Oak Park Schools

What Oak Park Schools does

Oak Park Schools is a PreK-12 public school district headquartered in Oak Park, Michigan, operating since 1846 across eight schools: Lessenger Early Childhood Center, three K-5 elementary schools (Einstein, Key, Pepper), Oak Park Preparatory Academy (middle school), NOVA Academy (alternative education), and Oak Park High School. The district serves district-resident families and supplements enrollment through Michigan's school-of-choice program and consortium participation in the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA), a seven-district partnership offering 16 Advanced Placement courses and advanced arts programming. Approximately 251-500 staff support the district, with 88% of teachers holding a Master's degree or higher. Supporting services include an on-site Ascension Providence School-Based Health Center, OPHS Athletics competing in the Oakland Activities Association, and 40-hour community service graduation requirements.

The district's operating technology stack is built on commodity K-12 platforms rather than proprietary systems: MiStar (student information system, provided through the Oakland Schools consortium), NWEA MAP (computer-adaptive academic growth assessment administered three times per year), Edgenuity E2020 (credit recovery and online learning), IXL (differentiated practice), Microsoft 365 (staff collaboration), Nutrislice (menus), SchoolMessenger (automated family notifications), and Parchment (transcript ordering). Integration is handled via the Oakland Schools service desk and Atlassian/Jira ticketing. No proprietary AI, API, or developer-facing platform is offered.

Oak Park Schools is a government entity, not a commercial enterprise, and is funded primarily through Michigan's per-pupil foundation allowance, local property tax revenue, and federal categorical grants (Title I, Title II, IDEA). Secondary revenue streams include nominal fees for latchkey/childcare, alumni transcript requests, adult lunch orders, and facility use. Marketing and enrollment are community-led: the district relies on its website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube (OPSTV), RSS, automated SchoolMessenger notifications, school tours (in-person and virtual), and partnerships with the Oak Park Education Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011) and Oakland Schools. The district does not have a parent company, equity investors, or subsidiaries in the corporate sense — its "subsidiaries" are wholly owned operating schools and consortium programs.

Name

Oak Park Schools

Legal name

Oak Park Schools

Website

https://oakparkschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Oak Park Schools is a PreK-12 public school district in Oak Park, Michigan operating 8 schools (early childhood through high school) for district-resident families, supplemented by school-of-choice, CASA consortium, and OSTC career-technical partnerships, and funded by state per-pupil aid, local property taxes, and federal grants.

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

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

District Enrollment, Zoning & School Choice Administration (EDADABAL), Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Early childhood programs
• Career technical education
• Advanced placement courses
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Per-Pupil Funding: Primary revenue source from Michigan state aid based on per-pupil foundation allowance. Amounts vary by student enrollment and district characteristics.
2. Local Property Tax Revenue: Local school district taxes based on property values in Oak Park school district boundaries
3. Federal Grants: Title I, Title II, IDEA (special education), and other federal categorical grants
4. Student Fees and Programs: Fees for latchkey/childcare programs, transcript requests for alumni, adult lunch programs, facility use fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Oak Park Schools is a PreK-12 public school district operating seven schools in Oak Park, Michigan, delivering free public education to district residents from early childhood through high school graduation. The district supplements core academics with consortium-provided Advanced Placement coursework (CASA), career technical education (OSTC), dual-enrollment/early college pathways (OTEC with Oakland Community College), school-based health services via Ascension Providence, athletics, fine arts, and counseling. Administrative operations run on the MiStar student information system, NWEA MAP Growth assessment, Edgenuity credit recovery, and Microsoft 365.

Product overview

Oak Park Schools is a K-12 public school district providing comprehensive educational services through multiple schools: Lessenger Early Childhood Center, Einstein Elementary, Key Elementary, Pepper Elementary, Oak Park Preparatory Academy (middle school), NOVA Academy, and Oak Park High School. The district offers specialized programs including the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA) consortium with 16 AP courses, Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (OSTC) career technical education across four campuses, and the Oakland Technical Early College (OTEC) program. Supporting services include OPHS Athletics competing in the OAA conference, Ascension Providence School-Based Health Center, counseling services with NCAA eligibility support, and the Oak Park Education Foundation nonprofit. Academic assessment uses NWEA MAP Growth adaptive testing, while administrative systems include MiStar for student information and Edgenuity for credit recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CASA - Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts: A consortium school serving Berkley, Clawson, Ferndale, Lamphere, Madison, Oak Park and Pontiac school districts offering sixteen Advanced Placement courses, visual arts curriculum, and advanced dance program.
• Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (OSTC)

Products and services

• Lessenger Early Childhood Center Early childhood education center serving pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in Oak Park, including the Great Start Readiness Program for income-eligible families.
• Einstein Elementary Elementary school serving grades K-5 with academics, activities, and parent/student resources; recognized as a 2024-25 Capturing Kids Heart National Showcase School.
• Key Elementary Elementary school serving grades K-5 with academic programs, student activities, and parent/student resources.
• Pepper Elementary Elementary school serving grades K-5 with academic and extracurricular programs and parent/student resources.
• Oak Park Preparatory Academy (OPPA) Middle school serving grades 6-8, preparing students for high school with academics, athletics, counseling, and a media center program.
• NOVA Academy High school program offering alternative education pathways with virtual tour options, flexible scheduling, and credit recovery options for non-traditional learners.
• Oak Park High School (OPHS) Comprehensive high school serving grades 9-12 with academics, athletics, counseling, activities, and an on-site Ascension Providence School-Based Health Center.
• Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA) Consortium school serving seven districts (Berkley, Clawson, Ferndale, Lamphere, Madison, Oak Park, Pontiac) offering 16 Advanced Placement courses, visual arts curriculum, and advanced dance program.
• Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (OSTC) Career technical education campuses (NE, NW, SE, SW) offering 17 hands-on programs in automotive technology, health sciences, culinary arts, welding, machining, cybersecurity, graphic design, and more, with industry certifications and work-based learning.
• Oakland Technical Early College (OTEC) Three-year program combining high school requirements, an OSTC program, and college courses, leading to a potential associate degree alongside a high school diploma through Oakland Community College.
• OPHS Athletics Athletics program with MHSAA Division 1 track and field championships, multiple sports including football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, and competitive cheer; member of the Oakland Activities Association (OAA) Conference.
• Ascension Providence School-Based Health Center School-based health center at OPHS providing physical exams, immunizations, laboratory tests, dental/vision/hearing screenings, STD testing, counseling, and mental health services to students ages 5-21.
• OPHS Counseling Services School counseling department supporting academic, career, and personal/social development with NCAA eligibility services for student-athletes.
• Lessenger Latchkey (Before- and After-School Care) Fee-based childcare program at Lessenger Early Childhood Center providing before- and after-school care with monthly billing processed through the Revtrak payment system.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9-time MHSAA Division 1 Track & Field State Champions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (OSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSTC provides career technical education programs at four campuses serving Oakland County students. Oak Park High School students can attend OSTC programs in fields including automotive technology, health sciences, culinary arts, cybersecurity, and more. Programs offer industry certifications and college credit articulation.
• Oakland Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Oakland Technical Early College (OTEC) program, allowing students to earn associate degrees while completing high school requirements. Students attend OCC full-time during a 13th year.
• Oakland UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual enrollment partnership allowing qualified students to earn college credit while in high school.
• Ascension ProvidencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAscension Providence operates a school-based health center at Oak Park High School, providing medical services including physical exams, immunizations, lab tests, dental/vision/hearing screenings, and counseling services for students ages 5-21.
• Royal Oak Beaumont HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) program, providing internship opportunities for students interested in medical careers.
• Wayne State University C2 PipelineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic enrichment program in STEM areas along with after-school tutoring services for Oak Park students.
• Square One Education NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling students to participate in vehicle design challenges including underwater vehicle design, autonomous vehicle design, mini vehicle design, and full-scale vehicle design competitions.
• Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium school serving Berkley, Clawson, Ferndale, Lamphere, Madison, Oak Park and Pontiac districts. Offers 16 AP courses, visual arts curriculum, and advanced dance program. Located at NOVA building in Oak Park.
• Oak Park Education Foundation (OPEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 to create partnerships between schools and businesses/community organizations. Raises funds for academics, arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Funding supports equipment and uniforms for students.
• Hoffman PlanetariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal planetarium facility offering astronomy education experiences for students with expert-led programs.
• Oakland SchoolscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology support provided by Oakland Schools. Staff use MiStar student information system and Service Desk for technology assistance. District participates in Oakland Schools district consortium.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Birmingham Public Schools: Higher-property-wealth Oakland County K-12 district neighboring Oak Park. Comparable in K-12 structure and academic program breadth, and a key competitive threat for school-of-choice families seeking higher-funded suburban alternatives.
• Lamphere Schools: Oakland County K-12 district and CASA consortium partner serving Madison Heights and neighboring communities. Comparable in size and demographic mix, and shares consortium advanced coursework and arts programming with Oak Park.
• Clawson Public Schools: Small Oakland County K-12 district and CASA consortium partner. Comparable in scale and suburban character, sharing consortium AP and arts programming, and competing for school-of-choice students in the same corridor.
• Ferndale Public Schools: Adjacent Oakland County K-12 district and CASA consortium partner. Comparable inner-ring suburban profile, similar socioeconomic mix, and shares consortium programming, making it a direct peer in the same enrollment market.
• Pontiac School District: Oakland County K-12 district and CASA consortium partner with a more urban student demographic. Comparable in serving a diverse, lower-income population and shares the CASA advanced-program infrastructure with Oak Park.
• Royal Oak Schools: Adjacent Oakland County K-12 district of similar suburban character and size. Directly comparable in student demographics, athletics profile, and program offerings, and competes with Oak Park for resident and School of Choice enrollment.
• Madison District Public Schools: Oakland County K-12 district and CASA consortium partner. Comparable in scale and inner-ring suburban profile, sharing consortium advanced programming and competing in the same regional labor market for instructional talent.
• Southfield Public Schools: Adjacent Oakland County K-12 district with similar inner-ring suburban profile and diverse demographics. Several Oak Park leaders previously worked in Southfield, and the districts compete directly for the same Oakland County student population.
• Berkley School District: Neighboring Oakland County, Michigan K-12 public school district and CASA consortium partner. Directly comparable in size, suburban demographics, and shared advanced-program infrastructure, and competes with Oak Park for School of Choice students.

Broad incumbents

• Detroit Public Schools Community District: Larger urban K-12 district serving Detroit, where Oak Park's NOVA Academy principal previously served. Operates in the same metro region with overlapping feeder patterns, but at significantly larger scale and with a different governance structure post-emergency management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@opsdtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/OakParkSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/oakparkschools
• Xx.com/OakParkSchools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Oak Park Schools