Star Academy

What Star Academy does

Star Academy is a California-certified non-public school (NPS) headquartered at 4470 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael, CA, founded in 1990 by parents seeking specialized education for children with learning differences. The school serves approximately 80 students from third grade through a Post-High School program for ages 18-22, drawing from six Bay Area counties and 26 public school districts. Its core offering is an individualized, multi-sensory educational program built around small classes of 6-12 students and a 1:4 to 1:6 teacher-to-student ratio, with students working alongside up to 10 educators and specialists per week. Specialties include Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Multi-Sensory Language Arts Therapy (using Lindamood-Bell methodologies), Structured Literacy (Orton-Gillingham based), Social Thinking Curriculum, Executive Functioning support, and Individual Counseling, with enrichment in Visual/Performing Arts and Physical Education across a 200-day extended school year.

The school's pedagogical and platform architecture is people-intensive rather than technology-platform-based: a credentialed team of 25 teachers and 14-18 part-time specialists delivers embedded services in the classroom rather than relying on software. The Post-High School program is delivered in partnership with College of Marin, giving students access to college facilities and the Student Accessibility Services team — a distinctive structural arrangement slated to be relocated to Star's main campus by August 2026 with a teaching kitchen, simulated apartment, simulated business, and skills lab. The PHS program offers two tracks: college preparation and functional academics/vocational training (including food handler certifications).

Star Academy operates as a non-profit (Shining Star Foundation d.b.a. Star Academy). Revenue mechanics include tuition from both private families and district IEP placements, an Annual Fund that bridges a ~$3,000-per-student gap between tuition and the actual cost to educate, a Capital Campaign (with named institutional donors including Loomis Sayles & Company and The Darrow Foundation), planned giving/bequests, and vehicle donations. Pricing for direct-enrolled families includes a $150 application fee and a $5,000 non-refundable enrollment deposit; van transportation is fee-for-service. Go-to-market relies on monthly in-person open houses (Grades 3-12), virtual open houses (PHS), IEP-driven district referrals, a Speaker Series, and the school's website and social channels. The institution holds WASC accreditation and California Department of Special Education certification as a non-public school.

Name

Star Academy

Legal name

Shining Star Foundation d.b.a. Star Academy

Website

https://staracademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Star Academy is a California-certified non-public school in San Rafael serving ~80 students from grades 3-12 and ages 18-22 with learning differences, delivering individualized multi-sensory instruction and embedded therapies in partnership with College of Marin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Star Academy charges tuition for students with learning differences. Student population includes both privately-funded families and district-placed IEP students. The school covers approximately $3,000 gap per student between tuition and actual cost through Annual Fund donations.
2. Annual Fund Donations: Annual Fund campaign covers the gap between tuition income and actual cost to educate a student (~$3,000 per student). Supports operational costs including teacher/staff salaries, instructional materials, equipment, and professional development.
3. Capital Campaign: Capital campaign for Post-High School program expansion including teaching kitchen, simulated apartment, business, and new classrooms. Includes donations from foundations (Loomis Sayles & Company, Darrow Foundation) and individual donors.
4. Planned Giving: Charitable bequests and planned gifts through wills or estate plans, with Shining Star Foundation d.b.a. Star Academy as the legal entity name.
5. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donation program through CARS organization for hassle-free vehicle donation with tax receipt.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Star Academy is a private non-profit non-public school (NPS) in San Rafael, California, delivering individualized education programs for students with learning differences from Grade 3 through high school, plus a two-year Post-High School transition program (Ages 18-22) in partnership with College of Marin. The school sells tuition-based enrollment comprising multi-sensory academic instruction, embedded speech-language and occupational therapy, structured literacy remediation, social thinking curriculum, executive functioning support, and individual counseling, complemented by enrichment in arts and PE on a small-class (6-12 students) low-ratio (1:4-1:6) campus.

Product overview

Star Academy is a non-public school offering a comprehensive educational program for students with learning differences from grades 3-12, plus a two-year Post-High School transition program for ages 18-22. The core educational program includes elementary, middle school, and high school divisions with diploma and certificate tracks. Students receive specialized services including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Multi-Sensory Language Arts Therapy, Structured Literacy Support, Social Thinking instruction, Executive Functioning support, and Individual Counseling. Enrichment programs include Visual and Performing Arts and Physical Education. The school also provides family support through its Speaker Series. All programs are individualized to each student's needs and operate in partnership with College of Marin for post-high school services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grades 3-12 Education Program A full-time individualized day-school program for students with learning differences (dyslexia, auditory processing issues, language difficulties, working memory challenges, dysgraphia, ADHD, High Functioning Autism, social communication needs) covering elementary (grades 4-6), middle school, and high school with diploma and certificate tracks on California Common Core standards, with embedded speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, multi-sensory literacy remediation, social thinking instruction, executive functioning support, individual counseling, and enrichment in visual/performing arts and PE.
• Post-High School Program A two-year transition program for students ages 18-22 with learning differences who have completed high school, delivered in partnership with College of Marin with two tracks (college preparation and functional academics/vocational training), covering supported college experience via Student Accessibility Services, independent living skills (teaching kitchen, simulated apartment), vocational exploration (simulated business/café, food handler certifications), and employment readiness.
• Speech and Language Therapy Licensed and certified speech-language pathology services addressing word-finding difficulties, auditory memory, abstract language comprehension, and social communication, available as part of Star Academy's specialized service menu.
• Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy services evaluating and treating deficits in postural stability, sensory processing, motor coordination, and practical life skills, with OTs integrated directly into classrooms to help students regulate during class time.
• Multi-Sensory Language Arts Therapy (MSLAT) Research-based reading remediation using Lindamood-Bell Visualizing & Verbalizing and Seeing Stars methodologies combined with other multi-sensory approaches to address all aspects of reading for students with literacy challenges.
• Structured Literacy Support Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy instruction for students with dyslexia using multi-sensory letter-sound associations designed to develop strong decoding strategies.
• Social Thinking and Social Skills Development Social cognition instruction using Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking Curriculum to teach social communication rules and appropriate social behaviors, integrated into classroom and speech-language therapy for students with social processing difficulties.
• Executive Functioning Support Instruction and reinforcement of organization skills, study skills, scheduling, and binder maintenance delivered throughout the school day to support students with executive functioning challenges.
• Individual Counseling On-site counseling services addressing anxiety, depression, body image, emotional wellness, and transition difficulties for students at Star Academy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes of 6-12 students per homeroom
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• College of MarincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStar Academy has a unique partnership with College of Marin for the Post-High School program. Students ages 18-22 attend classes at the College of Marin, Kenfield campus, with access to college facilities and Student Accessibility Services (SAS) counseling team. The partnership provides students with supported college experience while receiving additional academic support and independent living skills instruction. The PHS program follows the College of Marin school calendar (mid-August to end of May). A capital campaign is underway to relocate the PHS program from leased space to a renovated building on Star's main campus by August 2026.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Schenck School: Private school in Atlanta serving students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences. Comparable in mission, structured literacy emphasis, and small-class delivery model.
• Springer School: Private school in Cincinnati serving students with language-based learning differences, especially dyslexia. Comparable in student profile, literacy intervention focus, and small-class structure.
• The Lab School of Washington: Private school in Washington, D.C. serving students with learning differences including ADHD and dyslexia. Comparable in individualized program design and embedded therapeutic supports.
• The Forman School: Private college-prep school in Litchfield, CT for students with learning differences including ADHD and dyslexia. Comparable in mission and individualized college-preparatory approach.
• Winston Preparatory School: National network of private schools serving students with learning differences, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges. Comparable in individualized instruction model though larger and multi-campus.
• Chartwell School: California non-public school in Seaside serving grades 1–12 with language-based learning differences, including dyslexia. Directly comparable to Star Academy in mission, NPS status, and small-class methodology.
• The Prentice School: Private K–12 school in Tustin, CA dedicated to students with learning differences. Closely comparable in target student profile, small class sizes, and integrated specialist model.
• The Vanguard School: California non-public school in Costa Mesa serving students with learning disabilities through small classes and individualized instruction. Comparable NPS positioning and IEP-referral pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers: National provider of literacy and language-based learning intervention centers using the Visualizing & Verbalizing and Seeing Stars methodologies that Star Academy incorporates. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, but uses the same proprietary instruction systems.

Others

• Children's Health Council: Bay Area non-profit providing mental health, learning, and developmental services for children, including the Sand Hill School for students with learning differences. Overlapping mission and geography; serves as a referral ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/staracademybayarea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/staracademybayarea
• Instagraminstagram.com/staracademybayarea

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Star Academy