Kinder Prep) with monthly tuition rates. Payment due 22nd of month, August through April. Financial assistance available through Minnesota Early Learning Scholarships (Pathway I, Pathway II) and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK).
3. Donations and Foundation Support: LILA Foundation (501(c)(3)) accepts donations to enhance educational quality. General fund, Dragon Support Fund, and donor-directed gifts. GivingTuesday campaign with 1:1 matching. Annual Foundation Gala fundraising event.
4. Before/After School Child Care: Little Explorers (preschool) and Explorer Club (K-5) provide fee-based child care from 6:00-7:30am and after school until 6:00pm. Summer care also available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LILA is a tuition-free public charter school (preK-12) that delivers full language immersion in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese (with French at the Upper School) within the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, spanning the Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Programmes. It also operates a 4-Star Parent Aware-rated fee-based preschool (Kinder Prep), before/after-school child care (Little Explorers and Explorer Club), and summer language immersion camps (Camp del Sol and Camp Taiyang).

Product overview

Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) is a tuition-free public charter school (preK–grade 12) offering a complete language immersion and International Baccalaureate (IB) education. The portfolio spans a 4-Star Parent Aware-rated Kinder Prep Preschool (fee-based), full-day kindergarten, Lower School (grades 1–5), and Upper School (grades 6–12) — each building upon the other through a preK–12 continuum. Language immersion is offered in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish (with French available at Upper School). The IB Programme — Primary Years Programme (preK–grade 5), Middle Years Programme (grades 6–10), and Diploma Programme (grades 11–12) — provides the academic framework throughout. Supporting offerings include Little Explorers Preschool Care, Explorer Club School-Age Care, summer language camps (Camp del Sol / Camp Taiyang), a Language Ambassador cultural exchange program, and a full slate of arts, activities, and athletics (archery, soccer, skiing, etc.). The LILA Foundation (501(c)(3)) provides scholarship and endowment support. All programs are tied together by LILAPay (online tuition/payment platform) and the Infinite Campus student information portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LILA Foundation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established to establish and maintain an endowment to enhance quality of education for LILA students. Promotes global understanding, enhances teacher compensation, and supports the IB Program.
• LILA Dragons
• Dragon Support Fund
• Kinder Center

Products and services

• Kinder Prep Preschool
• Lower School (Grades 1-5)
• Upper School (Grades 6-12)
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme
• Little Explorers Preschool Care
• Explorer Club School-Age Care
• Summer Language Camps

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.8% graduation rate (2024 Minnesota Report Card)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CASVI International SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Student exchange program with CASVI International School in Madrid, Spain. Upper School students participate in study-abroad opportunities and spring break trips to other nations.
• YMCA Youth in GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with YMCA's Youth in Government program for student leadership development.
• Vona Center for Mental HealthminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool-based mental health services provided on-site during school day. Families connect directly with agency and insurance is billed.
• Lakes Center for Youth & FamiliesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool-based mental health services with personalized care billed through insurance, with low-cost options for uninsured families.
• Confucius InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded Guest Teacher Trainee status through Confucius Institute and Hanban (China's educational wing) 2018-2012. Named Confucius Classroom in 2014 for Chinese language education support.
• Institute of International EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest Teacher Trainee program partnership through Institute of International Education for international educator placement.
• Forest Lake Area School DistrictminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation partnership providing busing for VPK preschool students within Forest Lake Area School District boundaries. Bus service from surrounding communities (White Bear, Hugo, Ham Lake, Blaine, Chisago, Lindstrom).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IDEA Public Schools: Large multi-state charter network with significant dual-language immersion and IB campuses (e.g., IDEA Allan Academy). Benchmarks language-immersion charter operating model at national scale.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National network of IB-influenced charter schools (BASIS.ed) operating across multiple states. Comparable IB-credentialed college-prep positioning at scale; not language-immersion-specific, but a benchmark for IB-charter operating model.
• KIPP Public Schools: Largest US charter network with several IB and dual-language campuses. Comparable as a multi-region public charter operator with language and IB offerings, though with much broader geographic footprint and scale.

Direct peers

• International School of Minnesota: Private PreK-12 language immersion school in the Twin Cities offering IB and multilingual programs. Comparable language-immersion offering and curriculum framework, though delivered via a private rather than charter structure.
• Academia Cesar Chavez: St. Paul, MN charter school with a strong Spanish bilingual/dual-language program. Closely comparable to LILA's Spanish immersion track as a regional immersion charter peer competing for the same families.
• St. Croix Preparatory Academy: Stillwater, MN IB World School charter serving grades K-12. Most direct regional peer for IB-credentialed college-prep outcomes with comparable authorizer framework (also Volunteers of America-authorized charters).
• Yinghua Academy: Public K-8 Chinese immersion charter school in Minneapolis, MN. Operates the same Mandarin immersion + IB-style framework for the Twin Cities market, directly competing for immersion-oriented families in the same metro.
• Harvest Preparatory School: Minneapolis K-12 charter school with extended-day programming. Similar charter operating structure and demographic focus, though without LILA's full language immersion / IB specialization.

Emerging players

• Great River School: Montessori-inspired public charter in St. Paul, MN serving grades 1-12. Comparable as a progressive, project-based Twin Cities charter but with a different pedagogical model (Montessori vs. IB immersion).
• Concordia Language Villages: Minnesota-based language-immersion residential and day camps operated by Concordia College. Operates overlapping language immersion offerings (Spanish, Chinese) and shares the regional language-education ecosystem with LILA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCwK_oEvcy05JivWj-NZGjw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LakesInternationalLanguageAcademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakesinternational

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Lakes International Language Academy