Kidsville News

What Kidsville News does

Kidsville News is a privately held, non-profit educational newspaper founded in 1998 and headquartered in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It produces a monthly tabloid publication designed for K-6 grade readers that promotes education, reading, and character development through recurring branded features such as 'Letter From Truman', 'Conservation Corner', 'Cool Kind Kid', and 'Space Place'. The product is delivered as a turn-key package to local publishers under a franchise/licensing model: publishers pay monthly licensing fees (starting at $750, territory-based) to print and distribute Kidsville News in exclusive geographic territories at no cost to end readers.

The company's underlying technology is a lightweight digital publishing stack built around a WordPress-based website (kidsvillenews.com), a 'Flip'-style online edition with hyperlinks, and electronic subscriptions that are free to users. Supporting components include teacher/parent worksheets bundled with each issue, an interactive website, and local Circulation Verification (CVC) audits supplied to publishers. There is no proprietary AI/ML capability, no mobile app, and no public API; the competitive differentiation rests on the editorial content library and institutional validation rather than technology. Distribution runs through licensed local publishers who rack copies at schools, libraries, museums, theatres, YMCAs, after-school programs, and summer camps.

The go-to-market is a B2B channel-partner motion targeting prospective publishers rather than end readers. The publication is currently used by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for reading assessments and end-of-grade testing, and has received the National Parents' Choice Award in 2008 and 2012. Customer segments include K-6 students (primary), educators and teachers (primary), parents and guardians (secondary), and community organizations that distribute the publication (secondary). Revenue is generated entirely from publisher licensing fees; the company does not charge subscribers, does not have disclosed investors, and operates with 1-10 employees.

Name

Kidsville News

Legal name

Kidsville News

Website

https://kidsvillenews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kidsville News is a non-profit publisher of a free monthly educational newspaper for K-6 grade students, licensed to local publishers who pay territory-based monthly fees and distribute it to schools, libraries, and community organizations across the Southeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Educational Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Children's educational newspaper
• Literacy publishing
• Franchise publishing
• Classroom reading resources
• K-6 educational content

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Publisher Licensing Fees: Local publishers pay monthly licensing fees to operate Kidsville News in their territories. Fees vary based on territory size, population, and number of K-6 children in the territory. This is the primary revenue stream for the franchised newspaper operation.
2. Free Distribution with Free Subscriptions: The newspaper is distributed free to end users (schools, libraries, families) and electronic subscriptions are also free. Revenue is generated entirely from publisher licensing rather than reader subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kidsville News publishes a free monthly educational newspaper for children in grades K-6, promoting reading, education, and good character traits. The company licenses the publication and its branded content (including an interactive online edition, teacher/parent worksheets, and local circulation audits) to local publishers who distribute the paper free to schools, libraries, and community locations in their territories. Licensing fees start at $750 per month and the end product is delivered free to readers.

Product overview

Kidsville News! is a single, unified product offering centered on a free monthly children's literacy and educational newspaper for grades K-6. The product consists of a print tabloid edition distributed to schools, libraries, and community locations, alongside a complementary electronic online edition with hyperlinks optimized for classroom whiteboards and tablets. Supporting components include Teacher/Parent Worksheets, an interactive website, flip-style digital editions, and local circulation audits. The publication is available as a free-standing resource, educational insert, or special section, and is licensed to regional publishers. The program is backed by over 20 years of success and includes Truman the dragon as its mascot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kidsville News! Print Edition A monthly tabloid newspaper promoting education, reading, and good character traits for children in grades K-6, distributed free to schools, libraries, museums, theatres, YMCAs, after-school programs, and summer camps by licensed local publishers.
• Kidsville News! Online Edition Electronic online version of the publication with hyperlinks, adaptable for use on classroom smart boards, white boards, computers, and tablets; available via free electronic subscription.
• Publisher Licensing Program Territory-based franchise offering that licenses the Kidsville News! brand, content, worksheets, online edition, and CVC audits to local publishers for a starting monthly fee of $750, with pricing varying by territory size, population, and number of K-6 children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized as quality children's publication by Parents' Choice Foundation with National Parents' Choice Award in 2008 and 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Courier JournalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Courier Journal in Louisville, Kentucky has been publishing Kidsville News monthly for almost 14 school years, with the first issue coming off the press in October 2006. This represents one of the longest-running local publisher relationships.
• North Carolina Department of Public InstructionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe North Carolina Department of Public Instruction uses Kidsville News for reading assessments and end-of-grade testing. This institutional adoption provides significant credibility and validates the publication's educational effectiveness.
• Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARCA research identified Colbert and Lauderdale Counties in Alabama as the only counties in the state with the reading and learning resource of Kidsville News, demonstrating community impact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Week Junior: The Week Junior is a weekly news magazine aimed at children aged 8-14, with classroom and family distribution. A direct news-for-kids competitor in the same content category that Kidsville News serves.
• TIME for Kids: TIME for Kids produces grade-level news magazines for K-6 classrooms, combining current events with curriculum-aligned content. Same classroom-newspaper category, same K-6 audience, and same teacher-driven distribution as Kidsville News.
• Studies Weekly: Studies Weekly (successor to Weekly Reader) publishes standards-aligned weekly periodicals adopted by school districts across many US states. Competes for the same classroom-instructional time and educator budget that Kidsville News targets.
• Scholastic News: Scholastic publishes classroom magazines/newspapers (Scholastic News, SuperScience) for K-6 students, distributed through teachers and schools with subscription-based access. Directly comparable product, audience, and classroom-distribution model to Kidsville News.
• Smithsonian TweenTribune: Smithsonian's TweenTribune provides age-appropriate news content for classroom use, originally launched with a newspaper-style format. Competes for the same teacher adoption and reading-instruction use case as Kidsville News.

Emerging players

• News-O-Matic: News-O-Matic is a daily digital children's news product used in K-6 classrooms, with interactive features and assessment tools. Represents the digital-native competition that Kidsville News would face as schools move away from print.

Broad incumbents

• Cricket Media: Cricket Media publishes a portfolio of children's magazines (Cricket, Cobblestone, Ask, Click) covering science, history, and culture for K-6 readers. Overlaps in audience and educational publishing mission but is a broader magazine portfolio.
• Highlights for Children: Highlights is a long-established children's reading brand with magazines, books, and digital products for the same K-6 demographic. A broader incumbent in children's educational content rather than a direct classroom newspaper competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Kidsville-News/59118583754
• Xx.com/kidsvillenewslv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kidsville News