What Cherokee County School District does

Cherokee County School District (CCSD) is a public K-12 school system headquartered in Canton, Georgia, serving approximately 40,000 students across 40 schools and centers in the Metro Atlanta area. It is the second-largest school district in Metro Atlanta, operating 23 elementary schools (K-5), 7 middle schools (6-8), 6 high schools (9-12), the i-Grad Virtual Academy, ACE Academy, C3 Academy, Transition Academy, Tippens Education Center, and CCSD Preschool Centers, supported by 6,000 employees. The district provides traditional public education alongside specialized programs including Career Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathways, STEM/STEAM and fine arts academies, dual enrollment, special education, English language learner (ESOL) support, and social-emotional learning initiatives, governed by an elected seven-member Board of Education and led by Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis.

CCSD's core technology stack consists of Canvas LMS for student and parent access to coursework and grades, Microsoft 365 for staff and student productivity, the My Stop Bus Tracking System for real-time transportation visibility, and a Digital Learning Days infrastructure enabling remote instruction during inclement weather. The district holds Cognia accreditation, has achieved the highest-ever CCRPI scores in its history, and is recognized for sustained academic and governance excellence through multiple Georgia School Boards Association Leading Edge Awards, the 2021 GSBA Governance Team of the Year designation, the 2020 Exemplary School Board designation, and 2008 American School Board Journal Magna Award Grand Prize.

The district's business model is a government-funded public service model with no tuition or fees for core educational services. Revenue is sourced from a diversified mix of local property taxes (with a historic low millage rate), the voter-approved Education SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for capital improvements and operations, Georgia state education funding (QBE and other formula allocations), and federal grants including Title I and IDEA special education funding. Capital expenditures are funded through periodic Ed-SPLOST renewals via community referendum, as demonstrated by the recent renewal supporting the new Cherokee High School campus. The district maintains an active community partnership program spanning districtwide, school-level, and CTAE-level engagements with healthcare providers (Northside Hospital Cherokee), research institutions (Emory Winship Cancer Institute), and charter school collaborators (Mountain Education Charter High School), and is currently developing its five-year Elevate 2032 strategic plan to guide operations through 2032.

Name

Cherokee County School District

Legal name

Cherokee County School District

Website

https://cherokeek12.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Cherokee County School District is a public K-12 school system in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, serving 40,000 students across 40 schools and 6,000 employees, funded by local property taxes, state allocations, and federal grants.

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 industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Elementary education services
• Secondary education services
• Career technical education
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Local Tax Revenue (Education SPLOST): Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (Ed-SPLOST) - local sales tax revenue dedicated to school district funding, including capital improvements and the new Cherokee High School replacement campus. Renewed through community referendum.
2. State Funding: Georgia state education funding allocated to the district based on student enrollment and attendance
3. Federal Funding: Federal education grants and programs including Title I, IDEA special education funding, and other federal education initiatives
4. Local Property Taxes: Property tax revenues supporting district operations - maintaining historic low millage rate

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cherokee County School District provides tuition-free public K-12 education to approximately 40,000 students in Cherokee County, Georgia, operating 23 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 6 high schools, a virtual academy, alternative programs, and preschool centers. The district also delivers career and technical education pathways, special education services, dual enrollment, English language learner support, and social-emotional learning programs.

Product overview

Cherokee County School District operates as a unified K-12 public school system offering traditional in-person education through 36 schools (23 elementary, 7 middle, 6 high schools), supplemented by alternative and specialized programs. The district provides a portfolio of educational pathways including i-Grad Virtual Academy for online learning, ACE Academy and Transition Academy for alternative education, C3 Academy for specialized programs, and CCSD Preschool Centers for early childhood education. Career and technical education is delivered through CTAE programs with healthcare partnerships. Additional services include Digital Learning Days for inclement weather, Dual Enrollment for college credit, Special Education services, English language support, and summer school programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cherokee Chorale: Community chorus group including CCSD students and alumni, performed at Carnegie Hall in 2026
• ACTIVE Academies Campus
• Elevate 2032
• CCSD Cares

Products and services

• Traditional K-12 Education Comprehensive public school education services delivered across 36 traditional K-12 schools serving approximately 40,000 students in Cherokee County, Georgia. Includes elementary (Grades K-5), middle (Grades 6-8), and high school (Grades 9-12) instruction with full academic, extracurricular, and support programs.
• i-Grad Virtual Academy Online school program for students in Grades 9-12 providing full-time virtual learning options delivered remotely. Available to CCSD students seeking an alternative to in-person high school instruction.
• ACE Academy Alternative daytime education program for students in Grades 6-12 providing non-traditional educational pathways outside the standard school setting. Located at the Active Academies Campus.
• Transition Academy Program at the Active Academies Campus serving students with transition services needs as part of CCSD's alternative education portfolio.
• CCSD Preschool Centers Preschool services operated by CCSD, including the Ralph Bunche Center and preschool locations at Johnston, Holly Springs, and Oak Grove elementary schools, providing early childhood education to young learners.
• Tippens Education Center Specialized education center operated by CCSD providing targeted educational services within the district.
• Career, Technical & Agricultural Education (CTAE) Career and technical education programs providing Career Pathways in healthcare science (with clinical rotation partnerships), audio/video technology, and other vocational training areas for CCSD high school students.
• Dual Enrollment Program allowing CCSD high school students to earn college credit while simultaneously completing their high school graduation requirements through partner colleges.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education programs for CCSD students with disabilities, including the Preschool Special Needs Program, Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 accommodations, related services, and transition services.
• English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Language support services for English language learners enrolled in CCSD, including translation and interpretation services for students and their families.
• Early Intervention Program (EIP)
• Summer School Summer instructional programs offered by CCSD, including credit recovery and graduation ceremonies for summer graduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest ever CCRPI scores (Georgia's school accountability measure)
• +2 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

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Northside Hospital CherokeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership providing clinical rotation opportunities for high school students in CCSD's Career Pathway healthcare science program. The hospital works with the district to encourage students to pursue healthcare careers and prepare them with real-world experience in the hospital and medical offices. The partnership is a true collaboration with continuous communication as they work together to benefit the community.
• Mountain Education Charter High SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for students in grades 9-12 who seek an alternate setting for earning a high school diploma. Mountain Ed is located on the Etowah HS campus (in Etowah East facility) and operates Monday-Thursday from 4 pm to 9 pm.
• Emory University's Winship Cancer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Georgia's National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center providing summer research opportunities for CCSD high school students. Twenty-six high school students were selected to participate as student researchers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Paulding County School District: Adjacent Metro Atlanta public K–12 district serving a fast-growing suburban county; directly comparable as a Georgia public school system of similar scale, growth dynamics, and new-school capital investment needs.
• Forsyth County Schools: Adjacent Metro Atlanta public K–12 district widely recognized as a high-performing system; directly comparable as a Georgia public school district serving a fast-growing suburban county with similar award-winning performance and new-school capital programs.
• Cobb County School District: Large public K–12 school district in Metro Atlanta serving over 100,000 students; directly comparable as a Georgia public school system of similar scale, urban-suburban footprint, and accountability framework, and previous employer of CCSD's current superintendent (Chief Academic Officer).
• Marietta City Schools: Urban-suburban Metro Atlanta public K–12 district operating within Cherokee County's broader market; directly comparable as a Georgia public school system with overlapping student/family populations and similar program offerings.
• Gwinnett County Public Schools: Largest school district in Georgia and Metro Atlanta, operating a similarly large K–12 portfolio with comparable programs (CTAE, virtual, special education); directly comparable as a high-performing large public school system in the same metro labor market.
• Henry County Schools: Metro Atlanta public K–12 district and previous employer of CCSD's current superintendent (Mary Elizabeth Davis served as Henry County Superintendent for nearly seven years); directly comparable as a Georgia public school district of similar size and growth profile.
• Fulton County School District: Metro Atlanta public K–12 district of similar scale and demographic mix, operating a comparable portfolio of traditional, magnet, and alternative programs; directly comparable as a Georgia public school district navigating similar SPLOST-style capital funding dynamics.
• Douglas County School District: Metro Atlanta public K–12 district operating traditional and alternative programs; directly comparable as a Georgia public school system serving a similarly sized suburban county with overlapping workforce and funding dynamics.
• DeKalb County School District: Large Metro Atlanta public K–12 district operating traditional, magnet, and alternative programs; directly comparable as a Georgia public school system of similar enrollment scale and urban-suburban footprint.

Regional players

• Bartow County School District: Adjacent north-Metro Atlanta public K–12 district; comparable as a Georgia public school system in the same region facing similar growth and capital-investment dynamics, though serving a smaller, more rural-leaning county than CCSD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CherokeeSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/CherokeeGASchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cherokee-county-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/cherokeegaschools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries40 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 Cherokee County School District