Hiawatha Academies
Hiawatha Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit network of three tuition-free public charter schools in Minneapolis serving K-12 students across HLA-Northrop (K-5), HCP-Northrop (6-8), and HCHS (9-12), focused on college preparation for diverse Minneapolis families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hiawatha Academies does
Hiawatha Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit network of three tuition-free public charter schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving K-12 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade across the Northrop and Seward communities. The network comprises Hiawatha Leadership Academy-Northrop (HLA-N, K-5, founded 2013), Hiawatha College Prep-Northrop (HCP-N, grades 6-8, founded 2016), and Hiawatha Collegiate High School (HCHS, grades 9-12, founded 2018), collectively serving students from 101 unique zip codes with 99% of scholars from diverse backgrounds and a stated 13:1 student-to-teaching-staff ratio. The network reports 100% college acceptance for six consecutive years and was named to the 2025 AP School Honor Roll with Bronze Distinction by the College Board.
The organization's core product is a college-preparatory K-12 academic program augmented by a multi-domain support stack: Social Emotional Learning curricula (Second Step K-8, Everyday Speech 9-12) aligned with CASEL standards, a Check & Connect student engagement intervention delivered in partnership with the University of Minnesota, a Special Education program operating under IDEA with 13 disability categories, English Language Development services, mental health support through NAMI, food security programming via Every Meal, and an athletics and student activities program. Supporting technology includes ParentSquare (unified school-to-home communication, adopted March 2023), Infinite Campus (student information system), and Edlio (website CMS). The Family Empowerment Zone provides digital resources to families in English, Spanish, and Somali, and the Hiawatha Through College program supports alumni persistence post-graduation.
Revenue is generated primarily through Minnesota per-pupil public charter funding, supplemented by philanthropic donations (individual, employer matching, stock, in-kind) under 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The network operates on an open-enrollment model with no tuition fees, and the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school year applications are actively being accepted. Hiawatha Academies is governed by an independent Board of Directors, has no parent company, and is not owned or controlled by private equity. The organization is led by Interim Executive Director Karen Klinzing (appointed April 2024) supported by a network leadership team across finance, HR, academics, special education, multilingual programs, information systems, and facilities functions.
Hiawatha Academies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hiawatha Academies
- Legal name
- Hiawatha Academies
- Website
- https://hiawathaacademies.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Hiawatha Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit network of three tuition-free public charter schools in Minneapolis serving K-12 students across HLA-Northrop (K-5), HCP-Northrop (6-8), and HCHS (9-12), focused on college preparation for diverse Minneapolis families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hiawatha Academies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)
Keywords
Where Hiawatha Academies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hiawatha Academies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Public School Funding: As a public charter school network, Hiawatha Academies receives public funding for operational costs. The schools are tuition-free and open to all students.
- Philanthropy and Donations: Individual donations, employer matching gifts, stock donations, in-kind gifts, and mail donations support educational programs beyond core operational funding. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Hiawatha Academies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hiawatha Academies operates a network of public charter schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving K-12 students through three schools: Hiawatha Leadership Academy – North (K-5), Hiawatha College Preparatory – North (6-8), and Hiawatha Collegiate High School (9-12). The network delivers tuition-free public education with a focus on college preparation, leadership development, and supporting scholars from underserved communities.
Product overview
Hiawatha Academies is a network of three tuition-free public charter schools in Minneapolis: Hiawatha Leadership Academy-Northrop (K-5), Hiawatha College Prep-Northrop (6-8), and Hiawatha Collegiate High School (9-12). The network operates as a unified K-12 school experience built around disrupting educational inequity. Supporting the three schools are integrated programs including Student Services (providing Special Education, English-Learner Services, Mental Health, and Athletics), the Family Empowerment Zone (virtual learning resources in English, Spanish, and Somali), Family Engagement Office, Social Emotional Learning curriculum aligned with CASEL standards (Second Step K-8, Everyday Speech 9-12), and the Check & Connect intervention program. Technology infrastructure includes ParentSquare for school-home communication and Infinite Campus for student information management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hiawatha Leadership Academy - North (HLA-N) Public charter elementary school serving K-5 students in Minneapolis with a focus on leadership development and college preparation.
- Hiawatha College Preparatory - North (HCP-N) Public charter middle school serving grades 6-8 in Minneapolis, continuing the college-preparatory and leadership-focused curriculum.
- Hiawatha Collegiate High School (HCHS) Public charter high school serving grades 9-12 in Minneapolis, providing college-preparatory curriculum to prepare scholars for post-secondary success.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% college acceptance for six consecutive years
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Hiawatha Academies
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Hiawatha Academies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Hiawatha Academies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Check & Connect (University of Minnesota)coreCheck & Connect is a targeted intervention program for K-12 students displaying warning signs of disengagement from school or those at risk of dropping out. The program establishes a foundation of trust between students and dedicated, trained Coaches who serve as advocates and motivators. Coaches maintain caseloads working with students and families for a minimum of two years.
- Know the Truth ProgramminorKnow the Truth Program provides prevention learning for HCP-K 7th and 8th grade students regarding substance use and abuse. Part of the school's chemical health education and prevention strategy.
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)minorMental health partnership providing Mental Health 101 Training at HCHS. The 9th and 10th grade students completed Chemical Dependency Psychoeducation learning through this partnership.
- WordPlay Speech and Language Services, LLCminorContracted provider for Speech/Language Services at Hiawatha Academies as part of special education related services.
- Integrative Therapy, LLCminorContracted provider for Occupational Therapy services at Hiawatha Academies as part of special education related services.
- Capernaum Pediatric TherapyminorContracted provider for Physical Therapy services at Hiawatha Academies as part of special education related services.
- SPRAYFiNGERminorSPRAYFiNGER (led by Peyton Scott Russell) partnered with Hiawatha Collegiate High School public art club students to create two massive 80-foot wall murals under the railroad/Greenway bridge. Artists mentor students in all aspects of the mural-making process from ideation and design to execution, production, and installation.
- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife RefugeminorOpened the conservation field for Hector Huerta Figueroa, QuestBridge scholarship recipient interested in Environmental Studies, supporting his career exploration in environmental conservation.
- Every MealminorEvery Meal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fighting child hunger through community and school partnerships. They support families with programming over weekends, extended school breaks, and summer to address food gaps. Hiawatha Free Food program provides weekly food bags to enrolled families at no cost.
- Jason MilanominorContracted provider for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Instruction at Hiawatha Academies as part of special education related services.
- Hamline UniversityminorSheridan McKeithan, ELD teacher, is pursuing her Master's in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Hamline University and completing student teaching abroad.
- PACER CenterminorPACER Center provides parent training and information for families of children and youth with all disabilities. Listed as a resource for families.
- ARC of MinnesotaminorProvides information and connection to resources for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Listed as a resource.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hiawatha Academies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Uncommon Schools: Uncommon Schools is a multi-state charter network with strong college-outcomes data and a deep leadership and data infrastructure. It is a relevant incumbent benchmark for Hiawatha's academic and operational model at multi-site scale.
- Achievement First: Achievement First is a multi-state charter network serving predominantly students of color in urban communities with a college-prep mission and strong SEL/character programming. It is comparable to Hiawatha on equity-focused mission, SEL curriculum adoption, and college-outcomes orientation.
- KIPP (national): KIPP is the largest U.S. charter management organization, operating 270+ schools nationally. While Hiawatha operates as an independent network, KIPP provides the benchmark operating model (multi-site CMO, college-prep, wraparound services) that investors use to evaluate similar networks.
- Success Academy Charter Schools: Success Academy is a large New York City charter network with rigorous academics, extended instructional time, and strong measurable outcomes. It serves as a national benchmark for charter networks prioritizing AP coursework and college placement.
- National Heritage Academies: National Heritage Academies is a for-profit charter management organization operating 90+ schools nationwide. It is comparable to Hiawatha in operating tuition-free public charter schools with a college-prep mission and central network support functions.
- BASIS Charter Schools: BASIS Charter Schools operates a national network with an academically accelerated curriculum and high AP participation, including AP Honor Roll recognition. BASIS is comparable to Hiawatha Collegiate High School's AP-track college-prep model.
Direct peers
- Twin Cities International Schools: Twin Cities International Schools is a Minneapolis charter network emphasizing international and language-focused curricula for a diverse K-12 population. It is comparable to Hiawatha in size, mission, and target demographic.
- KIPP Minnesota: KIPP Minnesota operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools in Minneapolis serving a similarly diverse, college-prep-focused K-12 student population. It is the most direct charter-network peer in the same metro, with overlapping target families and a comparable college-outcomes mission.
- Harvest Preparatory School: Harvest Preparatory School is a Minneapolis-based tuition-free charter network serving K-12 students with a college-prep mission. It competes directly with Hiawatha Academies for the same Minneapolis families and uses comparable wraparound and SEL programming.
- Hope Community Academy: Hope Community Academy is a Minneapolis charter school with a dual-language immersion model serving a diverse, primarily East African student population. It overlaps with Hiawatha's multilingual programming (English/Spanish/Somali) and equity-focused mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hiawatha Academies social profiles
Digital presenceHiawatha Academies compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Hiawatha Academies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hiawatha Academies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hiawatha Academies subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Hiawatha Academies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hiawatha Academies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hiawatha Academies
What does Hiawatha Academies do?
Hiawatha Academies operates a network of public charter schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving K-12 students through three schools: Hiawatha Leadership Academy – North (K-5), Hiawatha College Preparatory – North (6-8), and Hiawatha Collegiate High School (9-12). The network delivers tuition-free public education with a focus on college preparation, leadership development, and supporting scholars from underserved communities.
Is Hiawatha Academies a public or private company?
Hiawatha Academies is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hiawatha Academies founded?
Hiawatha Academies was founded in 2013. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Hiawatha Academies based?
Hiawatha Academies is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hiawatha Academies make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public School Funding is the primary driver. The others are philanthropy and Donations.
Who are Hiawatha Academies's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Uncommon Schools, Achievement First, KIPP (national), Success Academy Charter Schools, National Heritage Academies and BASIS Charter Schools. Direct peers are Twin Cities International Schools, KIPP Minnesota, Harvest Preparatory School and Hope Community Academy.
Does Hiawatha Academies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hiawatha Academies.
What industry is Hiawatha Academies in?
Hiawatha Academies's product category is K-12 Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAC, Charter School Networks (Multi-Site), with a secondary code of EDAJACAF, Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.