Tucson Country Day School

What Tucson Country Day School does

Tucson Country Day School is a nonprofit public charter school in Tucson, Arizona, founded in 1968 by Richard Cooper on a former 22-acre deer ranch. After three decades as a private institution, the school converted to Arizona public charter status around 1998, enabling tuition-free delivery of K-8 education. TCDS operates from a 10-acre outdoor campus at 9239 E Wrightstown Road overlooking the Catalina mountain range, with facilities including an activity center, two pools, basketball courts, a low-ropes challenge course, a 2,000 sq ft Makerspace, and the Desert Lab School micro-school launching in 2026-2027.

The school delivers education across four core programs: Lil' Champs (private tuition-based preschool/pre-K for ages 3-5, ~100 students), K-5 elementary program (~300 students, tuition-free charter), 6-8 middle school (~250 students with Honors track), and Desert Lab School (24-student outdoor micro-school launching 2026-2027). Curriculum is anchored in a three-element Academic Framework (New Learning, Practice, Project-Based Learning) and the Conscious Discipline social-emotional program, supplemented by Champion Traits character development, weekly specials (Spanish, Art, Music, PE), and extracurricular athletics and clubs. Supporting programs include Camp Adventure (six-week summer day camp, June 1-July 10), Champion Care before/after school care, and educational trips including Sky School and Catalina Island excursions.

TCDS generates revenue from Arizona state per-pupil funding for K-8 charter enrollment, tuition for the Lil' Champs private program, summer camp and after-care fees, athletics and activity fees ($75-$100/sport), hot lunch pass-through ($4/meal), Arizona Public School Tax Credit donations (up to $400 per couple, $200 per individual), and optional supply donations ($50-$60). The 87-person staff includes 20 employees with 10+ year tenure, supporting a sustained ~650 K-8 enrollment with multi-year family retention. Leadership includes CEO Jordan Krause, Chief Innovation Officer Claudio Bravo, Chief Student Advocate Terra Maddock, and Founder Emeritus Richard Cooper.

Name

Tucson Country Day School

Legal name

Tucson Country Day School

Website

https://tcdcharterschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tucson Country Day School is a nonprofit public charter school in Tucson, Arizona, serving approximately 650 K-8 students tuition-free plus 100 preschool students on a tuition basis, with a 10-acre outdoor campus and a new Desert Lab School micro-school launching in 2026-2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA), Half-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAC)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Preschool early childhood
• Project-based learning
• K-8 education
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School (K-8): The K-8 program operates as a tuition-free public charter school under Arizona's Charter school statutes, funded through state and/or federal funding per Arizona charter school regulations.
2. Early Childhood Education (Lil' Champs): The private preschool and pre-kindergarten program (Lil' Champs) is tuition-based. The program serves 100 students ages 3-5 with various schedule options including half days and half weeks, Monday-Friday 6:30am-6pm. A non-refundable $100 registration fee is charged.
3. Camp Adventure Summer Program: Camp Adventure is a fee-based summer program running June 1st-July 10th. For 1st-8th grade: $210-$250 per week depending on schedule; $50 non-refundable deposit per camper plus $50 registration fee. Lil' Champs Camp: $50 registration fee plus $150-$210 weekly tuition.
4. Champion Care (Before/After School Care): Fee-based before and after school care program. Before-school care starts at 6:30am-8:05am; after-school care available until 6pm. Free sibling care provided for K-3rd grade students remaining after school until older siblings are dismissed.
5. Athletics and Extracurricular Activities: Activity fees for sports: $100 per sport (refundable if student does not make the team). Tryout fee due prior to tryouts. Cheer Camp: $75. Club fees vary from $75-$100 per semester.
6. Arizona Tax Credit Donations: The Arizona Public School Tax Credit Program enables Arizona taxpayers to make donations to TCDS that qualify for dollar-for-dollar credit on AZ state tax returns. Couples filing jointly may claim up to $400; individuals up to $200. Funds must be used for extracurricular activities.
7. Lunch Program: The lunch program is operated by outside vendor 'Healthy Innovations'. The school participates in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program. Hot lunch items priced at $4 per meal, extras at $2.25, beverages at $1.
8. Sky School and Catalina Island Trips: Educational trip programs with associated fees. Sky School full payment: $225, with deposit of $75 and balance of $150. Catalina Island trips have associated costs.
9. Supply Donations and Miscellaneous Fees: Optional supply donations of $50 for K-6th grade families and $60 for 7th & 8th grade families. Student Store account funding, kitchen account funding, and various other optional fee-based services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tucson Country Day School is a nonprofit public charter school providing tuition-free K-8 education to approximately 550 students in Tucson, Arizona. It supplements its academic program with a tuition-based private preschool (Lil' Champs), Camp Adventure summer programming, before- and after-school Champion Care, interscholastic athletics, and an on-site outdoor Desert Lab School.

Product overview

Tucson Country Day School is a tuition-free public charter school serving students from preschool through 8th grade. The school operates as a unified campus combining its core educational programs: Lil' Champs (private preschool/pre-K for ages 3-5), the public charter K-5th Grade Program, the 6th-8th Grade Middle School Program with Honors track, and the new Desert Lab School microschool (launching 2026-2027). Supporting these core offerings are add-on programs including Camp Adventure summer program, Athletics and Clubs, Champion Care before/after school care, Library Services, the TCDS Podcast, and Champion Times Publication. The school is located on a 10-acre outdoor campus overlooking the Catalina mountain range and has operated since 1968.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-8 Charter School Education Tuition-free K-8 public charter school education for children in the Tucson area, with instruction grounded in Project-Based Learning and the Conscious Discipline social-emotional framework. Funded through Arizona charter state aid and open to families via an enrollment lottery.
• Lil' Champs Private Preschool

Quantifiable outcome

• Desert Lab School goal: each student scores higher in Math and Language Arts on state exams compared to prior year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Great Hearts Academies: Arizona-based charter school network with multiple Tucson-area campuses offering a classical, liberal-arts K-12 curriculum. Directly competes with TCDS for families seeking tuition-free public charter alternatives with strong character and academic programs.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Highly ranked Arizona-based charter school network with multiple Tucson-area campuses serving K-12. Directly competes for college-prep-oriented families seeking rigorous, non-traditional public school alternatives in the same Tucson market.
• Vail School District: Public school district serving the southeastern Tucson metro area with high-performing K-8 and high school campuses. Competes with TCDS for southeast Tucson families seeking tuition-free public school options with strong academic outcomes.
• Legacy Traditional Schools: Arizona-based charter school network with campuses statewide (including Tucson area) serving K-8 with a back-to-basics, character-focused curriculum. Directly competes as a tuition-free charter alternative with a structured program model.
• Academies of Math and Science: Arizona-based charter school network operating K-8 campuses in the Tucson area with STEM and advanced academic focus. Competes for families seeking tuition-free public charter schools with rigorous math/science programs.

Broad incumbents

• Tucson Unified School District: The largest traditional public school district in the Tucson metro area, operating K-12 magnet and neighborhood schools. Functions as the default public school option against which TCDS's charter model competes for K-8 enrollment.
• Catalina Foothills School District: High-performing public K-8 district in north Tucson, often ranked among Arizona's top districts. Competes with TCDS for families prioritizing strong academic outcomes in a tuition-free public school setting.

Others

• Pusch Ridge Christian Academy: Private, faith-based K-12 school in Oro Valley (greater Tucson area) offering tuition-based education. Serves as a private-school alternative in the same metro area for families willing to pay tuition instead of attending a charter school.

Emerging players

• Primavera Online School: Arizona-based online public charter school serving K-12 statewide. Represents an emerging alternative learning format that could draw families seeking flexibility away from campus-based charters like TCDS.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TucsonCountryDaySchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/tcds_champions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tucson-country-day-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Tucson Country Day School