Pella Community School District

What Pella Community School District does

Pella Community School District is a public K-12 school district located in Pella, Iowa, operating seven school buildings spanning preschool through 12th grade: Little Dutch Academy (preschool), Lincoln Elementary and Madison Elementary (Pre-K through 3), Jefferson Intermediate (4-6), Pella Middle School (7-8), Pella High School (9-12), and the Career Academy of Pella (9-12 college-credited CTE). The district serves approximately 2,471 students from Marion, Jasper, and Mahaska Counties, supported by 200+ certified staff, a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, and ~700,000 sq ft of facilities. Core technology includes a 1:1 laptop initiative deploying 1,700+ devices across grades 4-12, supported by a 6-person IT department managing 2,500+ computers and 60+ servers. Integration stack includes Infinite Campus (SIS), Clever (SSO), Rubicon Atlas (curriculum mapping), Safe+Sound Iowa and P3 Campus (safety reporting), and a PellaSchools iOS app. The district has an A+ priority-lien credit rating from S&P Global Ratings (affirmed August 2026) and is ranked #26 Best School Districts in Iowa by Niche, with 86% math proficiency and 85% reading proficiency, both materially above Iowa averages. Academic outcomes are differentiated by programs including AP, honors, college credit, gifted and talented, special education, English language learner services, and a Career Academy offering registered apprenticeships and certifications across culinary, manufacturing, nursing, welding, construction trades, IT, and business.

The business model is government-funded rather than market-revenue. Primary funding comes from local property taxes and Iowa state education funding allocated on a per-pupil basis, supplemented by transactional fees for food services (student breakfast $1.55, student lunch $2.90, adult breakfast $2.00, adult lunch $5.25) and recurring tuition/fees for preschool, wrap-around childcare, and summer care. Distribution is direct enrollment of resident students plus Iowa Open Enrollment from other districts (deadline March 2 for the 2026-27 school year). Marketing channels are predominantly the district website, school newsletters, the PellaSchools iOS app, and community events. The district is governed by an elected five-member School Board and led by Superintendent Dr. Kyle Koeppen (in his first year); ongoing strategic activity centers on a $51 million ten-year facility plan including a $40 million bond election, Little Dutch Academy expansion, stadium renovation, and tennis court updates, alongside a WorkSmart Connector partnership for work-based learning and apprenticeships.

Name

Pella Community School District

Legal name

Pella Community School District

Website

https://pellaschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pella Community School District is a public K-12 school district in Pella, Iowa, serving approximately 2,471 students across seven buildings (Pre-K through 12) with college-credited CTE, a 1:1 laptop program, and an A+ S&P credit rating.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Early childhood programs
• Career technical education
• Special education services
• School transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pella

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (Tax Revenue): Primary funding from local property taxes and state education funding to operate public school district serving over 2,000 students.
2. Food Service Fees: Meal fees charged to students and staff for breakfast and lunch programs.
3. Childcare/Tuition Fees: Fees for preschool programs, wrap-around childcare, and summer care services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pella Community School District operates a unified public school district providing Pre-K through 12th grade education across seven school buildings in Pella, Iowa. The district delivers core academic instruction, career and technical education, athletics, performing arts, and support services including food services, transportation, and before/after-school care to approximately 2,500 students from Marion, Jasper, and Mahaska Counties.

Product overview

Pella Community School District operates as a unified public school district offering comprehensive Pre-K through 12th grade education across seven distinct school facilities: Little Dutch Academy (preschool), Lincoln Elementary (Pre-K-3), Madison Elementary (Pre-K-3), Jefferson Intermediate (4-6), Pella Middle School (7-8), Pella High School (9-12), and Career Academy of Pella (9-12 with college-credited coursework). The district serves approximately 2,500 students with programs including core academics, athletics, performing arts, career and technical education, gifted and talented services, special education, English language learning, and a 1:1 laptop initiative for grades 4-12. Additional support services include food services, transportation, health services, before/after school care, and various extracurricular clubs and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Little Dutch Academy Early childhood education center serving preschoolers ages 3-4 at 1050 E University St, Pella, offering morning and afternoon sessions 4 days per week with wrap-around childcare options.
• Lincoln Elementary Elementary school serving approximately 250 students in Pre-K through 3rd grade, implementing the Leader In Me framework emphasizing 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
• Madison Elementary Elementary school serving approximately 350 students in Pre-K through 3rd grade, emphasizing the Leader in Me framework and fostering student strengths.
• Jefferson Intermediate Intermediate school serving grades 4-6, focused on developing self-directed learners through authentic learning opportunities.
• Pella Middle School Middle school serving approximately 350 students in grades 7-8, offering rich academic and strong co-curricular experiences with character integration.
• Pella High School High school serving approximately 800 students in grades 9-12, offering traditional eight-period schedule with exploratory, career readiness, AP, honors, and college credit courses.
• Career Academy of Pella State-of-the-art career and technical education facility offering work-based learning programs including registered apprenticeships, certifications, and certificates of completion in areas such as culinary arts, manufacturing, nursing, welding, construction trades, early childhood education, IT, and business.
• Food Services Child Nutrition Program providing nutritious breakfasts and lunches meeting USDA requirements at $1.55 for student breakfast, $2.90 for student lunch, $2.00 for adult breakfast, and $5.25 for adult lunch.
• Transportation Services District transportation fleet operating 23 daily routes including 16 traditional bus routes, 2 wheelchair-accessible routes, and 5 van routes for special needs students, with a fleet of 24 buses, 4 cars, 15 SUVs/vans, 7 trucks, and 2 trailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of students are at least proficient in math (vs 70% Iowa average)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WorkSmart ConnectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWork-based learning platform connecting students with local businesses for apprenticeships, certifications, and career experience in areas including manufacturing, healthcare, culinary, welding, construction, IT, and education. Provides pathways for students to earn credentials while still in school.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Ankeny Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny with similar grade-span structure (Pre-K–12), public funding model, and Iowa open-enrollment exposure. Directly comparable operating profile for benchmarking academic outcomes, staffing ratios, and facility economics.
• Waukee Community School District: Fast-growing Iowa public K-12 district west of Des Moines operating multiple school buildings under similar funding and governance structures. Comparable as a peer district competing for the same open-enrollment families in central Iowa.
• Johnston Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving the Des Moines suburb of Johnston, with similar Pre-K–12 grade configuration, bond-funded facility programs, and credit-rated public school district governance. Closely comparable in operating model and scale.
• Indianola Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving Indianola in Warren County — a similar mid-sized central Iowa district with comparable enrollment scale (~3,000 students), public tax funding model, and open-enrollment dynamics.
• Norwalk Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district east of Des Moines operating elementary, middle, and high schools under the same state funding and open-enrollment regime. Comparable in scale and rural-suburban Iowa operating context.
• Ottumwa Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving the Ottumwa region in southeast Iowa, with a similar multi-building configuration and public funding model. Comparable as a peer for student outcomes, facility footprint, and operating economics in non-metro Iowa.
• Newton Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving Jasper County — directly overlapping Pella's service area in one of its three counties. Operates similar grade-span schools under the same Iowa funding formula, making it the most direct geographic competitor for open-enrollment students.
• Knoxville Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving Marion County — overlapping Pella's home county. Direct peer for open-enrollment competition, tax-base dynamics, and rural central Iowa operating context.
• Marshalltown Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving Marshalltown in central Iowa, with similar Pre-K–12 configuration, public funding model, and CTE/apple pathway programming. Comparable for scale, facility footprint, and credit profile benchmarking.
• Grinnell-Newburg Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving the Grinnell area in Poweshiek County — a comparable mid-sized Iowa district operating under the same state funding formula and open-enrollment framework, with similar academic-outcome benchmarking value.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PellaSchools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Pella Community School District