Spectrum Academy

What Spectrum Academy does

Spectrum Academy Charter School is a Utah-based public charter school and 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2006 by parents seeking specialized educational options for children with autism. The school operates two campuses — North Salt Lake (headquarters) and Pleasant Grove (opened 2014) — and serves 1,600+ K-12 students with autism and other neurodiversities across Utah's Wasatch Front. It employs over 600 educators and staff, including in-house occupational, speech, and behavior therapists as well as certified behavior analysts.

The school's core educational offering rests on three pillars: a sensory-friendly Unique Environment (reduced fluorescent lighting, noise control, quiet areas, flexible seating, sensory breaks), an internally developed Social Skills Curriculum (weekly topics with functional vocabulary, role-playing, and assessments), and small-class personalized academics that meet state and federal special-education requirements. Supplementary programs include the S.T.A.R.S. transition/life-skills program, Digital Learning and CTE, athletics through Special Olympics, and family engagement via the Spectrum Family Alliance. The technology stack is standard K-12 SaaS — ParentSquare for communications, Aspire (Utah State Board of Education) for SIS, ClassLink for SSO, Stripe for online donations, and DonorsChoose for classroom funding — with no proprietary AI components.

Revenue is generated primarily through state and federal per-pupil allocations via the Utah State Board of Education, supplemented by fundraising (SA Gold Club, DonorsChoose, Dine to Donate events, direct donations via Stripe). As a public charter, Spectrum Academy charges no tuition; families apply through a lottery/waitlist enrollment process. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (Amy Loertscher, President; TJ Smith, Vice President) and an executive team led by Executive Director of Academics Liz Banner and Executive Director of Finance Courtney England.

Name

Spectrum Academy

Legal name

Spectrum Academy Charter School

Website

https://spectrumcharter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Spectrum Academy is a Utah public charter school and 501c3 non-profit serving 1,600+ K-12 students with autism and neurodiversities across two Wasatch Front campuses (North Salt Lake and Pleasant Grove) via a proprietary social skills curriculum and sensory-friendly environment, funded by state per-pupil allocations and fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Special Education Charter School

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF), Autism Diagnostic & Educational Assessment Services (EDAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Autism charter school
• K-12 special education
• Neurodiverse learner programs
• Social skills curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasant Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (State and Federal): Spectrum Academy receives state and federal funds like other public schools. As a public charter school, primary funding comes from per-pupil allocations from the Utah State Board of Education and federal education programs.
2. Fundraising and Donations: The school conducts various fundraising campaigns including SA Gold Club Fundraiser, DonorsChoose classroom projects, Dine to Donate events, and direct donations. These fundraisers support additional staff, in-house therapists, specialized equipment, and classroom supplies not fully covered by public funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spectrum Academy is a public charter school that educates K-12 students with autism and other neurodiversities at two Utah campuses. It delivers a specialized learning environment, individualized academic instruction, a proprietary daily social skills curriculum, and in-house related services (occupational, speech, and behavior therapy). Enrollment is tuition-free and managed through a lottery waitlist process.

Product overview

Spectrum Academy is a Utah charter school district serving over 1,600 students with autism and neurodiversities across two campuses (North Salt Lake and Pleasant Grove). The school offers a unified educational program centered on its Unique Environment (sensory-friendly design), Social Skills Curriculum (internally developed), and comprehensive Academics with Special Education support. Related Services including OT, Speech, and Behavior therapy are provided in-house. Programs span Elementary, Secondary, and S.T.A.R.S. (transition/life skills) levels. Family engagement is supported through the Spectrum Family Alliance initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S.T.A.R.S. A program within Spectrum Academy providing specialized transition and support services for students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students receive individualized instruction in small class sizes with personalized social skills curriculum
• +1 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

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hurst Wood Education FoundationminorOthersCommunity partner supporting Spectrum Academy. Hurst Wood Education Foundation is listed as a community partner on the school's website.
• CentraComminorOthersLocal telecommunications company listed as a community partner supporting Spectrum Academy.
• MarathonminorOthersListed as a community partner on the school's website, supporting the Spectrum Academy mission.
• SEPHORAminorOthersBeauty retailer listed as a community partner supporting Spectrum Academy.
• CC BANKminorOthersLocal bank listed as a community partner supporting Spectrum Academy.
• Chick-fil-aminorOthersFast food restaurant chain listed as a community partner, supporting Dine to Donate events.
• Raising Cane'sminorOthersFast food restaurant chain listed as a community partner supporting Spectrum Academy.
• Chalk the BlockminorOthersCommunity organization listed as a partner supporting Spectrum Academy.
• Special OlympicsminorOthersAthletic organization listed as a community partner, supporting Spectrum Academy's athletic program.
• Smith'sminorOthersGrocery chain listed as a community partner supporting Spectrum Academy.
• DonorsChooseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic charity platform where Spectrum Academy teachers can request classroom resources and donors can contribute. Thousands of dollars have been raised through this platform to transform classrooms and provide engaging lessons for students.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• Melmark:

Direct peers

• McCarton School: Private New York City school serving children with autism spectrum disorders using applied behavior analysis and small-group instruction. Directly comparable to Spectrum Academy as an autism-specific school with low student-to-teacher ratios, sensory accommodations, and integrated therapies.
• Giant Steps: Illinois-based nonprofit school and transition program for children and young adults with autism. Comparable to Spectrum Academy in offering dedicated school environments, social skills instruction, and life-skills transition services for students on the autism spectrum.
• The Help Group: Nonprofit operator of schools and programs serving children with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs, including the Help Group's Village Glen and Stephen Wise schools. Directly comparable to Spectrum Academy in mission and student population, though it is private-pay rather than publicly funded.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Public Schools: National nonprofit charter management organization operating more than 270 schools. Comparable to Spectrum Academy as a publicly funded, privately operated charter network serving K-12 students with a mission-driven operating model, though KIPP's focus is college prep for underserved communities rather than autism-specific instruction.
• Uncommon Schools: Nonprofit charter management organization operating K-12 public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable as a scaled charter operator with a strong educator culture and outcomes-driven model, although its student population is general education rather than autism-specialized.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spectrumcharter
• Facebookfacebook.com/spectrumacademy

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Spectrum Academy