Garden City Public Schools

What Garden City Public Schools does

Garden City Public Schools is a K-12 public school district governed by a seven-member elected Board of Education and led by Superintendent Derek Fisher, operating in Garden City, Michigan under Michigan state education law. The district operates nine schools across its footprint: Garden City High School, Cambridge High School (alternative), Garden City Middle School, Farmington 5-6 Campus, Douglas 3-4 Campus, Memorial 1-2 Campus, Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center, Burger Baylor School (autism), and Burger Transition Center, supplemented by the Dr. Edwin J. O'Leary Performing Arts Center. Educational services span general academics, special education, preschool/GSRP, 21f online learning through Michigan Virtual, before/after school childcare via Champions, transportation, and food services.

The district's technology stack is conventional K-12 ed-tech procurement rather than proprietary development. Core systems include the MiStar Student Information System (parent portal for grades, attendance, food-service accounts), NWEA MAP Growth (adaptive assessment for K-6 reading-law compliance), Benchmark Advanced K-6 ELA curriculum, JIRA Service Desk for IT support, Qustodio/Classwize for parental device monitoring, InformedK12 for digital forms, Parchment for transcripts, Applitrack and EDUStaff for substitute staffing, Paycom for payroll, RevTrak and Nutrislice for food-service transactions, and Finalsite as the public website CMS. The Qustodio partnership, integrated with MiStar email addresses, is the most visible recent technology initiative.

As a government state entity, the district does not sell to customers but is funded through Michigan per-pupil foundation allowance, local property taxes, and federal grants including ESSER III/American Rescue Plan funds. Ancillary fee-based revenue is generated through Champions before/after school care (weekly subscriptions ranging $45-$90), adult meal pricing under Community Eligibility Provision rules, and O'Leary Performing Arts Center rentals. Distribution is direct to district-resident families via neighborhood school assignment, with an opt-in School of Choice program for inter-district transfers. A five-year, $50 million capital infrastructure program (classroom technology, transportation, safety/security) has modernized the facility base.

Name

Garden City Public Schools

Legal name

Garden City Public Schools

Website

https://gardencityschools.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Garden City Public Schools is a K-12 public school district in Garden City, Michigan, operating nine schools from early childhood through high school. It serves district families with tuition-free education, special education, free meals, childcare, and transportation, funded primarily by state aid and local property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Special education services
• Before and after school care
• School transportation services
• Early childhood education

Headquarters

HQ city

Garden City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Government-funded public education funded through local property taxes, state school aid (per-pupil foundation allowance), and federal grants including ESSER III/American Rescue Plan funds.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Garden City Public Schools delivers tuition-free K-12 public education across nine schools in Garden City, Michigan, including traditional high schools, a middle school, elementary campuses, an early childhood center, and special education schools. The district provides general and special education instruction, before/after school childcare (Champions), free meals via the Community Eligibility Program, transportation, performing arts programming, and the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) free preschool for eligible 4-year-olds. Supporting services include the MiStar Parent Portal, 21f online learning for grades 6-12, mental health support, and School of Choice enrollment for non-resident students.

Product overview

Garden City Public Schools is a K-12 public school district in Michigan operating nine schools including traditional high schools (Garden City High School, Cambridge High School), a middle school, three elementary campuses (Farmington 5-6, Douglas 3-4, Memorial 1-2), Lathers Early Childhood Center, and two special education schools (Burger Baylor School, Burger Transition Center). The district provides educational services through its core instructional programs, supplemented by MiStar Parent Portal for family engagement, Champions childcare for before/after school care, and the Dr. Edwin J. O'Leary Performing Arts Center for arts programming. Additional services include food services through SFE, transportation, special education with multiple service levels, 21f online learning options for grades 6-12, and the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) free preschool for eligible 4-year-olds. The district partners with Qustodio for parental device monitoring and uses Finalsite for its website platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Garden City High School: Main high school serving grades 9-12
• Garden City Middle School
• Farmington 5-6 Campus
• Douglas 3-4 Campus
• Memorial 1-2 Campus
• Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center
• Cambridge High School
• Burger Baylor School
• Burger Transition Center
• O'Leary Performing Arts Center
• Champions Before and After School Care
• Dr. Edwin J. O'Leary Performing Arts Center

Products and services

• Garden City High School Traditional high school serving grades 9-12 with college preparatory and vocational programs.
• Garden City Middle School Middle school serving grades 6-8 with comprehensive academic curriculum.
• Farmington 5-6 Campus Intermediate school serving grades 5-6 with transition preparation to middle school.
• Douglas 3-4 Campus Elementary campus serving grades 3-4.
• Memorial 1-2 Campus Elementary campus serving grades 1-2.
• Lathers Early Childhood and Kindergarten Center Early childhood education center serving preschool through kindergarten, including Champions childcare program and GSRP.
• Cambridge High School Alternative high school program for students seeking alternative educational pathways.
• Burger Baylor School Special education school serving students with autism and developmental disabilities.
• Burger Transition Center Transition program for students with special needs to prepare for post-secondary life.
• Champions Before and After School Care Fee-based before and after school childcare program for working families with activities combining fun and learning; weekly subscription pricing.
• Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) Free preschool program for 4-year-olds preparing children for kindergarten.
• Transportation Services School bus transportation for students to and from school and for field trips, with separate schedules by school.
• Food Services National School Breakfast and Lunch Program with meals served at no charge to all students through the Community Eligibility Program; operated in partnership with Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE).
• Special Education Services Full continuum of special education programs including speech therapy, resource room, cross-categorical classrooms, and programs for students with autism.
• 21f Online Learning Virtual course enrollment option allowing students in grades 6-12 to take up to two online courses per term through Michigan Virtual.
• School of Choice Program allowing non-resident students to enroll in Garden City Public Schools; guidelines and applications available online.
• Dr. Edwin J. O'Leary Performing Arts Center Performing arts venue hosting theater productions, concerts, and community events at 6500 Middlebelt Road.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free meals served to all students through Community Eligibility Program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFE is the district's food service provider, managing the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs and Community Eligibility Program. SFE prepares fresh, nutritional meals on-site in compliance with USDA guidelines. SFE is a culinary-based food service management company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, exclusively dedicated to K-12 nutrition.
• Wayne County Intermediate School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for special education services, Early Childhood programs, and compliance. District participates in Wayne County Partnership programs for students needing services not available locally, including the Burger School for Students with Autism program.
• QustodiocoreTechnology or IntegrationQustodio provides parental monitoring solution for district-issued Chromebooks and Windows devices. Allows parents to monitor student activity during school hours and manage screen time on personal devices outside school hours. Free to parents, integrates with MiStar email addresses.
• Wayne County Schools Employment Network (Applitrack)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline employment platform used for posting and processing job applications for district positions.
• EDUStaffminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInnovative staffing solutions provider for substitute teachers, administrative assistants, and paraprofessionals. District uses EDUStaff for substitute staffing along with AESOP scheduling.
• Burger School for Students with AutismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayne County Center program serving students with autism. Must be referred by Director of Special Education of resident district. Located at three sites including Burger Baylor (Inkster), Burger Transition Center, and Burger Lathers in Garden City.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dearborn Public Schools: Large Wayne County K-12 public district serving a diverse suburban community adjacent to Garden City. Operates under the same Michigan per-pupil foundation allowance and competes for students via School of Choice; comparable in offering a continuum of general, alternative, and special education programs.
• Taylor School District: Wayne County K-12 public district serving a working-class suburban community similar in economic profile to Garden City. Direct regional peer in funding model, demographic mix, and program offerings.
• Plymouth-Canton Community Schools: Higher-property-value Wayne County K-12 district to the west. Competes with Garden City for School of Choice families seeking stronger-rated schools and serves as a benchmark for facility modernization and academic programming investment.
• Romulus Community Schools: Wayne County K-12 public district to the south with a similar working-class demographic profile. Operates under the same Michigan foundation allowance and competes with Garden City for School of Choice enrollments.
• Livonia Public Schools: Neighboring K-12 public school district in Wayne County serving a comparable suburban working- and middle-class population. Directly competes with Garden City for School of Choice transfers and shares the same Michigan funding regime and state assessment requirements.
• Redford Union Schools: Adjacent Wayne County K-12 public district serving a comparable inner-ring suburban community. Direct School of Choice competitor and operates under the same Michigan per-pupil foundation allowance.
• Wayne-Westland Community Schools: Adjacent Wayne County K-12 public district with similar demographic and economic profile. Direct competitor in School of Choice and operates comparable general/special education programs under the same state funding framework.

Regional players

• Crestwood School District: Wayne County K-12 district in the Dearborn Heights area. Operates under the same Michigan foundation allowance and offers similar K-12 academic and special education programming, with geographic separation placing it in the regional peer category.
• Westwood Community School District: Wayne County K-12 district (Dearborn Heights area). Operates under the same Michigan funding framework but serves a slightly different geographic catchment; considered a regional peer rather than direct catchment competitor.
• Allen Park Public Schools: Downriver Wayne County K-12 district serving a comparable suburban population. Operates under the same Michigan foundation allowance and similar educational programming; geographic separation makes it a regional rather than direct catchment competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gcpsk12
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gardencityschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/gcpsk12
• Instagraminstagram.com/gcpsk12

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Garden City Public Schools