Indian Community School

What Indian Community School does

Indian Community School (ICS) is a private, faith-based, nonprofit intertribal school incorporated in Wisconsin, USA, serving 360 Native American children from K4 through 8th grade for the 2025-2026 school year. Founded in 1969 by three Oneida mothers who withdrew their children from Milwaukee Public Schools to begin Indian-controlled education, the school operates from a 178+ acre campus at 10405 W St Martins Rd, Franklin, WI, and serves children representing 44 tribal nations in Wisconsin and other federally recognized tribes. Its core product is a unified K4-8 educational program that fuses standards-based academic curricula (Wit & Wisdom for ELA, Really Great Reading for foundational literacy, Bridges in Mathematics and Carnegie Mathematics, Amplify Science) with a proprietary cultural framework, the trademarked Our Ways Teaching and Learning Framework™, and instruction in four Native languages — Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe, and Oneida. Supporting programs include the Library and Makerspace, traditional drum and singing groups (Eagle Singers, Canary Singers, Earth Dance Singers), the Seven Sacred Gifts cultural framework, and seasonal Culture Camps covering wild rice gathering, deer hide preparation, and maple syrup production.

The underlying technology stack is conventional K-12 edtech: PowerSchool for student information and grade reporting, ClassLink for single sign-on, a 1:1 Chromebook program for grades 5-8, Follett Destiny for the library catalog, and OverDrive Sora for digital reading. Assessment is supported by Pearson aimswebPlus (three universal screenings per year) and NWEA MAP Growth (spring universal screener for grades K5-8). The school's intellectual property is concentrated in its proprietary Our Ways Teaching and Learning Framework™ (registered trademark) and its cultural programming, rather than in technology assets.

ICS's business model is a nonprofit, tuition-and-donation hybrid. Revenue is generated through enrollment fees and tuition (annual billing, pricing not publicly disclosed — families contact the school at (414) 525-6100) supplemented by grants, donations, and likely tribal support given its mission. Go-to-market is community-led: prospective K4 and K5 families are recruited through school open houses, direct enrollment, cultural events (Bear Moon Pow Wow, Winter Round Dance), community partnerships with tribal organizations (GLITC Elder Programs, Notah Begay Foundation), and digital presence across the ics-edu.org website, Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram. The school employs over 122 staff, including 58 instructional staff of whom 30 are classroom teachers, and is governed by a Board of Directors whose membership must meet tribal affiliation criteria per the school's Bylaws. Current leadership includes School Administrator Carrie McGhee Gleba (effective July 1, 2025), Principal Sariah Merryfield (appointed April 16, 2025), and incoming CFO Theresa (Tari) P. Blazei (effective May 4, 2026).

Name

Indian Community School

Legal name

Indian Community School

Website

https://ics-edu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Indian Community School is a private, faith-based nonprofit intertribal school in Franklin, Wisconsin serving 360 Native American children (K4 through 8th grade) from 44 tribal nations, combining standards-based academics with a proprietary cultural framework and instruction in four Native languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

Keywords

• Native American education
• Intertribal K-8 school
• Cultural language instruction
• Indigenous curriculum
• Private elementary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: As a private school serving Native children, enrollment fees and tuition support operations
2. Grants and Donations: The school likely receives funding through grants, donations, and potentially tribal support given its mission to serve Native children

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Indian Community School (ICS) is a private, faith-based intertribal school providing K4 through 8th grade education to Native American children in the metro Milwaukee area. The school delivers a unified academic program built around the proprietary Our Ways Teaching and Learning Framework™, integrating rigorous standards-based academics with Native language instruction in Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe, and Oneida, along with cultural programming on a 178+ acre campus.

Product overview

Indian Community School (ICS) is a private, faith-based intertribal school serving Native children in K4 through 8th grade. The school offers a unified educational program combining rigorous academics with cultural programming built around the proprietary Our Ways Teaching and Learning Framework™. The curriculum includes literacy programs (Get Set for School, Wit & Wisdom, Really Great Reading), mathematics (Bridges in Mathematics, Carnegie), and science (Amplify Science) alongside extensive Native language instruction in Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe, and Oneida. Cultural programs include the Library and Makerspace, Eagle/Canary Singers, Earth Dance Singers, Seven Sacred Gifts framework, and seasonal culture camps. The school emphasizes project-based learning, outdoor education, and language/cultural revitalization as the heart of its mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Our Ways Teaching and Learning Framework™ A culturally-grounded instructional framework developed by ICS to guide all teaching and learning activities, ensuring Native languages and cultures are integrated into classrooms and outdoor learning environments for K4-8 students.
• Native Language Programs (Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe, Oneida)

Quantifiable outcome

• Cognia Index of Educational Quality score of 358, significantly above the network average of 296
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CogniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal nonprofit improvement organization providing quality assurance for schools. ICS earned Cognia Accreditation with an exceptional Index of Educational Quality score of 358, demonstrating commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.
• GLITC Elder ProgramsminorOthersGreat Lakes Inter Tribal Council Elder Programs - served as feast sponsor for the 2nd Annual Winter Round Dance event
• Notah Begay FoundationminorOthersFeast sponsor for the 2nd Annual Winter Round Dance event at ICS
• Great Lakes Inter Tribal Elder ProgramsminorOthersCommunity sponsor supporting the 3rd Annual Bear Moon Pow Wow and Dance Specials
• Spotted Eagle, Inc.minorOthersCommunity sponsor supporting Bear Moon Pow Wow events
• First American Capital CorporationminorOthersCommunity sponsor supporting Bear Moon Pow Wow events
• First Nations StudiesminorOthersCommunity sponsor supporting Bear Moon Pow Wow events
• Strong Native MindsminorOthersCommunity sponsor supporting Bear Moon Pow Wow events
• UW-Milwaukee American Indian Student CenterminorOthersCommunity sponsor supporting Bear Moon Pow Wow events
• Goodeagle GourmetminorOthersIndigenous woman-owned business specializing in traditional foods that provides catering for school cultural events

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Native American Community Academy (NACA): A charter school in Albuquerque, NM serving primarily Native American students with a culturally-integrated curriculum and Indigenous language programming. Directly comparable to ICS in mission, student demographic, and emphasis on cultural identity alongside rigorous academics.
• American Indian Public Charter School (AIPCS): A charter school in Oakland, CA founded by Native American educators with an Indigenous-centered mission serving primarily Native American students. Comparable to ICS in cultural focus and Native demographic, though operates as a charter rather than a private institution.
• Sherman Indian High School: A Bureau of Indian Education residential high school in Riverside, CA serving Native American students from across the U.S. with a focus on cultural preservation alongside academics. Comparable to ICS in mission and demographic, though serves grades 9-12 rather than K-8.
• Circle of Nations School: A Bureau of Indian Education residential school in Wahpeton, ND serving Native American students grades 4-8 with cultural programming. Highly comparable to ICS in grade range (K-8), demographic, and emphasis on Indigenous cultural identity.
• Riverside Indian School: A Bureau of Indian Education residential school in Anadarko, OK serving Native American students K-12 with a focus on cultural identity and academic preparation. Comparable to ICS in serving Native students with culturally-grounded programming, though operated as a federal BIE institution rather than a private nonprofit.
• Flandreau Indian School: A Bureau of Indian Education residential school in Flandreau, SD serving Native American students grades 9-12. Comparable to ICS in mission, demographic, and cultural emphasis, though a federal BIE institution rather than a private nonprofit school.
• American Indian Heritage School: A private, nonprofit K-8 school in Wichita, KS founded and operated by Native American community members to serve Indigenous students with cultural and academic programming. Closely comparable to ICS in nonprofit structure, K-8 grade range, cultural mission, and community-governance model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICSMilwaukee
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICSeduorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/icsmilwaukee

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Indian Community School