What Ball-Chatham School District does

Ball-Chatham School District (legal name Ball-Chatham CUSD5) is a public K-12 school district organized as a Community Unit School District under Illinois state law, headquartered at 475 E. Plummer Blvd., Chatham, Illinois. The district is a state governmental entity (not a privately held or publicly traded company), governed by an elected Board of Education and funded primarily through local property taxes, Illinois state education aid, and federal grants. It serves resident students and their families in Chatham, Illinois and surrounding communities within Sangamon County.

The district operates six schools covering Pre-K through grade 12: Ball Elementary School (Pre-K and kindergarten, principal Tricia Burke), Chatham Elementary School (principal Steve Rembusch), Glenwood Elementary School (principal Tammy Hermes), Glenwood Intermediate School (recently recognized with Lighthouse School status), Glenwood Middle School, and Glenwood High School. Service offerings span core academics, STEAM programs (highlighted by WAND TV's STEM Minute feature at Chatham Elementary), National Honor Society, advanced placement coursework, performing arts (Jazz Ensemble, IHSA drama), IHSA/IESA athletics (basketball, volleyball, wrestling, scholastic bowl), vocational partnerships (Old Navy's This Way ONward retail program at GMS), special education, counseling, nursing, sensory-room support (Horace Mann-funded interactive panels), and a 501(c)(3) hunger-relief program called Titan Fuel. Notable recent student outcomes include a 30-win GHS girls basketball state runner-up finish, an IESA Class 4A state volleyball championship, and a 2025 Rhodes Scholar alumnus.

The district's underlying technology stack is built on standard K-12 administrative SaaS: Skyward for student information and online registration (with RevTrak for fee payments), Thrillshare for district-wide communications and live feeds, Apptegy for the public website and individual school microsites, GoFan for event ticketing, AppliTrak for employment applications, and a Google Sites-based staff intranet. The mobile experience is delivered through iOS and Android applications. There is no disclosed pricing for resident students (no tuition or fees for in-district K-12), and the district does not raise commercial revenue in the conventional sense. Distribution is direct enrollment at the six district schools for resident families, with online registration through the Skyward portal serving as the primary intake channel. The customer base is geographically captive: resident K-12 students and their families within the district's defined boundaries.

Name

Ball-Chatham School District

Legal name

Ball-Chatham CUSD5

Website

https://chathamschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ball-Chatham School District (CUSD5) is a public K-12 district in Chatham, Illinois, serving resident students from Pre-K through grade 12 across six schools, funded primarily through local property taxes and Illinois state education aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Alternative, Continuation & Credit-Recovery Schools (EDAJAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Pre-K early childhood programs
• District athletics programs
• Student information system services
• Community school district

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ball-Chatham School District (CUSD5) is a public K-12 school district operating six schools in Chatham, Illinois, providing tuition-free education from Pre-K through grade 12 to resident students. Core deliverables include classroom instruction across grade levels, athletics, performing arts, special education services, counseling and nursing, and online registration through Skyward, with the 2026-27 K-12 online registration window open from July 9-31, 2026. Additional offerings include the Titan Fuel weekend food bag program for students in need, district-wide dining menus, and school event ticketing through GoFan.

Product overview

Ball-Chatham School District (CUSD5) is a public K-12 educational institution serving Chatham, Illinois, with a network of six schools: Ball Elementary School (Pre-K/K), Chatham Elementary School (grades 1-2), Glenwood Elementary School (grades 1-3), Glenwood Intermediate School (grades 4-6), Glenwood Middle School (grades 7-8), and Glenwood High School (grades 9-12). The district operates a central website powered by Apptegy with individual school microsites, iOS and Android mobile applications, and provides digital services including K-12 online registration via Skyward, district-wide communication through Thrillshare, and student meal information. Supporting programs include Titan Fuel (hunger relief), athletics through Glenwood Titans, staff intranet portal on Google Sites, and technology help desk. The district also partners with various organizations including GoFan for event ticketing, INB as Platinum Sponsor for Titan Fuel, and Polygence for student enrichment courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Titan Fuel: A 501(c)(3) district-affiliated food assistance program that provides bags of food for students in need, operating as the district's charitable fundraiser.

Products and services

• Ball Elementary School Public elementary school serving Pre-K through kindergarten students at 1015 New City Road in Chatham, Illinois under principal Tricia Burke. Offers Pre-K programming for ages 3-5 and core early childhood instruction. School hours: 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Operates a sensory room funded in part by the Horace Mann Educators Foundation.
• Chatham Elementary School Public elementary school serving elementary grades at 525 S. College in Chatham, Illinois under principal Steve Rembusch. Offers a STEAM program that was featured by WAND TV in the STEM Minute series. Operates a sensory room with interactive panels funded by a Horace Mann Educators Foundation donation.
• Glenwood Elementary School Public elementary school serving lower elementary grades at 1401 E. Plummer Blvd. in Chatham, Illinois under principal Tammy Hermes. Features a sensory room equipped with interactive panels for specialized behavioral support, funded by a donation from the Horace Mann Educators Foundation to the Ball-Chatham Educational Foundation.
• Glenwood Intermediate School Public intermediate school serving upper elementary grades at 465 Chatham Rd. in Chatham, Illinois. Recognized for Lighthouse School status. Operated as part of Ball-Chatham CUSD5.
• Glenwood Middle School Public middle school serving grades 7-8 at 595 Chatham Road in Chatham, Illinois. Offers athletics, performing arts productions including Annie Jr., vocational training partnerships such as Old Navy's This Way ONward program, and is home to the IESA Class 4A State Championship volleyball team. Event ticketing for school events uses the GoFan platform.
• Glenwood High School Public high school serving grades 9-12 at 1501 E. Plummer in Chatham, Illinois. Features include National Honor Society chapter advised by Liz Barnes and Jennifer Alessia, IHSA competitive programs in drama, speech, and scholastic bowl (with multiple 2026 state qualifications), performing arts productions including the GHS Jazz Ensemble's first-place finish at the EIU Jazz Festival, athletic programs delivered through Glenwood Titans, and recognition of 2026 Illinois State Scholars. Noteworthy alumni include 2025 Rhodes Scholar Will Lieber (Class of 2021 Valedictorian) and student Mahi Chanpura, who published research in the American Journal of Student Research after completing a Polygence enrichment module.
• K-12 Online Registration Service (via Skyward) Annual online registration service for grades K-12 delivered through the Skyward Student Information System, accessible via the district website. Parents upload required documents such as birth certificates, proof of residency, and immunization records. Payments for fees are processed through the integrated RevTrak system.
• Glenwood Titans Athletics Program Athletic programs offered through Glenwood Middle School and Glenwood High School covering IHSA sports such as basketball, wrestling, volleyball, speech, drama, and scholastic bowl. Hosts school events with ticketing delivered via the GoFan platform.
• Titan Fuel Hunger Relief Program Charitable food assistance program operating under a 501(c)(3) status that provides weekend bags of food to Ball-Chatham CUSD5 students in need. Funded in part through community sponsorships such as INB's Platinum Sponsorship of the annual Shrimp Boil fundraiser.
• District-Wide School Dining Menus Centralized meal and nutrition information services covering breakfast and lunch menus across all Ball-Chatham CUSD5 schools, accessible from each school's homepage as part of the district's nutrition program.
• Ball-Chatham iOS Mobile Application Official iOS mobile application providing parents, students, and community members with access to district and school news, events, calendars, and resources.
• Ball-Chatham Android Mobile Application Official Android mobile application providing parents, students, and community members with access to district and school news, events, calendars, and resources.
• District Technology Help Desk District-operated technology support service available to staff, students, and parents for technical assistance with district systems, devices, and online services.
• District Employment Application Service (AppliTrak) Online employment application system for Ball-Chatham CUSD5 positions, hosted on the AppliTrak platform and accessible via the district's careers page.

Quantifiable outcome

• GHS girls basketball team finished as State runner-up with 30 wins in IHSA Class 3A
• +9 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Old Navy This Way ONward ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlenwood Middle School students from Ms. Armstrong's and Ms. Stanfield's classes participated in hands-on vocational training through Old Navy's This Way ONward program, providing retail career experience.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• PowerSchool Group: Parent company of Skyward, the student information system Ball-Chatham uses for K-12 registration, parent portal access, and student records. PowerSchool is a key enabling EdTech vendor supporting the district's digital operations rather than a competing district or school operator.
• Apptegy: School district communications platform vendor providing the website, mobile apps, and content management system used by Ball-Chatham. Apptegy is an enabling technology partner that powers the district's public-facing digital presence (referenced in the district's social profile) rather than a competing educational provider.

Emerging players

• KIPP Chicago Public Schools: Charter school network operating public K-12 schools across Chicago. Comparable as an Illinois public K-12 alternative with similar grade-level span and curriculum breadth, though using a charter management model and serving urban students rather than suburban Chatham families.

Direct peers

• Springfield Public Schools District 186: Largest public K-12 school district in Sangamon County, Illinois, operating multiple schools serving the Springfield metro area. Directly comparable as a traditional Illinois public school district with the same funding model (property taxes + state aid), Board of Education governance, and K-12 operational scope as Ball-Chatham, though larger and more urban.
• Pleasant Plains Community Unit School District 8: Public K-12 district serving Pleasant Plains in northern Sangamon County. Comparable small Illinois public K-12 district with similar suburban character, property tax funding, and state education aid structure as Ball-Chatham.
• Rochester Community Unit School District 3A: Neighboring public K-12 district immediately north of Chatham in Sangamon County. Comparable suburban Illinois public K-12 district serving similar community demographics with the same property tax + state aid funding structure and Board of Education governance as Ball-Chatham.
• Pawnee Community Unit School District 11: Small public K-12 district in southern Sangamon County serving the Pawnee community. Comparable suburban Illinois public K-12 district with similar size, property tax + state aid funding structure, and community-based operational model to Ball-Chatham.
• Taylorville Community Unit School District 3: Public K-12 district serving Taylorville in Christian County, southeast of Springfield. Similar-sized Illinois public school district operating K-12 schools with comparable state funding structure, Board of Education governance, and community-based operational model to Ball-Chatham.
• Auburn Community Unit School District 10: Nearby Sangamon County public K-12 district serving Auburn, southwest of Springfield. Operates traditional K-12 schools with similar Illinois public school funding model, community-based governance, and operational structure to Ball-Chatham.

Broad incumbents

• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating numerous public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable as a broader incumbent public K-12 operator serving similar grade ranges, though operating through charter governance rather than the traditional Illinois public school district model of Ball-Chatham.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BallChatham5
• Facebookfacebook.com/BallChathamCUSD5
• Instagraminstagram.com/ballchatham5

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 Ball-Chatham School District