Excel Charter Academy

What Excel Charter Academy does

Excel Charter Academy is a tuition-free public charter school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students in grades Young 5s through 8th grade. Founded in 1995 by J.C. Huizenga, it is the flagship and founding school of National Heritage Academies (NHA), a charter school management organization that has grown to operate 103 schools across nine states (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, and Wisconsin) serving more than 65,000 students with over 7,500 employees. The school operates under a public charter authorized by Grand Valley State University and follows NHA's standardized educational model combining rigorous college-preparatory academics with the proprietary Moral Focus™ character development program, which teaches virtues such as respect, gratitude, self-control, perseverance, courage, encouragement, compassion, wisdom, and integrity.

The school's academic model includes the EXCEL-ERATE advanced learning program for high-performing students, data-driven instruction, and Intervention Assistance teams for personalized student support. Technology infrastructure includes the Parent Portal and NHA SchoolConnect platforms that facilitate communication between families and teachers. The broader NHA network also operates online learning options including PrepNet Virtual Academy in Michigan and National Heritage Online Academy in North Carolina, providing fully online K-12 education with live-online and self-paced learning models.

Excel Charter Academy operates on a per-pupil state funding model, receiving public funding based on enrolled student counts and eligible for federal programs including Title I and Special Education grants. The school is tuition-free, with admissions managed through open enrollment periods and random lottery selection when applications exceed available seats. As part of the NHA network, the school benefits from centralized curriculum development, shared services, and economies of scale, while maintaining local school leadership and community presence. The school's academic outcomes include alignment with NHA's network-wide results: 3 out of 4 NHA schools outperform local districts on state proficiency tests, 100% of high school graduates are accepted to college, and Stanford CREDO research validated that NHA students gain 3.5 additional months of learning per year compared to public school peers.

Name

Excel Charter Academy

Legal name

National Heritage Academies, Inc.

Website

https://nhaschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Excel Charter Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving grades Y5-8 as the founding school of National Heritage Academies, a 103-school network operating across nine states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-8 education
• College preparatory education
• Character education programs
• Tuition-free schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 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 tuition-free public charter schools, NHA schools receive public funding based on their number of enrolled students. They also receive grants for start-up costs and are eligible for federal funding programs like Title I and Special Education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Excel Charter Academy is a tuition-free public charter school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through 8th grade. It is the founding school of National Heritage Academies (NHA), established in 1995 by J.C. Huizenga, and delivers a college-preparatory curriculum integrated with NHA's proprietary Moral Focus character development program. The school operates under charter authorization from Grand Valley State University and combines rigorous academics with structured parent partnership and advanced learning opportunities.

Product overview

National Heritage Academies (NHA) operates a network of 100+ tuition-free public charter schools across nine states serving over 65,000 students in grades K-12. The core offerings include in-person schools (Excel Charter Academy and similar campuses serving K-8 or K-12), and online schools (PrepNet Virtual Academy in Michigan and National Heritage Online Academy in North Carolina). Academic programs are enhanced by the Moral Focus character development program, EXCEL-ERATE advanced learning for K-8 students, AP courses, dual enrollment, and Early Middle College programs at the high school level. The schools are college-preparatory institutions with a focus on academic excellence and character development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Moral Focus: Character development program teaching virtues such as respect, gratitude, self-control, perseverance, courage, encouragement, compassion, wisdom, and integrity.
• EXCEL-ERATE

Products and services

• Excel Charter Academy (K-8 School) Tuition-free public charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through 8th grade with a college-preparatory curriculum and Moral Focus character development program.
• Moral Focus Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain 3.5 more months of learning per year compared to public school peers (Stanford University study)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grand Valley State UniversitycoreOthersGrand Valley State University serves as the authorizer for NHA schools in Michigan, providing oversight and accountability for charter school performance, finances, and organizational stability. Authorizers monitor schools and have authority to close schools that don't meet required standards.
• AramarkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAramark provides facilities services including custodial work to NHA schools. NHA partners with Aramark to deliver best-in-class facilities services to students and staff at all schools.
• Enviro-CleanminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnviro-Clean provides facilities services to NHA schools. NHA partners with Enviro-Clean to deliver cleaning and facilities management services across the school network.
• Stanford University (CREDO Study)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford University's Center for Education Policy Analysis conducted research on NHA schools, finding students gain 3.5 more months of learning annually compared to public school peers. The study also identified NHA as a 'Gap Buster' for progress in closing learning gaps.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Stride (K12 Inc.): Large publicly traded online learning provider operating tuition-free virtual public schools (K-12). Comparable to NHA's PrepNet Virtual Academy and National Heritage Online Academy in online K-12 delivery model.

Regional players

• Friendship Public Charter School: Charter network serving K-12 students in Washington, D.C. with a college-prep focus. Comparable academic and demographic positioning to NHA but geographically focused on a single urban market rather than a multi-state network.

Direct peers

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): Largest U.S. charter management organization operating a multi-state network of tuition-free public charter schools serving predominantly low-income K-12 students with a college-prep mission. Highly comparable to NHA's operating model, scale ambition, and character/college-prep curriculum.
• Uncommon Schools: Non-profit charter management organization operating college-prep public charter schools across multiple states with a focus on closing achievement gaps. Comparable to NHA on mission, multi-state footprint, and Stanford-validated academic performance.
• National Heritage Academies parent company competitors (CMO sector) - Charter Schools USA: For-profit charter school management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable to NHA as a for-profit CMO with similar multi-state, multi-school operating model.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large charter network operating tuition-free public K-12 schools with a focus on college readiness, AP coursework, and strong academic outcomes in Texas and expanding states. Comparable to NHA in scale, college-prep orientation, and multi-state growth strategy.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large New York City-based charter network with top-tier academic outcomes and a college-prep mission. Comparable to NHA in outcome-driven positioning, though concentrated in a single metro versus NHA's multi-state model.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of high-achieving public charter schools known for rigorous college-prep curriculum and STEM focus. Comparable to NHA's college-prep academic positioning and charter school governance structure.
• Great Hearts Academies: Non-profit charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools with a classical, character-based liberal arts curriculum. Comparable to NHA's blend of rigorous academics and character/moral development through Moral Focus.

Others

• Michigan Charter School Authorizer (Grand Valley State University - parallel authorizers): GVSU is the actual authorizer of NHA's Michigan schools including Excel Charter Academy; listed as adjacent ecosystem participant that enables NHA's regulatory legitimacy and charter authorization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fnhaschools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nhaschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/NHASchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-heritage-academies
• Instagraminstagram.com/nhaschools/#

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Excel Charter Academy