Goodland Academy

What Goodland Academy does

Goodland Academy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian boarding and day school located on a 390-acre rural campus in Hugo, Oklahoma, serving youth in grades 6 through 9 who require a safe environment, education, and character development. The institution was founded in 1848 (with mission origins dating to 1835) by Presbyterian missionaries Ebenezer Hotchkin and Cyrus Kingsbury under the Choctaw name Yakni Achukma ('Good Land'). It maintains a covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church USA and serves approximately 20 residential students at any given time, with a 24-student campus capacity, a low student-to-staff ratio, and an after-care college program. Programs include a day school (6th-9th grade), Camp Goodland summer programming, volunteer workgroup visits, and an alumni engagement initiative.

The institution does not operate proprietary technology; its core delivery asset is the physical 390-acre campus with 15+ historic buildings including the 1852 chapel and a gymnasium undergoing renovation since 2022. The business model is primarily donation-driven, with private donations from individuals, churches, businesses, corporations, and foundations forming the primary revenue stream. A secondary tuition revenue stream operates on a sliding scale based on parent/guardian income, with families never turned away for inability to pay. Additional revenue comes from tiered Legacy Sponsorships ($300-$10,000) and Educational/Recreational Sponsorships ($150-$175), plus a small portion of federal and state funding through the USDA School Lunch Program. Go-to-market relies on community-led engagement through church networks, donor relationships, volunteer referrals, events (including the 175th anniversary and summer camps), and a direct-to-consumer enrollment process for the day school.

Governance is provided by a self-appointing board of trustees from diverse Christian backgrounds. Leadership underwent a deliberate transition in 2022-2023, with Reagan Abbiss hired as COO in 2022 to lead a Mission/Values/Vision reset, followed by Chris Scott being unanimously named CEO by the board on July 14, 2023, after a 3-month interim period during which he drove campus improvements.

Name

Goodland Academy

Legal name

Goodland Academy

Website

https://goodland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Goodland Academy is a 501(c)(3) Christian boarding and day school in Hugo, Oklahoma, serving approximately 20 youth in grades 6-9 on a 390-acre historic campus, funded primarily by private donations and sliding-scale tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Christian Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)

Keywords

• Christian boarding school
• Youth education programs
• Summer camp programs
• Character development education
• Residential education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hugo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Goodland Academy is mostly supported by private donations from individuals, churches, businesses, corporations, foundations, and scholarship funds. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Church and Organization Donations: Receives donations from numerous churches and organizations including the Choctaw Nation. All donations are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
3. Tuition and Residential Fees: Moderate tuition and residential fees charged on a sliding scale based on parent/guardian income. Financial aid determined individually; families never turned away for inability to pay.
4. USDA School Lunch Program: Small portion of Federal and State funding through the USDA School Lunch Program.
5. Sponsorship Programs: Legacy sponsorship packages ($300-$10,000) and school sponsorships ($150-$175) for educational supplies and recreational equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Goodland Academy operates a Christian day school for youth in grades 6 through 9 and Camp Goodland, a summer camp program, on a 390-acre rural campus in Hugo, Oklahoma. The institution provides education, character development, spiritual formation, and residential support to approximately 20 students, funded primarily through donations and sliding-scale tuition. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a 175-year heritage tracing back to its founding as the Yakni Achukma mission.

Product overview

Goodland Academy operates as a unified Christian educational institution offering a day school program (grades 6th-9th) alongside Camp Goodland summer programming. The institution provides additional support through sponsorship opportunities (educational supplies at $175, recreational equipment at $150) and legacy sponsorship packages ($300-$10,000) honoring historical figures. Additional offerings include volunteer programs for church groups and individuals, along with campus facilities including a historic gymnasium and chapel. The school functions primarily as a non-profit, funded through donations and sliding-scale tuition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Goodland Academy Day School Christian day school serving youth in grades 6th through 9th, providing education and character development in a safe Christian environment on a 390-acre campus. Enrollment is offered on a sliding-scale tuition basis, with financial aid available and no family turned away for inability to pay.
• Camp Goodland Summer camp program offered annually in June, providing recreational and educational activities for youth on the 390-acre campus.
• Legacy Sponsorship Packages Historical figure sponsorship packages honoring Goodland's founding figures, ranging from $300 to $10,000, with varying recognition benefits including social media thank-you ads, sponsor page listings, classroom recognition, and logo placements.
• Educational and Recreational Supplies Sponsorships Sponsorship offerings that fund school supplies for educators and students ($175) and outdoor recreation equipment ($150), with classroom wall recognition included for sponsors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Low student/staff ratio provides individualized attention for each student
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• First Presbyterian Church of StillwatersupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater provided dedication to the preservation of Goodland's historic chapel through renovations in 2018.
• Kirk of the Hills (Tulsa, OK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, OK sent a team of individuals to assist with renovation of the school house. Represents strong church partnership supporting Goodland's mission.
• Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodland maintains a mutual, covenant relationship with PCUSA. The Presbyterian Church has maintained presence in Oklahoma for over 180 years. Goodland was originally founded by Presbyterian missionaries and continues under Presbyterian governance.
• Choctaw Historical SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrently digitizing all past photos and news articles from Goodland's history for preservation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Starr Commonwealth: Michigan-based residential and educational organization serving at-risk youth, with historical roots dating to 1913. Comparable in combining residential treatment with K-12 education, faith-informed values, and donor-driven funding.
• Kanakuk Kamps: Network of Christian summer camps in Missouri serving youth with residential programming. Directly comparable to Camp Goodland as a faith-based youth-development summer camp operating on a rural campus with denomination-adjacent donor support.
• Pine Cove: Faith-based Christian summer camp network in Texas serving youth and families. Comparable summer-camp programming on a rural campus with church-network marketing and donor support analogous to Camp Goodland.
• Cookson Hills Christian School: Faith-based residential school in eastern Oklahoma serving children from families in crisis. Directly comparable to Goodland in geography (rural Oklahoma), faith-based governance, residential K-12 model, and reliance on church-network donations.
• Cal Farley's Boys Ranch: Faith-based residential program for at-risk youth near Amarillo, Texas. Operates a large rural campus with schools, homes, and recreational programs — directly comparable to Goodland's boarding-school-plus-residential model and donor-driven revenue structure.
• Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children: Oklahoma-based faith-based residential program (multiple campuses) serving children and families in crisis. Operates a similar school-plus-residential care model with denomination-driven (Baptist) donor support in the same regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Milton Hershey School: The largest residential school for disadvantaged and at-risk youth in the U.S., founded on a philanthropic endowment model (Hershey Trust). Comparable mission of combining residential care with K-12 education, though at vastly greater scale.
• Boys Town: One of the largest residential youth-care organizations in the U.S., founded on faith-based principles and serving at-risk youth with education, residential care, and behavioral-health services. Much larger and more diversified, but operates the same overarching 'home + school' model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodland_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW50idCCOUL1ze0LOk6UyjQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/goodlandacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodland1848

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Goodland Academy