What Explore Schools does

Explore Schools Inc. is a nonprofit charter school network founded in 2002 that operates six free public charter schools serving approximately 1,600 to 1,700 students in kindergarten through 8th grade across Central Brooklyn. Its schools span three campuses — Explore, Empower, and Excel — each with a lower (K-4/K-5) and upper (grades 5-8/6-8) school located in Flatbush, Crown Heights, and Canarsie within Community School Districts 17 and 18. The network is governed by two Boards of Trustees and is independently authorized as a public charter school rather than part of the NYC Department of Education.

The educational product is a Common Core-aligned curriculum that pairs Expeditionary Learning and Core Knowledge for English language arts in grades K-2 with the AF Navigators mathematics program across K-8, supplemented by Math Stories in early elementary. Instruction uses an integrated co-teaching model in K-5 and an extended school day delivering 25% more instructional time than traditional public schools, with weekly enrichment in art, music, dance, and physical education. Specialized services include high school placement counseling, integrated co-teaching, SETSS, and 12:1:1 services for students with IEPs, plus multilingual learner support. Enrollment is managed through the third-party SchoolMint platform, with admissions preferences for siblings, residents of CSD 17 and 18, and staff children.

The business model is public funding: as a nonprofit charter school network, Explore Schools charges no tuition and is funded through state-authorized per-pupil allocations, supplemented by federal title funds, special education reimbursement, and private donations. Reported outcomes include outperforming NYC averages by 5 percentage points in ELA and 9 percentage points in math (2025 school year), with 87% of graduates attending college-preparatory high schools and over 1,200 alumni to date. The organization is led by CEO Karen Annette Francois and staffed by approximately 350 employees.

Name

Explore Schools

Legal name

Explore Schools Inc.

Website

https://exploreschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Explore Schools is a nonprofit charter school network operating six free public K-8 schools across Central Brooklyn, serving roughly 1,700 students through state-authorized per-pupil funding and college-preparatory instruction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-8 public schools
• Elementary and middle schools
• College preparatory education
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Explore Schools operates as a network of free public charter schools funded through public means, authorized by the state. No tuition is charged to attend. Schools also offer free breakfast and lunch to all students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Explore Schools operates a network of six free public charter schools serving approximately 1,700 students in kindergarten through 8th grade across Central Brooklyn (Flatbush, Crown Heights, and Canarsie). The network delivers rigorous, Common Core-aligned academic programs with extended instructional days (25% more than traditional public schools), integrated co-teaching in K-5, weekly enrichment classes in art, music, dance, and physical education, individualized high school placement counseling, and full special education and multilingual learner support. Enrollment is managed centrally through SchoolMint.

Product overview

Explore Schools is a network of 6 free public charter schools serving approximately 1,600+ students in kindergarten through 8th grade across Central Brooklyn. The network operates 3 lower schools (K-5/K-4) in Flatbush, Crown Heights, and Canarsie, and 3 upper schools (grades 5-8/6-8) serving the same neighborhoods. The educational offering includes rigorous, inclusive Common Core-aligned academic programs delivered through co-teaching models, extended school days providing 25% more instructional time, and comprehensive enrichment activities including art, music, dance, and physical education. The network provides specialized curriculum programs including Expeditionary Learning and Core Knowledge for ELA (K-2), AF Navigators for mathematics (K-8), and Math Stories for early elementary numeracy. Additional services include high school placement counseling, special education support (co-teaching, SETSS, 12:1:1 services), and multilingual learner support. Enrollment is managed through SchoolMint, with applications accepted for K-8 for the 2026-27 school year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Explore Lower School Network flagship K-5 public charter school in Flatbush, Brooklyn (CSD 17), serving approximately 335 students with Common Core-aligned curricula, weekly enrichment in art, music, and physical education, and 25% more instructional time than traditional public schools.
• Empower Lower School K-5 public charter school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (CSD 17), serving approximately 280 students with Common Core-aligned curricula and an extended school day offering 25% more instructional time.
• Excel Lower School K-4 public charter school in Canarsie, Brooklyn (CSD 18), serving approximately 300 students, emphasizing joyful learning with year-round science instruction and weekly music, art, and PE, supporting students with IEPs through integrated co-teaching, SETSS, and 12:1:1 services.
• Explore Upper School Serves students in grades 6-8 in Flatbush, Brooklyn (CSD 17) with approximately 220 students, offering weekly enrichment in art, dance, music, and physical education, with lessons balancing structure and independence.
• Empower Upper School Serves students in grades 6-8 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (CSD 17) with approximately 205 students, featuring a High School Placement Coordinator who works with each 8th grader to find college-preparatory high schools aligned to their interests and needs.
• Excel Upper School Serves students in grades 5-8 in Canarsie, Brooklyn (CSD 18) with approximately 325 students, emphasizing warm, trusting relationships and community engagement, offering weekly enrichment in art, physical education, and technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Outperforms NYC averages by 5 percentage points in ELA and 9 percentage points in Math
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Success Academy Charter Schools: Success Academy Charter Schools is a large New York City charter network serving grades K-12 and competing for families in the same city. It is directly comparable in charter-school model, grade span, and outcome-oriented positioning.
• Uncommon Schools: Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit charter management organization operating public schools in several urban markets, including New York City. Its K-8 and high-school mix, public funding model, and intensive college-preparatory approach closely match Explore's operating model.
• Achievement First: Achievement First is a nonprofit charter network with schools in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island and a college-preparatory mission. Its multi-site school operations and focus on historically underserved students make it a close business-model peer.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: Democracy Prep Public Schools operates public charter campuses in New York and other Northeast communities, serving students from elementary through high school. Its nonprofit, college-preparatory network structure is similar to Explore's.
• KIPP Public Schools: KIPP Public Schools operates a national nonprofit charter-school network serving predominantly underserved students, with elementary, middle, and high-school campuses. Its public-charter, college-preparatory operating model and mission-led enrollment make it directly comparable to Explore Schools.
• Ascend Public Schools: Ascend Public Schools operates charter schools in Brooklyn and the surrounding New York City market, with elementary, middle, and high-school offerings. It is a local direct peer for the same families and community-led enrollment motion.
• Brooklyn Prospect Charter School: Brooklyn Prospect Charter School is a Brooklyn-based public charter school organization serving grades across the K-12 spectrum. Its local footprint, college-preparatory focus, and charter operating model make it a useful neighborhood-level peer.

Regional players

• Rocketship Public Schools: Rocketship Public Schools is a nonprofit charter management network focused on elementary education in underserved communities. It is comparable in product and delivery model, although its primary operating footprint is outside New York.

Others

• Harlem Children's Zone: Harlem Children's Zone combines a charter-school network with broader education, family-support, and community programs. The charter-school portion overlaps with Explore, while the wider social-service mission makes it an ecosystem peer rather than a direct operator.

Broad incumbents

• New Visions for Public Schools: New Visions for Public Schools is an established New York City nonprofit education organization that supports and operates a broad portfolio of public schools. It is a useful adjacent incumbent for benchmarking public-school partnerships and network-level education services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Explore Schools