Granite City School District 9

What Granite City School District 9 does

Granite City Community Unit School District #9 (GCSD9) is a state-chartered public school district under Illinois law, serving approximately 5,600 PreK-12 students across Madison County, located about 15 minutes east of downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The district operates nine schools — Granite City High School (9-12), Coolidge Junior High (7-8), six elementary schools (Frohardt, Maryville, Mitchell, Wilson, Grigsby, Prather), and the Lake Educational Support Services Center — and is accredited by the North Central Association Commission (NWAC) and SACS CASI through the AdvancED global network. Governance rests with a seven-member elected Board of Education; Dr. Donald J. Harris serves as Superintendent of Schools. The district is supported by more than 500 staff, with operating geographies covering Madison County, Metro East Illinois, and the greater St. Louis metropolitan area.

The district's operating technology stack is composed entirely of third-party vendor solutions: Skyward for student information and mass notifications, Clever for single sign-on, Google Classroom and Google Meet for E-Learning and assignment distribution during inclement weather, Chromebooks as the student device standard, Bark for student safety monitoring, and Finalsite for the district website and a mobile application launched in July 2024. Targeted support services include a full continuum of special education (speech, OT, PT, home/hospital instruction), English Language Learner programs staffed by certified teachers and bilingual paraprofessionals, McKinney-Vento homeless student support, free breakfast and lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for all K-12 students, and contracted bus transportation via First Student, Inc. with the First View route-tracking app.

GCSD9 operates as a government entity rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is derived from local property taxes, Illinois Evidence-Based state aid, federal categorical grants (Title, IDEA, CEP), and immaterial user fees such as $20-$40 summer camp registrations. Educational pathway expansion is delivered through partnerships with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), Revity Credit Union, and Varsity Tutors (state-procured 24/7 tutoring for grades 5-12). The customer base is wholly captive: all school-age residents within district attendance boundaries, with no tuition charged and no ability for the district to select its own enrollment.

Name

Granite City School District 9

Legal name

Granite City Community Unit School District #9

Website

https://gcsd9.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Granite City Community Unit School District #9 is a state-chartered Illinois public K-12 district serving approximately 5,600 PreK-12 students across nine schools in Madison County, funded by local property taxes, state aid, and federal grants and governed by an elected Board of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA), Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Special education services
• English language learner programs
• Student transportation services
• Remote E-Learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Granite City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tax Revenue: Public school district funded primarily through local property taxes, state education funding, and federal grants. The district operates on a cash basis of accounting and undergoes annual financial audits.
2. Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): Federal meal program providing free breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students, funded through the National School Lunch Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Granite City School District 9 (GCSD9) is a public K-12 school district operating nine schools in Granite City, Illinois, serving approximately 5,600 students. The district delivers comprehensive educational services across PreK through grade 12, supplemented by special education, English Language Learner (ELL) programs, E-Learning via Google Classroom, bus transportation, and free meals under the Community Eligibility Provision.

Product overview

Granite City Community Unit School District #9 operates as a unified K-12 public school district serving approximately 5,600 students across nine schools: one high school (grades 9-12), one junior high (grades 7-8), and seven elementary schools (PreK-6). The district offers a comprehensive educational portfolio centered on its core school programs, supplemented by technology-enabled learning tools including the GCSD9 mobile app, Varsity Tutors online tutoring, and E-Learning capabilities via Google Classroom for remote instruction during weather emergencies. Additional services include ELL programs, special education, transportation via First Student, and career pathways through partnerships with SIUE and SWIC. The district is accredited by the North Central Association Commission (NWAC) and SACS CASI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Education Programs Comprehensive K-12 public education delivered across nine schools including Granite City High School (9-12), Coolidge Junior High (7-8), six elementary schools (K-6 or PreK-6), and Lake Educational Support Services Center, serving approximately 5,600 students within district boundaries.
• Special Education Services Full continuum of special education services for eligible students including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and home/hospital instruction, coordinated across the district and Region I.
• English Language Learner (ELL) Program Bilingual education and English language support services delivered by certified ELL teachers and bilingual paraprofessionals for non-native English speakers across multiple school sites.
• E-Learning Program Remote learning program using Google Classroom for assignment distribution and Google Meet for live support, enabling students to continue instruction from home during inclement weather or emergencies without adding days to the school calendar.
• Varsity Tutors Academic Support Online tutoring service for grades 5-12 providing 24/7 on-demand academic support, live tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and college/career readiness resources, accessed through the Clever portal.
• Student Transportation Services Bus transportation for district students operated by First Student, Inc., with real-time route tracking available to parents through the First View mobile app.
• School Meal Program Free breakfast and free lunch for all K-12 students through the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) under the National School Lunch Program.
• Summer Camps Seasonal sports and enrichment camps for district students, including Cross Country ($20) and Boys Basketball ($40) sessions, offered through Granite City High School athletics.
• GCSD9 Mobile App District mobile application for iOS and Android, built by Finalsite, providing students and families access to district news, events, calendar items, and push notifications.

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

Integration8 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing pathways for students including online MSEd and EdS programs. SIUE offers general education core curriculum and student guide resources for GCSD9 students pursuing higher education.
• Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing general education core curriculum pathways and student guide resources for GCSD9 students. Partnership includes detailed pathway maps for Granite City students.
• Revity Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner enriching educational experiences for students, families, schools, and the community in the Metro East area.
• Varsity TutorscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Varsity Tutors providing students grades 5-12 with 24/7 on-demand academic support, live tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and college/career readiness resources. Program purchased by the State of Illinois for all public schools.
• First Student, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBus transportation provider offering contracted transportation services to GCSD9 students. Drivers are described as familiar faces in the community providing care and compassion for students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Varsity Tutors (Nerdy): Online tutoring platform whose service is integrated into GCSD9 via a State of Illinois purchase order. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler providing supplemental academic support that complements the district's own offerings.
• PowerSchool Holdings: Leading K-12 student information system and edtech provider. Comparable as a vendor/ecosystem participant serving thousands of districts — GCSD9 currently uses Skyward (a competing SIS), so PowerSchool is an adjacent industry player rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Belleville Township High School District 201: St. Clair County, IL public high school district serving the Metro East area. Comparable peer for secondary-level program offerings (CTE, athletics, college prep) and feeder patterns from area K-8 districts.
• Alton Community Unit School District 11: Madison County CUSD serving Alton, IL — geographically adjacent and similar in scale to GCSD9. Comparable governance, funding structure, and demographic profile in the Metro East region.
• Collinsville Community Unit School District 10: Neighboring Madison County CUSD serving the Metro East region with similar grade configuration (K-12) and community size. Directly comparable as a peer Illinois community unit district.
• Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7: Adjacent Madison County, IL community unit school district serving a comparable suburban profile near St. Louis. Most directly comparable to GCSD9 in governance structure (CUSD), regional setting, and grade configuration.

Regional players

• Triad Community Unit School District 2: St. Clair/Madison County CUSD operating in the Metro East region. Comparable as a regional Illinois community unit district, though serving a more suburban/rural footprint than Granite City.
• Roxana Community Unit School District 1: Madison County CUSD serving the Village of Roxana area in Metro East. Comparable as a small adjacent Illinois community unit district, though significantly smaller in enrollment than GCSD9.
• Highland Community Unit School District 5: Madison County CUSD located ~25 miles east of St. Louis. Comparable as a regional Illinois community unit district of similar scale with similar governance and funding dynamics.
• East St. Louis School District 189: St. Clair County public school district serving East St. Louis in the Metro East area. Comparable as a neighboring Illinois K-12 district with similar urban demographics, free meal eligibility (CEP), and ELL program scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gcsd9
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1fWy7mvp0CNM5szmpSbPCg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GCSD9.net
• Instagraminstagram.com/gcsd_9

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries10 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 Granite City School District 9