The Biome School.

What The Biome School. does

The Biome School is a tuition-free Missouri charter public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade at a single site in Saint Louis, Missouri, operating from two adjacent buildings (Main at 4471 Olive Street and Annex at 4481 Olive Street). Its academic model is built around individualized, project-based STEAM instruction (science, technology, engineering, art, math) delivered through an "Adaptive Thinking" framework, supplemented by micro-school studio structures, specialty classes, and an Extended Day program operated in partnership with Mission: St. Louis Beyond School. Free breakfast and lunch are provided to all learners, and 77% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a mission-aligned student demographic served at no tuition cost to families.

The school is sponsored by Saint Louis University's Office of School and Community Partnerships and operates as a nonprofit public entity. It does not publish or expose any proprietary technology platform; instead, it relies on a conventional K-12 SaaS stack — PowerSchool for enrollment (schoolappstl.org), Gravity Forms for donations, Microsoft Forms for extended-day intake, FrenchToast Schoolbox for uniforms, and ClassTag/email for family communications — overlaid on its human-delivered pedagogical approach. There is no AI/ML, no proprietary software product, and no API surface.

Revenue mechanics combine (i) state per-pupil charter allocations routed through the SLU sponsor, (ii) fee-based Before Care on an income-linked sliding scale ($20/$40/$80 per month) and After Care (pricing post-FRL determination) provided with Mission: St. Louis, and (iii) philanthropic revenue from individuals, foundations, and a visible corporate donor community (Emerson, Bayer, Thermo Fisher, Simmons Bank, Novus, Enpaq, Andy's Seasonings, Vedapointe, Wallis Companies/OTR, iHeart, and community foundation WUMCRC), structured through an Annual Fund, a recurring Biome Literacy Champion program at $10/$30/$50 monthly tiers, and legacy bequests. Go-to-market is fully direct-to-consumer with no channel intermediaries: families initiate enrollment online, attend tours and information events, and are converted via parent word-of-mouth.

Name

The Biome School.

Legal name

The Biome Public Charter School

Website

https://thebiomeschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Biome School is a tuition-free Missouri K-5 charter public school in Saint Louis delivering individualized, project-based STEAM and "Adaptive Thinking" education, funded primarily through state per-pupil allocations via Saint Louis University sponsorship and supplemented by philanthropic giving and a fee-based Extended Day program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homeschool Hybrid / University-Model / Microschool Networks (Private) (EDAJABAO), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Elementary education
• STEAM curriculum
• Project-based learning
• K-5 education

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Per-Pupil Funding: As a tuition-free Missouri charter public school, the primary revenue stream is state per-pupil funding allocated through the school's university sponsor (Saint Louis University, Office of School and Community Partnerships). The Biome School is described as a non-network and small charter public school, indicating reliance on standard public charter allocations.
2. Charitable Giving (Annual Fund, Literacy Champion, Bequests): Philanthropic revenue stream comprising unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund, monthly recurring 'Biome Literacy Champion' subscriptions ($10/$30/$50 per month, with up to 60 books per year per Champion), and legacy bequests. Donations come from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors.
3. Extended Day Program Fees (Before & After Care): Fee-based ancillary service revenue from Before Care ($20/$40/$80 per month based on free/reduced lunch status) and After-Care (operated in partnership with Mission: St. Louis Beyond School, 3:00 PM–6:00 PM, with $25 late-pickup fee per incident).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Biome School delivers tuition-free kindergarten through fifth grade education at a charter public school in Saint Louis, Missouri, using an individualized, project-based STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) and adaptive-thinking curriculum. Beyond core academics, it offers wraparound services including a free breakfast and lunch program, sliding-scale before-care, an after-care program in partnership with Mission: St. Louis Beyond School, micro-school instructional groupings, specialty classes, and MOCAP virtual learning access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The BiOME School (K-5 Charter Public School) Tuition-free K-5 charter public school providing individualized, project-based, student-centered STEAM education focused on adaptive thinking.
• Primary Program Academic program track for the school's primary-grade learners (K-2) supporting the individualized STEAM-based learning model.
• Intermediate Program Academic program track for the school's intermediate-grade learners (3-5) continuing the project's individualized STEAM-based learning model.
• Micro Schools Instructional model that organizes learners into smaller studio-style groups supporting individualized and adaptive thinking experiences.
• Specialty Classes Specialized STEAM-focused elective-style classes supplementing the core curriculum, covering areas such as science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
• Extended Day Program (Beyond School After-Care & Before-Care) Before- and after-school care program offered in partnership with Mission: St. Louis Beyond School, running 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, with sliding-scale before-care fees pegged to free/reduced lunch status.
• Meals Program (Free Breakfast and Lunch) Daily breakfast (served approximately 30 minutes before school) and lunch program; all students are provided free breakfast and lunch for the 2025-26 school year.
• MOCAP (Missouri Course Access and Virtual Learning Program) State-provided online education access that is the right of every student enrolled at The Biome School or any Missouri public school.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Saint Louis University — Office of School and Community PartnershipsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaint Louis University's School of Education, via the Office of School and Community Partnerships, serves as The Biome School's university sponsor. The office connects SLU research, practice, and community engagement with local schools to improve educational outcomes. Logo is featured in the 'OUR UNIVERSITY SPONSOR' section of the homepage. As a Missouri charter school, SLU provides the required university sponsorship relationship.
• Mission: St. Louis — Beyond SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission: St. Louis Beyond School partners with The Biome School to deliver the After-Care program (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM), providing students an opportunity to grow and prepare for the future beyond the regular school day.
• FrenchToast SchoolboxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrenchToast Schoolbox hosts The Biome School's dedicated uniform storefront (QS618AM). The Biome School partners with FrenchToast to meet its uniform needs; logo shirts are required for all learners.
• St. Louis Children's Hospital — Healthy Kids School Nurse ProgramcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSt. Louis Children's Hospital Healthy Kids School Nurse Program supplies the Over-the-Counter Standing Orders used by school nurses for the 2024-25 school year, enabling the school to administer nonprescription medications with parent permission.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• City Garden Montessori School: Tuition-free public charter elementary school in St. Louis serving a similar low-income urban population. Comparable as a small, mission-driven K-8 charter competing for the same St. Louis family demographic and per-pupil funding pool.
• Lift for Life Academy: Tuition-free public charter school in St. Louis serving grades K-12 from a similar underserved urban population. Comparable as a small St. Louis charter operator with a similar mission-driven, individualized-learning ethos.
• NorthSide Community School: Small, project-based tuition-free charter school in St. Louis City. Comparable as a similarly sized, mission-aligned charter competitor emphasizing individualized learning in the same St. Louis geography.
• Gateway Science Academy: Tuition-free public charter school network in St. Louis with a STEM focus. Comparable as a similarly sized charter competitor emphasizing science/STEM curriculum for K-8 students in the same metropolitan area.
• KIPP St. Louis: Network of tuition-free public charter schools in St. Louis serving a comparable underserved student population. Comparable as a charter operator competing for the same families and state per-pupil funding in the same geography.
• Confluence Academies: Charter school network in downtown St. Louis serving K-12 students tuition-free. Comparable as a St. Louis-based charter operator drawing from similar urban demographics and competing for the same per-pupil funding.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (national network): National network of tuition-free public charter schools with a college-prep focus, including the KIPP St. Louis campus. Comparable as a much larger charter operator with overlapping mission (educational equity for underserved populations) and replicated school model.
• Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS): Traditional public school district serving St. Louis City, from which The Biome draws its students. Comparable as the incumbent district option families are choosing against; relevant for funding-policy dynamics and student recruitment competition.

Emerging players

• Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls: Single-sex tuition-free public charter school in St. Louis with a STEM focus. Comparable as a small, mission-driven charter with a STEM/leadership emphasis that overlaps with The Biome's STEAM curriculum differentiation.

Regional players

• Premier Charter School: Tuition-free public charter school serving students across the greater St. Louis region. Comparable as a charter operator in the same Missouri charter ecosystem but with broader geographic reach and different demographic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebiomeschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-biome-school
• Xx.com/thebiomeschool

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Biome School.