PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

What PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT does

Philadelphia Public School District (PPSD) is a state-authorized public K-12 school district headquartered at 248 Byrd Avenue, Philadelphia, Mississippi. Founded in 1818 and operating under the authority of the Mississippi Department of Education, the district runs two schools: Philadelphia Elementary School (PreK through 6th grade) and Philadelphia High School (grades 7-12). The district is led by Superintendent Dr. Shannon Whitehead and an administrative team that includes an Assistant Superintendent, principals, and directors of Special Education, Federal Programs, Business, IT, Transportation, Maintenance, Child Nutrition, and HR. Its served population is geographically constrained to the Philadelphia, MS area and includes general education students, gifted and talented students, special education students (ages 3-21), and McKinney-Vento eligible homeless students.

The district's product surface consists of core K-12 instructional services plus several add-on programs: a Gifted and Talented program, Special Education with Extended School Year summer programming, Philadelphia Tornadoes athletics (basketball and volleyball), district-operated student transportation, a bullying reporting system, online registration, and — most recently — a 21st Century Community Learning Centers before- and after-school enrichment program. Technology infrastructure is built on an Edlio-powered website with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance, the Active Parent portal for enrollment and student information, iReady adaptive learning, Canvas LMS, and integrations with APPLITRACK for hiring, SAM 6.0 for school administration, and School Status for attendance/tracking.

The district operates as a non-revenue-generating government entity providing free public education. It is funded through a combination of federal Title programs (Title I, II, V, VI), competitive federal grants (notably the $1.6M Cohort 9 Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC grant running December 2025 through November 2029), USDA National School Breakfast and Lunch Program reimbursements (which underwrite free meals for all students in 2025-2026), Mississippi Department of Education state aid, and local property tax revenue. No tuition is charged. The GTM motion is direct-to-consumer enrollment via in-person or online registration, with community engagement amplified through social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube 'Tornado TV') and community events such as College Signing Day and PreK-Kinder Round Up.

Name

PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Legal name

Philadelphia Public School District

Website

https://phillytornadoes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1818

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Philadelphia Public School District is a Mississippi state-authorized K-12 public school district operating Philadelphia Elementary (PreK-6) and Philadelphia High School (7-12), serving students and families in Philadelphia, MS through free public education, athletics, special education, and federal grant-funded enrichment programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Elementary school services
• Secondary school education
• Special education programs
• Gifted and talented education

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants: The district receives significant federal funding through various Title programs (Title I, Title II, Title VI, Title V) and competitive grants such as the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant ($1.6 million over four years). These funds support academic enrichment, whole-child programming, tutoring, STEM, arts, health, wellness, youth leadership, and family engagement initiatives.
2. USDA School Meal Program: The district participates in the USDA National School Breakfast and Lunch Program, providing free meals to all students for the 2025-2026 school year. This is a federal reimbursement program that covers meal costs.
3. State and Local Funding: The district receives state funding from the Mississippi Department of Education and local funding to support operations, facilities, and educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Philadelphia Public School District provides tuition-free K-12 public education to students in Philadelphia, Mississippi through two schools: Philadelphia Elementary School (PreK through 6th grade) and Philadelphia High School (grades 7-12). Core offerings include standard academic curriculum, Gifted and Talented programming, Special Education services, Title I federally funded support, athletics (basketball and volleyball), before and after-school enrichment through the 21st CCLC Grant, and student transportation services.

Product overview

Philadelphia Public School District operates as a two-school district serving students from PreK through 12th grade, comprising Philadelphia Elementary School and Philadelphia High School. The district provides educational programs supported by technology platforms including the Edlio-powered website, Active Parent Portal for online registration and student management, and iReady adaptive learning tools. Core educational offerings include Gifted and Talented programs, Special Education services with Extended School Year programming, athletics (Philadelphia Tornadoes), and student transportation. The district was awarded a $1.6 million 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant to expand before and after-school enrichment programs. District administration includes Federal Programs (Title I, II, VI, V), Child Nutrition (USDA National School Breakfast and Lunch Program with free meals), Health Services, and technology infrastructure managed by the IT Department.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Philadelphia Elementary School: Elementary school serving PreK through 6th grade students
• Philadelphia High School

Products and services

• Philadelphia Elementary School Elementary school serving PreK through 6th grade students, offering Gifted and Talented programs, Special Education services, and Title I support for Philadelphia Public School District families.
• Philadelphia High School High school serving grades 7-12, offering college-preparatory curriculum, athletics programs, college signing day events, and dual enrollment opportunities.
• Gifted and Talented Program Differentiated education services for children with outstanding abilities in intellectual ability, academic aptitude, creative thinking, leadership, and visual/performing arts.
• Extended School Year Program Summer program at Philadelphia High School designed to keep special education students engaged through fun, hands-on activities in reading and math to close learning gaps.
• Philadelphia Tornadoes Athletics Athletics program featuring basketball and volleyball teams, with recently renovated gymnasium facilities.
• Student Transportation Services District-owned and operated transportation system providing safe bus routes for students, including field trips, athletic trips, and educational excursions.
• See Something Say Something - Bullying Reporting System Online incident reporting system allowing students, parents, and community members to report bullying anonymously via Google Forms for Philadelphia Elementary and High Schools.
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Before and after-school program providing academic tutoring, STEM enrichment, health and wellness activities, youth leadership, college-and-career readiness, and family literacy workshops at Philadelphia Elementary School and Philadelphia High School.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant awarded ($1.6 million over four years)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted AAYME (African American Youth of Mississippi Excelling) camp on the campus of Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. The camp provides STEM enrichment and personal development for seventh through ninth grade students to help them achieve full potential through leadership development.
• EdliocoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider enabling the district website (phillytornadoes.com) with accessibility features conforming to WCAG 2.1 level AA standards. Edlio helps ensure websites are optimized for accessibility including keyboard navigation, alt text for images, and closed captioning for videos.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Phila_Tornadoes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2esIjQiAxz25MmkXEm2pgw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/philatornadoes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philadelphia-schools

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT