Synergy Academies
Synergy Academies is a South Los Angeles non-profit charter school network operating three tuition-free public schools (TK-5, 6-8, 9-12) serving 1,300+ students via a Project Lead the Way STEM curriculum and reporting a 90% college-going rate.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Synergy Academies does
Synergy Academies is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charter school organization founded in 2004 by Dr. Meg Palisoc, Dr. Randy Palisoc, and Dr. Barbara Shannon. It operates three tuition-free public charter schools in South Los Angeles authorized by LAUSD: Synergy Charter Academy (Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade), Synergy Kinetic Academy (grades 6-8), and Synergy Quantum Academy (grades 9-12, co-located on the Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School campus). Together the three schools serve more than 1,300 students, primarily from historically underperforming neighborhood schools, with class sizes capped at 26 and a reported 90% college-going rate among graduates.
The organization's core academic platform is the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM curriculum, delivered as PLTW Launch (K-5), PLTW Gateway (6-8), and PLTW Computer Science and Engineering (9-12), supplemented by one-to-one Chromebook/iPad deployment across all classrooms. Synergy is one of only 21 PLTW Distinguished Districts in the U.S. and Synergy Quantum Academy has held PLTW Distinguished High School status in 2023 and 2024. Supporting programs include a free After School All-Stars program (daily through 6:00 PM), a comprehensive Special Education continuum (IEP services, co-teaching, OT, adaptive PE), athletics at the middle and high school, and a College & Career Preparation track (campus visits, Gates Millennium and Posse Foundation support). Operations are run on Infinite Campus (student information), SchoolMint (online enrollment and interest list), and a bilingual (English/Spanish) community communications layer.
The business model is fundamentally public funding: revenue is driven by per-pupil state and federal allocations tied to Average Daily Attendance, supplemented by donations through the Synergy Education Foundation (501(c)(3)) for scholarships and student opportunity funding. Tuition is zero, admission is lottery-based when applications exceed capacity, and there is no equity, venture, or parent-company ownership in the structure. Senior leadership is CEO Rhonda Deomampo (since July 2017), with directors covering Operations, IT, Special Education & Student Services, and STEM Education.
Synergy Academies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Synergy Academies
- Legal name
- Synergy Academies
- Website
- https://wearesynergy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Synergy Academies is a South Los Angeles non-profit charter school network operating three tuition-free public schools (TK-5, 6-8, 9-12) serving 1,300+ students via a Project Lead the Way STEM curriculum and reporting a 90% college-going rate.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Synergy Academies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)
Keywords
Where Synergy Academies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Synergy Academies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Per-Pupil State and Federal Funding: As a public charter school organization, Synergy Academies receives state and federal funding based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and students served. This is the primary revenue source.
- Donations and Foundation Support: The Synergy Education Foundation accepts donations to support college scholarships, student opportunity programs, and educational excellence initiatives. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free public education for all students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Synergy Academies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Synergy Academies operates three tuition-free public charter schools in South Los Angeles spanning Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade: Synergy Charter Academy (TK-5), Synergy Kinetic Academy (6-8), and Synergy Quantum Academy (9-12). The organization delivers instruction through an integrated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM curriculum, supported by one-to-one Chromebooks and iPads, college and career preparation programming, special education services, athletics, and after-school enrichment in partnership with After School All-Stars. Enrollment is open to all families via a public lottery, with no tuition charged.
Product overview
Synergy Academies is a non-profit charter school operator managing three tuition-free public charter schools serving TK-12 grade students in South Los Angeles: Synergy Charter Academy (TK-5), Synergy Kinetic Academy (6-8), and Synergy Quantum Academy (9-12). The organization offers a comprehensive educational ecosystem including STEM programs through Project Lead the Way curriculum, Special Education services, after-school enrichment through After School All-Stars, athletics programs, and college/career preparation. The three schools collectively serve over 1,300 students with a mission to close the opportunity gap through high-quality instruction, STEM learning, and preparatory skills for college, career, and life.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Synergy Charter Academy (TK-5) Tuition-free public charter elementary school serving Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade students in South Los Angeles with max class size of 26 students, credentialed teacher and full-time instructional assistant in each class, focus on foundational academics, STEM learning from an early age, enrichment activities (art, dance, karate), and after-school program.
- Synergy Kinetic Academy (6-8) Tuition-free public charter middle school serving approximately 450 students in 6th through 8th grade in South Los Angeles, offering STEM Lab learning with hands-on modules exploring 40+ STEM careers, engaging electives (Visual Arts, PE, Music), one-to-one technology, college-going culture, and robust counseling services with one of the best student-to-counselor ratios in California.
- Synergy Quantum Academy (9-12) Tuition-free public charter high school serving approximately 500 students in grades 9-12 in South Los Angeles, offering engineering and computer science CTE pathways, Honors and AP classes, comprehensive counseling, athletics, clubs, and a college readiness program; 90% of graduates go on to college.
- Special Education Program Continuum of support and services for students with disabilities across all three schools, including co-teaching, co-planning, small group support, transitional support, and traditional pull-out services, offering related services such as counseling, behavioral intervention, occupational therapy, and adaptive physical education; all learners are welcome regardless of disability.
- After School Program Free after-school enrichment program operated in partnership with After School All-Stars, providing homework assistance, snacks, and activities including sports, arts and crafts, science, cooking, dance, and robotics for students at Synergy schools.
- Athletics Program Sports programs at Synergy Quantum Academy including football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, cross country, and track and field; middle school sports at Synergy Kinetic Academy including flag football, girls volleyball, basketball, and soccer.
- College & Career Preparation Comprehensive college readiness program for high school students including College & Career Prep courses, campus visitations, Family University Day, College & Career Seminar for 12th graders, and support for Gates Millennium Scholarship and Posse Foundation applications.
- Synergy Education Foundation 501(c)(3) foundation established to support Synergy Academies by accepting tax-deductible donations and providing college scholarships, student opportunity funding for enrichment and leadership experiences, and educational excellence investments.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of Synergy graduates go on to college
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Synergy Academies
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Synergy Academies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Synergy Academies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- After School All-StarscoreSynergy partnered with After School All-Stars to bring consistent, quality after-school care to Synergy Charter Academy. The program runs from after school until 6:00 PM daily, assisting students with homework, providing snacks, and offering activities including sports, arts & crafts, science, cooking, and dance.
- Project Lead the Way (PLTW)corePLTW is a nonprofit organization providing transformative STEM learning experiences for PreK-12 students. Synergy offers PLTW Launch (K-5), PLTW Gateway (6-8), and PLTW Computer Science and Engineering (9-12). Synergy was recognized as one of only 21 PLTW Distinguished Districts in the U.S.
- UnboundEdsecondarySynergy Academies partnered with UnboundEd for the GLEAM (Great Leaders Through Equitable Advancement in Mathematics) initiative, celebrating innovative work in partnership to improve mathematics education and instructional practices.
- SchoolMintsecondaryOnline enrollment application system provider used by Synergy Academies for the application process. Families can create accounts, complete applications, and track enrollment status through the SchoolMint portal.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Synergy Academies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PUC Schools: Partnerships to Uplift Communities operates multiple charter schools in Northeast LA serving TK-12 students from low-income communities. Comparable in grade span, demographics, and college-prep mission.
- KIPP LA Schools: Part of the national KIPP network, KIPP SoCal operates tuition-free public charter schools in Los Angeles serving TK-8 students from underserved communities. Shares Synergy's college-prep mission and TK-8 grade configuration.
- ICEF Public Schools: Inner City Education Foundation operates multiple public charter schools in South Los Angeles serving grades TK-12. Directly comparable in geographic focus, mission, and grade span to Synergy Academies.
- Green Dot Public Schools California: One of the largest charter management organizations in Los Angeles, operating multiple public charter high schools serving similar low-income, predominantly minority student populations in South and Central LA. Closely comparable mission of college readiness and dropout recovery.
- Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC): Operates tuition-free public charter schools in Los Angeles (and other cities) serving grades TK-8 with a focus on diverse, underserved communities. Comparable in mission and grade configuration, though without high school grades.
- Magnolia Public Schools: California-based nonprofit charter management organization operating STEM-focused public charter schools serving grades TK-12. Shares Synergy's emphasis on STEM and college readiness, with overlapping Southern California footprint.
- Camino Nuevo Charter Academy: Operates six public charter schools in Los Angeles serving TK-12 students, including in the Westlake/MacArthur Park area. Comparable college-prep charter model targeting similar underserved populations.
- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: LA-based nonprofit charter network operating 25+ public charter middle and high schools focused on college readiness for students in historically underserved communities. Operates in similar South LA geographies and serves comparable demographics.
Regional players
- Aspire Public Schools: California-based nonprofit charter management organization operating TK-12 public charter schools with a college-for-certain mission. Comparable model and student population, though primarily serves Northern and Central California.
Broad incumbents
- Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD): Authorizer of Synergy's charter schools and the dominant traditional public school operator in Los Angeles. Comparable in that LAUSD operates the same K-12 grade span for similar demographics, but is a much larger traditional public district rather than a charter network.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Synergy Academies social profiles
Digital presenceSynergy Academies compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Synergy Academies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Synergy Academies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Synergy Academies subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Synergy Academies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Synergy 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 Synergy Academies
What does Synergy Academies do?
Synergy Academies operates three tuition-free public charter schools in South Los Angeles spanning Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade: Synergy Charter Academy (TK-5), Synergy Kinetic Academy (6-8), and Synergy Quantum Academy (9-12). The organization delivers instruction through an integrated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM curriculum, supported by one-to-one Chromebooks and iPads, college and career preparation programming, special education services, athletics, and after-school enrichment in partnership with After School All-Stars. Enrollment is open to all families via a public lottery, with no tuition charged.
Is Synergy Academies a public or private company?
Synergy Academies is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Synergy Academies founded?
Synergy Academies was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Synergy Academies based?
Synergy Academies is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Synergy Academies make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Per-Pupil State and Federal Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Foundation Support.
Who are Synergy Academies's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PUC Schools, KIPP LA Schools, ICEF Public Schools, Green Dot Public Schools California, Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC), Magnolia Public Schools, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. Aspire Public Schools is listed as a regional player. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Synergy Academies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Synergy Academies.
What industry is Synergy Academies in?
Synergy Academies's product category is K-12 Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAJ, Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools, with a secondary code of EDAJACAK, Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.