Harbor Springs Public Schools

What Harbor Springs Public Schools does

Harbor Springs Public Schools is a public K-12 school district organized as a government entity under Michigan law, serving students residing within its established attendance boundaries in Harbor Springs, in northern Michigan. Established in 1877, the district operates four schools: Harbor Springs High School (grades 9-12), Harbor Springs Middle School (grades 5-8), Shay Elementary School (K-4), and Blackbird Childcare Center (early childhood). It serves approximately 800+ students across preschool through grade 12, drawing enrollment almost exclusively from families residing within district boundaries.

Instructional and operational technology infrastructure is centered on standard educational-software platforms, including PowerSchool for student information, the Apptegy/Thrillshare CMS for the district website, Thrillshare-based email and SMS alerting, and a mobile app launched in May 2025 for parent-teacher communication. Beyond core academics, the district offers an unusually broad slate of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs through its membership in the Char-Em Intermediate School District (Char-Em ISD), a consortium of 11 districts. CTE pathways include cosmetology, aviation science and technology (with credit articulation into Northwestern Michigan College), drone/UAV piloting (with FAA Part 107 certification), and Baywatch Robotics, an FRC team that qualified for the 2025 World Championships in Houston. Athletic, performing arts, and character education programs round out the curriculum under the district's tagline of "Excellence in Character | Excellence in Education."

The district operates as a non-taxable government entity funded through a combination of Michigan state foundation allowance, local property taxes, voter-approved millages (including a CTE millage renewed every four years since 1996), and federal grants. A $41.85 million voter-approved bond is currently funding facility modernization in two phases, including new Shay Elementary construction and HVAC/renovation work across other buildings. Governance is via an elected Board of Education, with Dr. Scott Korpak appointed as permanent Superintendent in February 2026 after serving as Interim Superintendent since August 2025. The district has no external shareholders, parent company, or equity investors; capital expansion is debt-financed through voter-approved bonds rather than private capital markets.

Name

Harbor Springs Public Schools

Legal name

Harbor Springs Public School District

Website

https://harborps.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1877

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harbor Springs Public Schools is a Michigan public K-12 district operating four schools (high school, middle school, Shay Elementary, and Blackbird Childcare) serving roughly 800+ resident students in Harbor Springs, with regional Career and Technical Education access via Char-Em ISD.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Career technical education
• Early childhood education
• STEM robotics programs
• Athletics performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Harbor Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harbor Springs Public Schools is a Michigan public school district that delivers K-12 education across four campuses: Harbor Springs High School (grades 9-12), Harbor Springs Middle School (grades 5-8), Shay Elementary School, and Blackbird Childcare Center. The district supplements core academics with Career and Technical Education programs (cosmetology, aviation, drone/UAV, robotics) delivered through membership in the Char-Em Intermediate School District, along with athletics, theater arts, and character education under the motto "Excellence in Character | Excellence in Education."

Product overview

Harbor Springs Public School District operates as a traditional public K-12 school district with four educational facilities: Harbor Springs High School (grades 9-12), Harbor Springs Middle School (grades 5-8), Shay Elementary School, and Blackbird Child Care Center. The district provides core educational services alongside Career and Technical Education programs through Char-Em ISD, including Cosmetology, Aviation Science & Technology, and Drone/UAV programs. Athletic programs, theater arts, and robotics (Baywatch Robotics FRC Team 7790) comprise the extracurricular offerings. The district also maintains a mobile application for parent-teacher communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Harbor Springs High School

Quantifiable outcome

• First-ever Division 4 State Soccer Championship in 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Char-Em ISD (Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Harbor Springs is one of 11 member school districts in the Char-Em ISD. The partnership provides access to 23 Career and Technical Education programs operating in 50+ classrooms across Charlevoix, Emmet, and northern Antrim counties. Programs are funded by voter-approved CTE millage (1.0 mill, renewed every 4 years since 1996). CTE programs include aviation, cosmetology, drone technology, robotics, and more.
• EDUStaffminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEDUStaff provides substitute teacher services to Harbor Springs Public Schools. The district partners with EDUStaff to fulfill substitute staffing needs, with FMLA regulations requiring posting of notices through this partnership.
• Northwestern Michigan College (NMC)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMC's Engineering Technology - Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) program accepts Harbor Springs drone program graduates with FAA Part 107 certification, granting them credit for one UAS class. Harbor Springs students are described as well-prepared for NMC's program.
• Vernales, Kilwin's, Tom's Mom's CookiesminorOthersLocal businesses that support the annual Student Discovery Symposium through sponsorships and donations, helping fund student academic and extracurricular pursuits.
• Floor Care ConceptsminorOthersContractor awarded bid for gym floor refinishing projects across multiple school facilities (High School Main Gym, Middle School Gym, Shay Elementary Gym, High School Upper Gym) scheduled for summer 2026.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boyne City Public Schools: Public K-12 district in Charlevoix County with comparable enrollment scale, athletic programs, and regional CTE partnership patterns through Char-Em ISD.
• Pellston Public Schools: Smaller public K-12 district in Emmet County serving a similar rural Northern Michigan community, comparable in geographic and program structure as a fellow Char-Em ISD member.
• Alanson Public Schools: Small public K-12 district located in Emmet County, comparable in scale and operating similar traditional public elementary, middle, and high school programs alongside regional CTE access.
• Traverse City Area Public Schools: Significantly larger public K-12 district operating across Northern Michigan with extensive CTE, athletic, and extracurricular programs; comparable in educational offering categories though much larger in scale and serving a broader regional catchment.
• Inland Lakes Schools: Public K-12 district in Cheboygan County operating in the same Northern Michigan education market, comparable in scale and regional operating context just outside the Char-Em ISD footprint.
• East Jordan Public Schools: Public K-12 district in Charlevoix County sharing similar district size, regional operating context, and Char-Em ISD membership and CTE access patterns.
• Petoskey Public Schools: Public K-12 district serving the adjacent Petoskey community in Emmet County, sharing the same Northern Michigan labor market and operating comparable academic, athletic, and CTE program structures of similar size and scale.
• Charlevoix Public Schools: Public K-12 district also located in Charlevoix County and a fellow Char-Em ISD member, comparable in size and operating similar traditional public school programs and athletics in the same regional context.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan Department of Education: State-level public education agency governing all Michigan K-12 districts including Harbor Springs, providing the regulatory, funding, and accountability framework (transparency reporting, certification requirements) within which Harbor Springs operates.
• Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District (Char-Em ISD): The regional Intermediate School District of which Harbor Springs is one of 11 member districts; comparable as the parent regional education organization providing shared CTE programs, special education, and administrative services across Harbor Springs and sister districts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/harborspringspublicschools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Harbor Springs Public Schools