The O'Farrell Charter School

What The O'Farrell Charter School does

The O'Farrell Charter School is a public, nonprofit K-12 charter school operating three campuses (Elementary K-5, Middle 6-8, High 9-12) in Southeast San Diego, California. Founded circa 2009 and operating under an independent Board of Directors with charter authorization, the school serves a predominantly high-adversity student population: over 80% qualify for free/reduced lunch, approximately 12% are foster or homeless youth (second-highest in San Diego County), 12.5% are special needs students, and 23% are English Language Learners. The student body is highly diverse, roughly 30% African American, 24% Filipino, 36% Hispanic, 4% Indochinese, and 2% White.

The school's core product is a comprehensive K-12 college-preparatory education built around the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) college-readiness framework - implemented schoolwide and validated through AVID National Demonstration School status (only the second charter in the nation) and AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction. The proprietary FALCON Way character program (Focus, Attitude, Leadership, Citizenship, Organization, Non-violence) is layered on top, alongside Special Education services via El Dorado County Charter SELPA, English Language Development, mental health and foster/homeless youth support, athletics, and visual/performing arts. The technology stack is entirely off-the-shelf and consumer-grade: PowerSchool and Aeries for SIS, Edlio for the website/CMS, Follett Destiny for the library, Benchmark and Renaissance for curriculum and reading assessment, with no proprietary technology, no mobile app, and no AI capabilities.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through California's per-pupil Average Daily Attendance funding, supplemented by categorical charter block grants (special education, pupil achievement, instructional materials) and the state-funded Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP). No tuition is charged. Enrollment is conducted via lottery through PowerSchool registration when applications exceed capacity. The school has received no disclosed outside funding, has no parent company, and operates three Ingenuity resource centers as a parallel support infrastructure.

Name

The O'Farrell Charter School

Legal name

The O'Farrell Charter Schools

Website

https://ofarrellschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The O'Farrell Charter School is a nonprofit K-12 public charter school in Southeast San Diego operating elementary, middle, and high school campuses, serving a high-poverty, diverse student population through AVID college-readiness programming and per-pupil public funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• K-12 education
• Charter school
• College readiness program
• Special education services
• AVID program

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Funding: Public charter schools receive per-pupil funding from state and local sources based on average daily attendance. This is the primary revenue source.
2. Charter School Block Grants: California charter schools receive categorical block grants for specific programs including special education, pupil achievement, and instructional materials.
3. Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP): State-funded before and after school and summer learning programs requiring RFP procurement process.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The O'Farrell Charter School is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school in Southeast San Diego that operates three campuses (Elementary K-5, Middle 6-8, High 9-12). It delivers college-preparatory instruction built on the schoolwide AVID framework, supplemented by the proprietary FALCON Way character program, Special Education services through El Dorado County Charter SELPA, English Language Development, athletics, fine arts, mental health support, and foster youth and homeless education services.

Product overview

The O'Farrell Charter School is a K-12 public charter school serving Southeast San Diego. The school operates as a unified K-12 educational institution with three school levels: Elementary School (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12). The school integrates the AVID college-readiness program schoolwide, offers Special Education services through the El Dorado County Charter SELPA, provides English Language Development for ELL students, and runs an athletics program with varsity and junior varsity sports. Additional services include mental health counseling, foster youth support, and a 6th grade camp program. The school has gained recognition for academic excellence, notably achieving AVID National Demonstration School status and consistent placement on the US News & World Report Best High Schools list.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ingenuity: Resource centers providing additional educational support and programs for students

Products and services

• Elementary School (K-5) Tuition-free core K-5 elementary education program covering foundational core academics, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), and foundational skill development for students in Southeast San Diego.
• Middle School (6-8) Middle school program serving grades 6-8 with emphasis on college readiness, academic preparation, and AVID college-readiness framework.
• High School (9-12) High school program serving grades 9-12 with college-preparatory curriculum, ranked in top 2-3% of U.S. high schools by US News & World Report for five consecutive years.
• AVID Program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Schoolwide college-readiness program built on the Advancement Via Individual Determination framework; O'Farrell holds both AVID National Demonstration status and the AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction (highest level of AVID implementation fidelity).
• English Language Development (ELD) Program English Language Development classes and support services for English Language Learners, serving the 23% ELL student population.
• Special Education Services Special education programs for students with disabilities, coordinated through the El Dorado County Charter Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), serving a student population where 12.5% have special needs.
• Athletics Program Varsity and junior varsity interscholastic athletic teams including basketball, volleyball, soccer, and track & field, with multiple teams qualifying for playoffs via CIF-SDS using GoFan digital ticketing.
• Mental Health Services On-campus mental health support and counseling services for students, supporting social-emotional needs across the high-adversity student population.
• 6th Grade Camp Program Outdoor education camp experience for 6th-grade middle school students, including parent orientation and informational meetings.
• FALCON Way Character Program Schoolwide proprietary character-development program built on the FALCON acronym — Focus, Attitude, Leadership, Citizenship, Organization, and Non-violence — used to instill habits and character traits that drive high academic standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked top 2-3% of high schools in America by US News & World Report for 5 consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Green Dot Public Schools: Large charter management organization operating multiple high schools in California targeting high-poverty communities with a college-prep mission. Comparable multi-site California charter model with similar demographic targeting and college-readiness focus.
• High Tech High: San Diego-based charter school network operating multiple K-12 campuses with a college-prep focus and project-based learning. Most direct local peer given shared geography, similar charter governance, and comparable mission to serve a diverse student body.
• KIPP Public Schools Northern California: Multi-site charter network serving high-poverty communities with a college-prep focus, including AVID-aligned and similar wraparound services. Highly comparable as a multi-campus charter network targeting comparable student demographics.
• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: Large California charter network operating multiple high school and middle school campuses in Los Angeles serving predominantly low-income, minority student populations with a college-readiness mission. Comparable multi-site California charter network with similar demographic focus.
• Classical Academies: San Diego-area independent charter school network operating multiple K-12 campuses. Comparable multi-site charter operating model in the same San Diego County geography with similar enrollment and per-pupil funding mechanics.
• Helix Charter High School: Independent charter high school located in La Mesa within San Diego County. Comparable single-site charter high school operating under California charter law with similar per-pupil funding and AVID-aligned college readiness programs.
• Aspire Public Schools: California-based charter network operating multiple K-12 campuses with a college-for-certain mission serving low-income communities. Comparable multi-site charter network model targeting similar demographics across California.
• Magnolia Public Schools: California-based charter network operating multiple college-prep campuses. Comparable California charter network model serving diverse student populations with similar per-pupil revenue mechanics.
• Preuss School UCSD: San Diego charter middle and high school serving low-income, first-generation college-bound students affiliated with UC San Diego. Comparable mission, geography, and college-prep orientation for high-adversity students.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetwater Union High School District: Large public school district serving Southeast San Diego County including the same communities O'Farrell serves. Functions as the broader incumbent alternative to charter enrollment; useful peer for comparing per-pupil outcomes and capture rates in the same geography.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/533518290047936
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ofarrell-charter-school

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries3 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 The O'Farrell Charter School