Owensboro Public Schools

What Owensboro Public Schools does

Owensboro Public Schools is an independent public school district located in Owensboro, Kentucky, the state's fourth-largest city. Founded in 1871, the district operates 12 educational campuses spanning preschool through 12th grade: 5 elementary schools (Newton Parrish, Cravens, Estes, Foust, Sutton), 2 middle schools (Owensboro Middle School and iMiddle School), 1 high school (Owensboro High School), 1 innovation-focused academy (Owensboro Innovation Academy), 1 alternative academy (Emerson Academy), and 1 preschool (Hager Preschool). Its single customer segment is K-12 students enrolled in the district, with the core problem solved being the provision of free public education to children in the Owensboro community, with particular emphasis on academic achievement in reading and mathematics.

The district's product surface is anchored by a unified digital platform at owensboro.kyschools.us that bundles online student registration, a School Report Card system (linking to Kentucky state accountability data), traceable parent communication, and supplementary tools including School Cash Online for fee collection and Parchment for transcript requests. Individual school websites sit beneath the district umbrella, each publishing site-specific academic performance metrics. Core technology is not custom-developed; it relies on the Apptegy content management platform for web presence and on third-party vendors for payments, communications, and transcript services. Academic outcomes reported for 2024-25 show district reading proficiency of 33% (elementary), 25% (middle), and 24% (high), with math proficiency of 35%, 24%, and 24% respectively — figures that materially trail typical state benchmarks.

As a government state entity under the Kentucky Department of Education, the district does not operate as a commercial enterprise. It is funded through a combination of state appropriations, local property taxes, and federal grants (including ARP ESSER), and education is provided free of charge. The district has no parent company, no private shareholders, and no funding rounds. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Its strategic posture is governed by state and federal accountability requirements, and its differentiation rests on codified core pillars of Tradition, Innovation, and Excellence communicated through branding and alternative-program offerings.

Name

Owensboro Public Schools

Legal name

Owensboro Public Schools

Website

https://owensboro.kyschools.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Owensboro Public Schools is a Kentucky public school district operating 12 preschool-through-12th-grade campuses in Owensboro, serving K-12 students with free public education funded by state appropriations, local property taxes, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district operations
• Primary secondary education
• Educational institution services
• Government funded education

Headquarters

HQ city

Owensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Owensboro Public Schools is a public K-12 school district operating 12 schools from preschool through high school in Owensboro, Kentucky, providing free public education to families within its service area. The district runs traditional elementary, middle, and high schools alongside specialized programs including the Owensboro Innovation Academy, iMiddle School, and Emerson Academy alternative school.

Product overview

Owensboro Public Schools is a public school district operating 12 educational institutions: 7 elementary schools (Newton Parrish, Cravens, Estes, Foust, Sutton), 2 middle schools (iMiddle, Owensboro Middle School), 1 high school (Owensboro High School), 1 innovation academy, 1 alternative academy (Emerson), and 1 preschool (Hager). The district website serves as a unified platform offering online registration, school report cards, and traceable communication services. Individual school pages provide specific academic performance metrics and contact information. Additional services include School Cash Online for fee payments and Parchment for transcript requests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CORE PILLARS - Tradition: One of three core pillars representing the district's foundational values
• CORE PILLARS - Innovation
• CORE PILLARS - Excellence

Products and services

• Newton Parrish Elementary School Elementary school in the Owensboro Public Schools district, serving K-5 students at 510 Byers Avenue in Owensboro, Kentucky. Reported academic outcomes include 40% reading proficient and 42% math proficient rates.
• Owensboro High School High school in the Owensboro Public Schools district, located at 1800 Frederica Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. Reported academic outcomes include 25% reading proficient, 27% math proficient, 14% distinguished reading, and 8% distinguished math rates.
• Owensboro Innovation Academy Innovation-focused academy at 2631 South Griffith Avenue in Owensboro, Kentucky, offering alternative educational programs within the Owensboro Public Schools district.
• iMiddle School Application-based middle school in the Owensboro Public Schools district, requiring online application for enrollment. Reported academic outcomes include 34% reading proficient, 30% distinguished reading, and 12% distinguished math rates.
• Owensboro Middle School Middle school in the Owensboro Public Schools district, located at 1300 Booth Avenue in Owensboro, Kentucky. Features an orchestra program. Reported academic outcomes include 22% reading proficient rate.
• Cravens Elementary School Elementary school at 2741 Cravens Avenue in Owensboro, Kentucky, with a mission to nurture life-long learning. Reported academic outcomes include 24% reading proficient and 7% math proficient rates.
• Emerson Academy Alternative school at 1335 West 11th Street in Owensboro, Kentucky, serving Owensboro area students through a non-traditional educational pathway within the district.
• Estes Elementary School Elementary school at 1675 Leitchfield Road in Owensboro, Kentucky. Reported academic outcomes include 29% reading proficient and 5% math proficient rates.
• Foust Elementary School Elementary school at 601 Foust Avenue in Owensboro, Kentucky. Reported academic outcomes include 37% reading proficient and 11% math proficient rates.
• Sutton Elementary School Elementary school at 2060 Lewis Lane in Owensboro, Kentucky. Reported academic outcomes include 32% reading proficient and 23% math proficient rates.
• Hager Preschool Preschool program at 1701 West 7th Street in Owensboro, Kentucky, serving early childhood education needs within the Owensboro Public Schools district.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Apptegy: Ed-tech vendor whose platform powers Owensboro's district website, online registration, and parent communication tools. Adjacent as a key technology partner enabling the district's digital infrastructure rather than a direct instructional competitor.

Direct peers

• Christian County Public Schools: Western Kentucky public school district with comparable enrollment size and a multi-school campus structure. Comparable on state accountability, academic programming, and operational scale.
• Daviess County Public Schools: Adjacent Kentucky public school district serving the same Owensboro metropolitan area with similar grade-level offerings and demographics. Directly comparable on funding model, scale, and academic reporting framework.
• Henderson County Schools: Western Kentucky public school district of comparable size operating K-12 schools under the same state funding and report-card framework. Comparable on instructional offerings, district size, and rural-Kentucky demographic profile.
• Hopkins County Schools: Neighboring Kentucky public school district with multiple elementary, middle, and high school campuses. Comparable in district size, governance structure, and reliance on state per-pupil funding.
• Bowling Green Independent Schools: Kentucky independent public school district serving Bowling Green with a similar K-12 campus footprint. Comparable in mission, funding model, and Kentucky Department of Education oversight.

Broad incumbents

• Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville): Largest public school district in Kentucky, operating a broad portfolio of K-12 schools plus magnet and alternative programs under the same state regulatory framework. Comparable on governance and instructional model but materially larger in scale and resources.
• Stride Learning (formerly K12 Inc): National online K-12 education provider and operator of virtual schools, including Stride Career Prep pathways. Comparable as a K-12 instructional provider but delivers learning entirely online versus Owensboro's physical-campus model.
• Fayette County Public Schools (Lexington): Large urban Kentucky public school district operating a wide range of elementary, middle, and high schools with magnet and specialty programs. Overlaps with Owensboro on core K-12 instructional offerings but is significantly larger and more diverse.

Emerging players

• KIPP Kentucky Schools: Charter school operator running public K-12 schools in Kentucky with a college-prep focus. Comparable as a K-12 public school option in the same state and represents a non-traditional alternative to traditional district schooling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OboroSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/OboroPublicSchools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 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 Owensboro Public Schools