What Central School District 301 does

Central Community Unit School District 301 is a public K-12 school district and governmental subdivision of the State of Illinois, headquartered at 275 South St., Burlington, IL 60109, serving families across Burlington, Elgin, and Maple Park in central Kane County. The district operates seven schools spanning Early Childhood through Grade 12: Central High School (Burlington), Central Middle School (Burlington), Prairie Knolls Middle School (Elgin), and four elementary schools — Country Trails, Howard B. Thomas, Lily Lake, and Prairie View. Central 301's core offering is comprehensive public education including AP courses, Dual Credit, Career & Technical Education (INCubatoredu@chs entrepreneurship, MobileMakersedu mobile development), Special Education, Multilingual/ELL programs, Early Childhood instruction, athletics, fine arts, and before/after-school care (BASE via Centre of Elgin).

The district's underlying technology is a stack of third-party SaaS platforms rather than proprietary systems: PowerSchool and SchooLinks/Naviance for student information and college/career readiness, NWEA/MAP and IAR for assessments, ParentSquare for family communications, RevTrak for online payments and registration, Red Rover for hiring, Destiny (Follett) for library catalog, and SignUpGenius for volunteer coordination, supported by a district-wide 1:1 Chromebook program. Central 301 has no public API, no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, and no patents or trademarks.

Central 301 is funded primarily through local property tax levies (Education Fund, Working Cash Fund, Tort Fund, Transportation Fund, Capital Projects Fund), state funding via the Illinois State Board of Education, and federal categorical entitlements (special education, multilingual programs). Minor fee-based revenue streams include CHS Summer Camps (RevTrak registration) and BASE before/after-school care. As a public-sector entity, there is no cap table, parent company, or shareholders; governance rests with an elected Board of Education, and operational leadership is transitioning to incoming Superintendent Dr. Amy MacCrindle effective July 1, 2026.

Name

Central School District 301

Legal name

Central Community Unit School District 301

Website

https://central301.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Central Community Unit School District 301 is a public K-12 school district in Kane County, Illinois, operating seven schools across Burlington, Elgin, and Maple Park to serve Early Childhood through Grade 12 students with tax-funded public education, AP/Dual Credit, CTE, special education, and multilingual programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Junior Colleges (6112), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

District Administration & Central Office (EDAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Early childhood education
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Local Property Tax Levy: Primary funding source for district operations through local property tax levies, allocated across multiple district funds including the Education Fund, Working Cash Fund, and Tort Fund.
2. State and Federal Education Funding: District receives state funding through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and federal categorical funding for special education, multilingual programs, and other entitlements.
3. Transportation Fund (Fund 40): Transportation Fund dedicated to busing operations, including fleet maintenance, bus driver compensation, and student transportation services across the district.
4. Capital Projects Fund (Fund 60): Capital Projects Fund designed for long-term facility investments, major renovations, and school construction projects across the district to support district growth.
5. Working Cash Fund (Fund 70): Working Cash Fund provides safety net for temporary internal loans or cash flow support when timing issues arise between expenses and revenue. Funded through local tax levy and interest income.
6. Tort Fund (Fund 80): Tort Fund supports insurance coverage for property and casualty, workers' compensation, unemployment costs, and legal fees associated with protection and operation of the district.
7. Summer Camp and Activity Fees: Central High School offers paid summer camps for registered Central 301 students entering grades K-12. Fees are non-refundable and do not transfer to athletic fees or family max.
8. Before and After School Care (BASE) Fees: Prairie View partners with Centre of Elgin to provide BASE (before/after school care) services. Registration handled through Centre of Elgin for fee-based program held in school multipurpose rooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels11 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Central Community Unit School District 301 is a public K-12 school district operating seven schools (one high school, two middle schools, and four elementary/grade schools) that delivers Early Childhood through Grade 12 instruction, including AP courses, Dual Credit, Career & Technical Education pathways, Special Education, Multilingual Learner programs, athletics, fine arts, before/after school care, summer camps, and transportation to families in central Kane County, Illinois.

Product overview

Central Unit School District 301 is a single K-12 public school district organized as a portfolio of seven schools and supporting programs rather than a unified software platform. The core "products" are its seven schools — Central High School (CHS), Central Middle School (CMS), Prairie Knolls Middle School (PKMS), Country Trails Elementary (CT), Howard B. Thomas Grade School (HBT), Lily Lake Grade School (LL), and Prairie View Grade School (PV) — supported by district-wide programs such as the Early Childhood Program, Multilingual (ML) Program, Student Services/Special Education, BASE Before and After School Care, CHS Summer Camps, CTE/INCubatoredu/MobileMakersedu, HOSA, the 301Cares School Safety Tip Line, Parent University, the Central Education Foundation, and communications products (In The Loop newsletter, The 301 Podcast, Digital Bulletin Board, and Central Store). Operational technology is delivered through third-party platforms (Red Rover for hiring, RevTrak for camp registration and payments, SchooLinks and Naviance/PowerSchool for college and career planning, ParentSquare for family messaging, Destiny for library services, SignUpGenius for volunteer coordination, Google Sites/Forms for internal collaboration, and Barnes & Noble Bookfair for fundraising).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Central High School: District high school serving grades 9-12; mascot the Rockets.
• Central Middle School
• Prairie Knolls Middle School
• Country Trails Elementary School
• Howard B. Thomas Grade School
• Lily Lake Grade School
• Prairie View Grade School

Products and services

• Central High School (CHS) District high school serving grades 9-12 with AP courses, Dual Credit, Career & Technical Education (INCubatoredu@chs, MobileMakersedu), HOSA, Drama, Service Club, athletics (Central Rockets), and a new 20-classroom addition opened in December 2024.
• Central Middle School (CMS) District middle school with athletics, clubs and activities, MAP/NWEA and IAR assessments, STEM programming using LEGO Spike Prime, and STAR Club service projects.
• Prairie Knolls Middle School (PKMS) District middle school offering athletics, fine arts (band and choir), social-emotional learning, annual Falcon Fest, and a Pentathlon competition.
• Country Trails Elementary School (CT) District elementary school with kindergarten programming, ABC Countdown events, Cougar Club for 5th graders, and the district-wide Buddy Bus Challenge.
• Howard B. Thomas Grade School (HBT) District elementary school with before and after school care, the Twister Club, Family Picnic, Reading Picnic, and Ice Cream Social/Touch A Truck events.
• Lily Lake Grade School (LL) District elementary school offering Parent University sessions, Fall Fest with STEAM coding and GaGa Ball activities, and Reading Madness Book Tournament assemblies.
• Prairie View Grade School (PV) District elementary school offering BASE before and after school care, Coyote of the Month recognition, and a Fun Run.
• Early Childhood Program District Early Childhood program with tuition/blended and instructional classrooms, Early Childhood school supplies, and the #DayOne301 kindergarten kickoff.
• Multilingual (ML) Program District program serving English Learners with multilingual services for students and families.
• Student Services / Special Education District department providing Child Find and evaluation procedures, McKinney-Vento Act services, Section 504, and Special Education supports.
• 301Cares School Safety Tip Line District-wide anonymous electronic tip line for reporting safety concerns, bullying, drugs/weapons, and threats; monitored during school hours with per-school email addresses.
• BASE (Before and After School Care) Before and after school care program provided in partnership with the Centre of Elgin, operating at multiple elementary schools including Prairie View Grade School.
• CHS Summer Camps Summer camp program at Central High School for registered Central 301 students entering grades K-12, covering sports, activities, and learning opportunities; one-step registration via RevTrak.
• HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) CHS student organization focused on health occupations; in its first year (2025-2026) sent 19 students to state with 9 top-10 finishes and 1 state champion.
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Career pathway programs including INCubatoredu@chs (entrepreneurship) and MobileMakersedu (mobile app development), plus industry tours at companies like McFona International and Pactiv Evergreen.
• Parent University Series of informational parent workshops (e.g., Tools for Executive Functioning, Soaring Through Civics) supporting student learning at home.
• CHS Credit Advancement Summer School Program New for-credit summer school program at Central High School offering credit advancement courses, distinct from the existing credit recovery program.
• Spanish for Heritage Speakers 1 Course New course offering launching at Central Middle School and Central High School to strengthen heritage Spanish language and cultural connections for heritage learners.

Quantifiable outcome

• All 7 schools earned Exemplary or Commendable designation from Illinois State Board of Education
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Barnes & Noble (Geneva Commons)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 November 2025Hosted Central Education Foundation (CEF) districtwide Book Fair on Saturday, November 8, from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, featuring staff read-alouds, scavenger hunt, and photo opportunities with school mascots. Proceeds from all purchases benefit Central 301 school libraries. Online extension through November 13 via Bookfair ID 12915690.
• School Exec ConnectcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2025School Exec Connect conducted the superintendent search engagement for Central 301, including surveys, focus groups, open forums, and development of the Community Engagement Report and Superintendent Profile. Over 780 survey responses and multiple stakeholder sessions informed the profile, presented at the October 20 Board of Education meeting.
• Centre of ElgincoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartners to provide before and after school care (BASE) for Prairie View Grade School students. BASE held in Prairie View multipurpose room from 6:45 – 9:05 AM and 3:30 – 6:00 PM on school days. Registration through Centre of Elgin with Michelle Hansen as contact.
• First Division Museum at CantignyminorOthersProvided Civil War Trunks educational program to Central Middle School students, allowing them to explore life as a soldier during the Civil War through hands-on learning materials.
• Comfort Dogs of Kane CountyminorOthersCentral Middle School welcomes Comfort Dogs from the Kane County area four times a year. Specially trained dogs help students feel calmer and reduce stress. Students can sign up to spend time with Comfort Dogs on designated days.
• Red Rover K-12coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline hiring platform used by Central 301 for posting administrative, teaching, paraprofessional, custodial, food service, transportation, and secretarial positions. Job seekers complete and submit online applications at jobs.redroverk12.com/org/3809.
• PowerSchool (Naviance)coreTechnology or IntegrationNaviance college and career readiness platform used by Central 301 students through 2021-2022 school year, primarily beginning in 8th grade. Now subject of a class action settlement administered by a third party. PowerSchool remains a partner.
• McFona InternationalcoreOthersRegional manufacturing partner hosting CTE student tours as part of "Learning Beyond the Bell" program. More than 600 high schoolers got an inside look at the skills driving tomorrow's workforce.
• Pactiv EvergreencoreOthersRegional manufacturing partner hosting CTE student tours as part of "Learning Beyond the Bell" program exposing more than 600 high schoolers to modern manufacturing careers.
• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)coreOthersState regulatory body overseeing Central 301 schools. ISBE Report Card public dashboard provides school performance data. All 7 schools earned Exemplary designation; Kane County Health Department collaborates on facility matters.
• Northern Kane Regional Career PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional career pathways partnership referenced through northernkanepathways.com for career exploration and educational pathway development.
• Kane County Health DepartmentminorOthersPartnered with Central 301 Facilities team to resolve the CMS well failure in December 2024, helping determine that students could not return to building until the issue was resolved.
• RevTrakcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline payment platform used for Central 301 registration and CHS summer camp registration. Families complete transactions via cusd301.revtrak.net.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationFamily communication and engagement platform used by Central 301 for two-way messaging between schools and families.
• Comfort Crisis CenterminorOthersCrisis intervention resource referenced in 301Cares School Safety Tip Line for safe place and dating abuse support services (847-697-2380).
• Renz CenterminorOthersAddiction recovery and counseling resource referenced in 301Cares School Safety Tip Line (224-268-0726) for drug/alcohol problem help.
• Illinois Juvenile Justice CouncilminorOthersCyberbullying support resource referenced in 301Cares School Safety Tip Line (630-406-7480) for students experiencing cyberbullying.
• Elgin High School (Dual Biology Teacher Bryan Alemán)minorOthersBryan Alemán (Dual Biology Teacher at Elgin High School) visited Central Middle School Spanish students to share insights on Puerto Rican history, traditions, and family values as part of cultural learning project.
• Friends of the Fine ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the annual Sleigh Bells Ring Extravaganza at Central High School (December 13, 2025 was the 7th annual event). Showcases student musicians and artists.
• Central Education Foundation (CEF)coreOthersInternal non-profit foundation supporting Central 301 schools. Organizes districtwide book fair at Barnes & Noble and supports school libraries.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• ParentSquare: ParentSquare is the family communication platform Central 301 has adopted district-wide. As a vendor serving thousands of comparable K-12 districts, it is the closest functional analog for Central 301's family-engagement technology stack.
• PowerSchool: PowerSchool provides Central 301's former Naviance college/career readiness platform and remains an SIS integration partner. As a K-12 EdTech vendor serving similar Illinois public school districts, it is an ecosystem/technology peer rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Community Unit School District 300: D300 (Carpentersville, Algonquin, Dundee) is a larger but geographically adjacent Kane County K-12 district. Prairie View's incoming principal Marilyn Mattei spent 24 years at District U-46, another D-300-adjacent system — close analog for suburban Illinois K-12 operations.
• Batavia Public School District 101: Batavia 101 is a Fox Valley suburban K-12 district of similar size to Central 301, competing in the same UEC conference and serving a comparable residential demographic in Kane County.
• Huntley Community School District 158: Huntley 158 is a comparable-sized suburban Illinois K-12 district in McHenry/Kane counties with similar growth trajectory, dual-language and CTE programs, and a comparable competitive athletics profile. Central 301's incoming Lily Lake principal Andrew Gibbs was most recently principal at Huntley's Heineman Middle School.
• Geneva Community Unit School District 304: Geneva 304 is a comparable suburban Kane County K-12 district with strong ISBE designations, AP/Honors programming, and similar athletic conference placement — a like-for-like benchmark for Central 301's academic and operational profile.
• St. Charles Community Unit School District 303: D303 serves a similar Fox Valley suburban footprint just south of Central 301 in St. Charles and was named to the AP School Honor Roll in the same cohort. Comparable in scale, suburban-residential demographic, and academic-program breadth.
• Kaneland Community Unit School District 302: Immediately adjacent Kaneland CUSD 302 serves the Maple Park, Elburn, and Sugar Grove areas of Kane County — sharing direct athletic conference (NCJC) overlap with Central 301 and the same regional employer base. Most directly comparable suburban-rural Illinois K-12 district in size and geography.

Regional players

• DeKalb Community Unit School District 428: DeKalb 428 is a regional Illinois K-12 district west of Kane County sharing the I-88 corridor and regional manufacturing employer base (relevant to Central 301's CTE "Learning Beyond the Bell" partnerships with McFona International and Pactiv Evergreen).

Broad incumbents

• School District U-46 (Elgin Area): U-46 is the second-largest school district in Illinois and serves a portion of Elgin that overlaps Central 301's Prairie View and Prairie Knolls attendance areas. Larger and broader portfolio, but directly comparable suburban Illinois K-12 operating environment and multilingual program demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Central301
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CentralCUSD301
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentralSchoolDistrict301
• Instagraminstagram.com/Central_CUSD301
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prairie-knolls-middle-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Central School District 301