The Independent School

What The Independent School does

The Independent School is a private, non-profit college preparatory school founded in 1980 in Wichita, Kansas, by Mrs. Jean K. Garvey. It operates a single campus at 8317 East Douglas Ave and serves students from age 6 weeks through 12th grade across four divisions: the Early Learning Center (6 weeks to age 4), Lower School (JK-4), Middle School (grades 5-8), and Upper School (grades 9-12). The school holds ISACS accreditation and is the first private school in Kansas to receive the Purple Star School designation, supporting military-connected families.

The school's core product is a continuous, multi-decade college-preparatory education delivered by approximately 69 faculty and staff. Operations are supported by a conventional third-party ed-tech stack spanning learning management (Schoology), college and career planning (Naviance), tuition and financial management (FACTS), communications and web (Finalsite), student information (PowerSchool), and fundraising/donor management (Blackbaud). International student programming is delivered through partnerships with HPA and GIA, distinguishing a non-domestic revenue stream from the domestic family base.

The business model is tuition-driven. Domestic tuition is not publicly disclosed; international tuition is priced at $34,000-$35,600 per year. Ancillary revenue lines include summer programs, extended-day services, and donations, with no external funding rounds, IPO, or acquisition activity in the public record. Customer acquisition is community-driven (alumni networks, family referrals) rather than marketing-driven, consistent with a mission-oriented, tuition-funded non-profit.

Name

The Independent School

Legal name

The Independent School

Website

https://theindependentschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Independent School is a private, non-profit college preparatory school in Wichita, Kansas, founded in 1980, serving students from age 6 weeks through grade 12 across four divisions on a single campus with tuition, international student programs, summer, and extended-day revenue lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Needs & Learning Differences Private Schools (EDAJABAH)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• College preparatory school
• Early childhood education
• College counseling services
• Independent school athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Domestic Student Tuition: Tuition revenue from students in grades K-12, with financial aid available through need-based programs
2. International Student Tuition and Fees: Higher tuition rates for international students including additional hosting fees and medical insurance. Grades 5-8: $34,000 total; Grades 9-12: $35,600 total annually
3. Summer Programs: Summer camps and enrichment programs for all ages open to the community
4. Extended Day Programs: Panther Care after-school program and Panther Enrichment Program (PEP) for Lower School students
5. Annual Giving and Donations: Panther Fund, financial aid donations, and special event fundraising including Day of Giving

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Independent School is a private, nonprofit college-preparatory day school in Wichita, Kansas that educates students from age 6 weeks through 12th grade across four academic divisions (Early Learning Center, Lower School, Middle School, Upper School). The school sells a continuous private education anchored in a liberal arts curriculum, complemented by athletics, fine arts, college counseling, after-school enrichment, and summer programs. It is dually accredited (ISACS and AdvancED/SACS CASI) and reports a 100% college acceptance record for graduating seniors.

Product overview

The Independent School is a private college preparatory institution offering a unified educational platform spanning from early childhood (6 weeks) through 12th grade. The core offering consists of four academic divisions: Early Learning Center, Lower School (JK-4), Middle School (5-8), and Upper School (9-12). Supporting the main academic program are complementary services including Panther Care (extended day) and Panther Enrichment Program (after-school activities), Summer at Independent (camps), Panther Athletics, Fine Arts, College Counseling, Guidance Counseling, Learning Differences Support, and TIS International (dual diploma programs). The school is built on the Finalsite platform and integrates Naviance for college counseling, Schoology for learning management, PowerSchool for student information, and FACTS for financial aid processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Learning Center Private early childhood education program for infants (6 weeks) through Pre-K, the entry point of the school's continuous college-prep pathway; for Wichita-area families seeking accredited early learning.
• Lower School Private elementary school program covering kindergarten through grade 5 with differentiated instruction; for families seeking a college-preparatory elementary education.
• Middle School Private middle school program covering grades 6–8 with character education, leadership development, athletics, and fine arts; introduces Naviance-based college planning.
• Upper School Private college-preparatory high school program covering grades 9–12, with rigorous coursework, college counseling, athletics, and fine arts; reports a 100% college acceptance record.
• College Counseling Program Formal college counseling service led by a dedicated Director of College Counseling, beginning in middle school using the Naviance platform and continuing through senior-year applications.
• Panther Care (Extended Day) After-school extended day program providing supervised care and activities for enrolled students beyond the regular school day.
• Panther Enrichment Program Enrichment programming offering additional learning opportunities for enrolled students beyond the standard curriculum.
• Summer at Independent Summer programming offered by the school, providing seasonal academic and enrichment activities for students.
• Panther Athletics Competitive athletics program available to enrolled students across school divisions, directed by the Director of Athletics.
• Fine Arts Program Visual and performing arts program available to enrolled students across divisions, directed by the Director of Fine Arts.
• TIS International Dual Diploma Programs Dual diploma pathway that allows international students to earn a U.S. high school diploma alongside their home-country credential.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students perform on average one grade level above their current grade
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit partnership offering college-level courses to eligible Upper School students. Students earn college credit while receiving support from TIS teachers in a familiar environment. Courses include British Literature, U.S. History, and U.S. Government.
• Newman UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit partnership providing Upper School students opportunity to earn college credit through select courses. Includes courses in English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
• Wichita State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit partnership offering college-level coursework to eligible TIS Upper School students, enabling seamless transition to university-level education.
• NaviancecoreTechnology or IntegrationCollege counseling software platform providing self-discovery assessments, college search capabilities, admission requirement reviews, and application progress tracking for students and families.
• FACTS Grant & Aid AssessmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationFinancial aid assessment platform used to review applications and determine eligibility for need-based financial aid. Families submit applications and supporting documents through FACTS.
• Jostens RenaissanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership curriculum provider for Renaissance program where students help shape school culture, strengthen community, and create meaningful experiences for peers.
• HPA (International Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for dual diploma programs, supporting development of academic and extra-curricular programs with teacher training and evaluation.
• GIA (International Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for dual diploma programs providing transcripts and diplomas to students who complete agreed requirements.
• McConnell Air Force Base Family Readiness CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local military installation to support military-connected families with resources and seamless transitions for students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wichita Collegiate School: Wichita's other major independent, nonsectarian K-12 day school serving similar college-prep families in the same Wichita market. Closest direct competitor for both domestic and international students.
• Trinity Academy: Wichita-area private K-12 school offering college preparatory academics with Christian emphasis. Competes directly for the same Wichita-area families seeking private K-12 education.
• Wichita Friends School: Wichita-based private K-12 Friends (Quaker) school with progressive pedagogy. Alternative choice for Wichita families seeking independent private education, competing for similar tuition-paying segments.
• Sunrise Christian Academy: Wichita-area private Christian school with strong athletics program. Direct competitor within the same Wichita private K-12 market, particularly for families prioritizing faith-based and sports offerings.
• University School of Nashville: Independent nonsectarian K-12 day school with strong college-prep curriculum and AP offerings. Highly comparable in mission, size, and pedagogy to TIS—useful peer for operational benchmarking.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of high-performing college-prep public charter schools with strong AP curriculum. Represents competitive pressure from a scaled, well-funded alternative model that competes for academically ambitious families.
• Great Hearts Academies: Growing network of classical, college-prep charter academies offering a tuition-free alternative to independent schools. Competes for the same academically oriented families, particularly in suburban markets.

Broad incumbents

• Woodward Academy: Large, established independent K-12 college-prep school in the Southeast. Comparable in mission and program structure (AP, dual enrollment, athletics, arts) but materially larger in scale, providing a useful template for growth benchmarks.
• Francis W. Parker School: Mid-size independent K-12 school in Chicago with progressive, inquiry-based pedagogy and AP Capstone program. Comparable in curriculum philosophy including Mastery Learning-style approaches and small-class culture.
• Nord Anglia Education: Global operator of premium international schools with strong dual-diploma and international student programs. Comparable to TIS's international student program and dual-diploma strategy, though at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Independent_Sch
• Facebookfacebook.com/theindependentschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_independent_school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Independent School