Name

Friends' School

Website

https://friendsschoolboulder.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG), School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

Keywords

• Progressive private education
• Early childhood education
• Elementary school programs
• Middle school education
• Teacher preparation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition for early childhood, elementary, and middle school programs. Additional revenue from before/after school care, summer programs, and auxiliary services.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Friends Fund annual campaign, Founders Fund for scholarships, Polly T. Donald Enrichment Fund for faculty development, Friends For Life Endowment Fund, and Party With A Purpose annual gala.
3. Bridge Program: High school transition program with community contribution model where families pay at Sustaining or Community Builder rates to support program growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friends School Boulder is a private, independent progressive day school that delivers preschool through 8th grade education across two campuses in Boulder, Colorado, anchored by an Early Childhood Program (Preschool and Pre-K), an Elementary Program (K-5) using Gold Standard Project-Based Learning, and a Middle School Program (6-8) with inquiry-based learning and a 6:1 student-teacher ratio. Beyond core K-8 education, the school sells the Bridge high-school transition program for 8th-9th graders and an adult Teacher Preparation Program (TPP) delivered in partnership with the University of Colorado Denver, along with auxiliary before/after care, enrichment, summer programs, and bus service.

Product overview

Friends School Boulder is a progressive co-educational private school serving approximately 175 students from preschool through 8th grade across two campuses. The school offers a unified educational platform centered on 'Head, Hand, and Heart' philosophy, combining rigorous academics with social-emotional learning. The core programs include Early Childhood (Preschool & Pre-K) featuring play-based learning, Elementary School (K-5) using Gold Standard Project-Based Learning, and Middle School (6-8) with innovative inquiry-based methods. Supporting programs include The Bridge high school transition program for 8th-9th graders, the Teacher Preparation Program (TPP) in partnership with University of Colorado Denver for adult teacher certification, Summer Program for ages 3-12, and various auxiliary programs including before/after care, bus service, enrichment classes, and jazz band. The school operates South Campus (Early Childhood & Elementary at 5465 Pennsylvania Ave) and North Campus (Middle School & TPP at 3800 Kalmia Ave).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Program (Preschool & Pre-K) Play-based early childhood education for children ages 2 years 6 months through Pre-K, offering half-day (8:30am-12:15pm) and full-day (8:30am-3:00pm) options with two classrooms, two to three teachers per class, and weekly specialist classes in Art, Music, Spanish, Physical Education, and Library. A Highly Rated Colorado Shines program and Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) provider.
• Elementary School Program (K-5) Gold Standard Project-Based Learning program for Kindergarten through 5th grade with approximately 16 students per class, integrating rich academics with creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and social responsibility through one class per grade. Ranked among the Top 50 Private Elementary Schools in the U.S. by TheBestSchools.org in 2024.
• Middle School Program (6th-8th) Innovative inquiry-based learning for 6th-8th grade with approximately 15 students per class and 6:1 student-teacher ratio, featuring a cell phone-free campus, strong academics in Literacy/Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies, plus Art, Music, Spanish, Physical Education, and electives including jazz band, woodshop, and art & activism.
• The Bridge Program High school transition and support program for 8th-9th grade students (both inside and outside Friends School), providing academic, organizational, and social support through summer ramp-up, fall and spring sessions, and IEP/504 advocacy services. Community contribution pricing with Sustaining and Community Builder tiers; $175/hour for additional advocacy beyond included consultation.
• Teacher Preparation Program (TPP) Graduate-level teacher certification program in partnership with University of Colorado Denver, offering tracks for Elementary and Early Childhood certification through a one-year residency model with hands-on classroom teaching experience and optional Master's degree.
• Summer Program Summer camp and enrichment program for students ages 3-12, featuring week-long half-day and full-day classes in theater, cooking, science, art, sports, and more, with preschool backyard camp and extended day options including lunch.
• Auxiliary Programs Before and after school care, enrichment classes (engineering, cooking, theater, art, physical activities), bus service between campuses, and optional lunch program through third-party caterer.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes: approximately 15-16 students per class
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Colorado DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Teacher Preparation Program where Friends School serves as an education center for teachers in training, in partnership with CU Denver. Teachers in the TPP program complete coursework to attain a teaching license in elementary or early childhood education.
• Colorado Association of Independent Schools (ACIS)coreOthersFriends School was the first independent school in Boulder County to gain accreditation through ACIS in 2003. ACIS provides accreditation and professional development for independent schools in Colorado.
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)minorOthersMember of NAIS, a national organization serving independent schools.
• Colorado Department of Early ChildhoodcoreOthersFriends School participates in the Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) program, a statewide initiative administered by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.
• Watershed SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends School art students visited Watershed School's ceramic studio as part of a middle school immersion program on clay and ceramics.
• Groundworks Art LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends School art students used Groundworks Art Lab facility for middle school immersion program projects.
• Denver Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends School art students visited the Denver Art Museum as part of a ceramics immersion program, viewing the China exhibit and other collections.
• People of the Sacred LandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit founded by Rick Williams (Oglala Lakota, Northern Cheyenne) that partnered with Friends School to develop Native American curriculum for elementary and middle school students.
• Crow Canyon Archaeological CenterminorOthersPreviously partnered with Friends School for 5th grade field trips to Mesa Verde and Crow Canyon (trip cancelled during COVID).
• San Francisco Day SchoolminorOthersMusic program at San Francisco Day School connected with Friends School jazz band during Reno Jazz Festival, inviting students to socialize and participate in community activities.
• Arts Parts Creative Reuse CenterminorOthersLocal creative reuse center where Friends School students sourced materials for Winter Market crafts and items.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boulder Country Day School: Private K-8 independent school located in Boulder, CO, serving a similar progressive-education, Boulder-area family demographic with comparable tuition model and small class sizes.
• The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Ridge: Private K-12 independent school in Lafayette, CO (adjacent to Boulder), with a comparable progressive, whole-child pedagogy and similar tuition-driven model targeting Boulder County families.
• Aspen Country Day School: Colorado private K-8 independent school with a progressive, whole-child educational approach similar to Friends School, providing a regional benchmark for tuition, scale, and pedagogy.

Emerging players

• Shining Mountain Waldorf School: Boulder-based K-12 Waldorf school offering an alternative progressive pedagogy to a similar Boulder County demographic; competes for the same families seeking non-traditional, whole-child education.
• Peak to Peak Charter School: Highly-ranked K-12 public charter in Lafayette, CO (Boulder County), drawing the same progressive-minded families with a tuition-free model—a key competitive alternative to Friends School's tuition-based offering.
• Compass Montessori School: Boulder-area Montessori school offering alternative pedagogy to early-childhood and elementary families; competes with Friends School's preschool and elementary programs in the same local market.
• Foothills Academy of Arts and Sciences: Boulder County private K-12 school with a progressive, project-based approach; a direct local alternative for families considering Friends School's elementary and middle school programs.

Broad incumbents

• Colorado Academy: Large Denver private K-12 independent school with broader grade span and scale than Friends School, serving an overlapping Colorado progressive-education market with a more extensive program portfolio.
• Kent Denver School: Established private K-12 school in the Denver metro area; a larger incumbent offering overlapping college-preparatory and progressive programming to similar Colorado families.

Regional players

• Denver Waldorf School: Denver-based Waldorf K-12 offering an alternative progressive pedagogy; competes for the broader Colorado market rather than Boulder specifically, but overlaps in educational philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/friendsschoolboulder
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsschoolboulder
• Xx.com/friendsschool

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Friends' School