Nova Classical Academy

What Nova Classical Academy does

Nova Classical Academy is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school operating from a single campus at 1455 Victoria Way in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 2003 by three St. Paul parents (Elisa Knudson, Simon Fung, and Teresa Schulte), it was the first K-12 public classical school in the state and currently serves approximately 1,015 students (485 in the Lower School and 530 in the Upper School) under Executive Director Dr. Brett Wedlund. The school is authorized by Friends of Education, a Minnesota nonprofit that sponsors knowledge-based charter schools, and is governed by a 9-member Board of Directors (Chair: Bavi Weston).

The academic program is structured around the classical Trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) divided into three divisions: School of Grammar (K-5), School of Logic (6-8), and School of Rhetoric (9-12), with Latin instruction starting in 3rd grade. A five-virtue character education program (Justice, Temperance, Fortitude, Wisdom, Prudence) is integrated across all grades. Student outcomes include a 97.2% graduation rate (Class of 2025), 26.6 average ACT, 84% AP pass rate (score 3+), and 72% of grades 10-12 students taking at least one college-level course. Operations run on a standard K-12 EdTech stack including Infinite Campus (SIS), IXL (achievement), GoGuardian (filtering), Google Workspace for Education, and LearnPlatform (EdTech management), with no proprietary AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

Revenue is generated primarily through Minnesota per-pupil state funding, supplemented by community donations and fundraising (EIN 26-0035570), ScholarZone before/after-school care fees, transportation fees ($200/family/year within 2 miles), and ancillary program fees. The school does not receive local levy dollars, creating a stated per-pupil funding gap of $8,442 versus St. Paul Public Schools. Go-to-market is open-enrollment lottery-based (November 1 through last Friday in January) with sibling and staff-child preference, serving Minnesota-resident families seeking rigorous college-preparatory academics and character development in a tuition-free public setting.

Name

Nova Classical Academy

Legal name

Nova Classical Academy

Website

https://novaclassical.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nova Classical Academy is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving approximately 1,015 Minnesota students through a Trivium-based classical education (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) with integrated virtue and character development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Classical Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)

Keywords

• K-12 classical education
• Public charter school
• College preparatory programs
• Virtue education curriculum
• Charter school enrollment

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

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. Per-Pupil State Funding: Public charter schools receive state funding per student (per-pupil funding) determined by state legislature. This is the primary funding source, similar to traditional public schools.
2. Donations and Fundraising: School relies on community donations and fundraising activities to supplement state funding, as charter schools do not receive local levy dollars unlike traditional public schools. EIN: 26-0035570.
3. Fee-Based Programs: ScholarZone before-and-after school care, optional meal programs, transportation for students within 2 miles, and activity fees on a need-based sliding scale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nova Classical Academy operates a tuition-free K-12 public charter school delivering a classical education built on the Trivium framework of Grammar (K-5), Logic (6-8), and Rhetoric (9-12). The school integrates academic rigor with a virtue education curriculum (justice, temperance, fortitude, wisdom, prudence) and offers college preparatory coursework, Latin instruction from 3rd grade, special education and ELL services, athletics, and extracurricular programs for Minnesota resident students.

Product overview

Nova Classical Academy is a free K-12 public charter school offering a classical education built on the Trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric). The school operates three academic divisions: School of Grammar (K-5), School of Logic (6-8), and School of Rhetoric (9-12). The core educational program combines rigorous academics with virtue education, teaching five core virtues (justice, temperance, fortitude, wisdom, prudence) alongside college-preparatory coursework. Supporting services include ScholarZone before/after-school care, free meals program, transportation services, LibraryGo library partnerships, special education and ELL services, and diverse extracurricular activities including athletics and clubs. The school serves approximately 1,015 students (485 in Lower School, 530 in Upper School) with class sizes of 20 students in Kindergarten and 27 in grades 1-5.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.2% graduation rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Friends of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorizing organization for Nova Classical Academy's charter. Friends of Education is a nonprofit corporation organized specifically to sponsor knowledge-based charter schools in the Twin Cities area. Located at 11100 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 800, Minnetonka, MN 55305.
• CKC Good FoodcoreOthersMinnesota-based food service management company that provides daily catered breakfast and lunch services to Nova Classical Academy. Offers hot main entree and hot vegetarian entree options along with salad bar and milk for all students.
• Saint Paul Public Libraries (LibraryGo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership granting all Nova students library access regardless of where they live. Students can access e-books, e-audiobooks, online magazines, newspapers, databases, and check out materials from any of the 14 neighborhood branches. Program is completely free with no late fees.
• Infinite CampuscoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent information system used for attendance tracking, grade management, lunch accounts, and parent/student portals. Nova uses this platform for absence requests and family communication.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Great Hearts Academies: National network of classical charter K-12 schools using a classical liberal arts curriculum with explicit emphasis on virtue education and the Trivium, directly comparable to Nova's pedagogical model and academic philosophy.
• Hillsdale Academy: K-12 classical school in Michigan affiliated with Hillsdale College, sharing the classical liberal arts methodology, Trivium-based curriculum, and virtue-focused instruction that distinguishes Nova Classical Academy.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National network of K-12 charter schools emphasizing rigorous college-prep academics with high student outcomes, comparable in mission, academic rigor, and charter school governance model.
• Pinnacle Classical Academy: K-12 classical charter school in North Carolina using Trivium-based classical education with an integrated liberal arts curriculum, directly paralleling Nova's pedagogical approach.
• Athenian Academy: Classical charter school network with K-12 programs emphasizing classical pedagogy, virtue education, and college-preparatory rigor similar to Nova's core mission.
• Heritage Classical Academy: K-12 classical charter school employing a Trivium-based curriculum with explicit character education, sharing Nova's core differentiation as a tuition-free public classical school.

Regional players

• Hiawatha Academies: Minnesota charter school network serving similar Twin Cities families, comparable in public charter governance model and K-12 service area though focused on college prep rather than classical education.
• Beacon Academy: Minnesota charter school serving students in the Twin Cities metro, operating as a public charter K-12 institution with comparable governance, funding structure, and community-driven enrollment model.
• Twin Cities Academy: Minnesota public charter school serving grades 6-12 in the Twin Cities, comparable as a regional charter peer with similar small-school community orientation and college-prep focus.
• Great River School: Minnesota public charter school in St. Paul area serving K-12 students with progressive education approach, comparable as a regional charter peer operating in the same local market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nova-classical-academy

Compliance8 records

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 Nova Classical Academy