Tulsa School Of Arts And Sciences

What Tulsa School Of Arts And Sciences does

Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences (TSAS) is a tuition-free independent public charter school operating at 1202 W Easton St, Tulsa, Oklahoma, serving grades 6-12 under a charter with Tulsa Public Schools. Founded in 2001 by four public high school teachers, the school delivers a college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum built around an 18:1 average student-teacher ratio, a full-inclusion special education model, and four differentiated graduation pathways (Houses) — Career & College, Fine Arts, STEM, and Liberal Arts — all aligned to Oklahoma's Promise scholarship requirements. Upperclassmen complete a Capstone Project that places classroom learning in real-world settings, and the school supplements core academics with competitive and performing extracurriculars (Speech and Debate, Quiz Bowl, Volleyball, Jazz Band, Basketball) plus a student-led clubs program. Student demographics reflect Tulsa broadly: 50% on free or reduced lunch, 58% students of color, and enrollment drawing from every city zip code and 40 feeder schools.

The business model is publicly funded and operationally constrained: TSAS receives federal and state per-pupil tax dollar allocations for public education and charges no tuition, with supplemental revenue raised through the Friends of TSAS foundation, the TSAS Foundation for Academic Excellence, partnerships (Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation), and a GiveButter donation channel. The technology stack is commodity — Google Workspace for cloud productivity, BambooHR for HR, SchoolInsight for gradebook and SIS, TalkingPoints for family engagement, Parchment for transcripts, and the EnrollTulsa lottery platform for admissions — with no proprietary platform, AI/ML feature, or external developer surface. Distribution is direct-to-family through the EnrollTulsa lottery, with no proprietary technology moat.

Governance is exercised through a Board of Trustees chaired by Dr. Emily Mortimer (also VP Ecosystems at Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and adjunct at Oklahoma State University); Dr. Liesa Smith serves as Head of School and Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Dan Hahn as Principal since 2011, Catherine Denton as Director of Operations, Daniel Sharples as Community Development Director, and Adriana Lopez as Director of Student Information Systems. Faculty retention is 95% annually with no unfilled teaching role in school history. Recognition includes the 2015 U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School designation and the 2026 TulsaKids Family Favorites finalist award.

Name

Tulsa School Of Arts And Sciences

Legal name

Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences

Website

https://tsas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences is a tuition-free independent public charter school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, serving grades 6-12 through a lottery enrollment system with an 18:1 student-teacher ratio and a college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum organized around four differentiated graduation pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• College preparatory education
• Liberal arts curriculum
• Middle high school education
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school, TSAS receives funding through federal and state tax dollars allocated for public education. The school operates as an independent public charter with non-selective enrollment and no tuition charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TSAS provides tuition-free college-preparatory education for grades 6-12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, delivered through a liberal arts curriculum with an 18:1 student-teacher ratio. The school organizes learning around four differentiated Houses graduation pathways (Career & College, Fine Arts, STEM, and Liberal Arts) and culminates with a Senior Capstone Project for upperclassmen. Supporting services include counseling, special education (full-inclusion model), extracurricular activities, clubs, and free or reduced meal programs.

Product overview

Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences (TSAS) is an independent public charter school serving grades 6-12, founded in 2001. The school operates as a unified educational platform consisting of a college-preparatory curriculum delivered through a liberal arts framework, supplemented by the Houses System (four differentiated graduation pathways: Career & College, Fine Arts, STEM, and Liberal Arts) and a Capstone Project program for upperclassmen. The school maintains a 18:1 student-teacher ratio and provides extensive student support services including counseling, special education (full-inclusion model), and diverse extracurricular activities including sports, performing arts, and academic competitions. TSAS operates on a lottery-based enrollment system and has never had an unfilled teaching position in its history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Houses System A four-pathway system (Career & College, Fine Arts, STEM, and Liberal Arts) offering differentiated graduation plans tailored to students' future goals, all meeting Oklahoma's Promise scholarship requirements. Each House provides specialized courses aligned to student interests and career aspirations.
• Senior Capstone Project A culminating upperclassman experience allowing students to practice classroom learning in real-world settings through university courses, internships, jobs, or self-directed research, culminating in a public Capstone Presentation.
• College Preparatory Curriculum (Grades 6-12) A liberal arts-based college preparatory curriculum with rigorous academic classes, averaging an 18:1 student-teacher ratio, designed to develop lifelong learners who succeed in higher education, work, and life.
• Extracurricular Activities Program Competitive and performing extracurricular activities including Speech and Debate, Quiz Bowl, Volleyball, Jazz Band, and Basketball, with additional activities added regularly for TSAS students.
• Clubs Program Student-led clubs available for the school year, with a proposal process for starting new clubs, offering diverse interests and activities beyond the classroom.
• Student Support Services Comprehensive support including universal instructional support, counseling services, Section 504 accommodations, special education services, health services, and restorative justice practices within a full-inclusion educational model.

Quantifiable outcome

• At or above local, state, and national levels on standardized and non-standardized metrics of academic success
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Diverse Charter Schools CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coalition supporting diverse charter schools. TSAS is listed as a member, indicating alignment with the coalition's mission of promoting equity and inclusion in charter school education.
• Oklahoma Public School Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level organization providing support and resources to Oklahoma public schools. TSAS maintains membership indicating shared commitment to public education excellence.
• TSAS Foundation for Academic ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated foundation (Friends of TSAS) supporting the school's mission through fundraising, parent involvement, and community advocacy. This is TSAS's primary affiliated foundation.
• Tulsa Regional Stem AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional STEM ecosystem organization. TSAS Board President Dr. Emily Mortimer serves as Vice President of Ecosystems for TRSA, creating a natural partnership alignment.
• Tulsa Technology CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer advisory and vocational training center. Board member Webster Wortham is part of career advisory management staff, facilitating potential partnerships for career and college pathways.
• CAP TulsaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization focused on early childhood education and family support. Board Vice President Cricket Moore works as Benefits Coordinator at CAP Tulsa.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Uncommon Schools: A nonprofit charter management organization running college-preparatory public schools in multiple states, with a strong track record of college matriculation for low-income students. Comparable to TSAS in mission, demographics, and emphasis on rigorous academics and culture.
• BASIS Charter Schools: A national charter network known for rigorous, college-preparatory academics with high graduation and college placement rates. Like TSAS, BASIS emphasizes a liberal arts STEM-rich curriculum, small-school culture, and demand that routinely exceeds available seats, making it the closest national analog to TSAS's model.
• Achievement First: A charter network operating college-prep schools with extended hours and a clear culture of high expectations. Shares TSAS's emphasis on college readiness for students of color and a structured school culture, though operating at a much larger scale.
• Lighthouse Academy (Tulsa): Another Tulsa public charter school serving a similar student demographic. Competes for the same families navigating the EnrollTulsa lottery and serves as a local benchmark for charter performance and parental choice within the Tulsa market.
• Tulsa Honor Academy: A Tulsa-based public charter school serving grades 6-12 with a college-preparatory mission and a diverse student body. Directly competes with TSAS in the same geographic market and lottery-based enrollment ecosystem, sharing donor pools and applicant families.

Broad incumbents

• National Heritage Academies: A charter management organization running a large portfolio of public charter schools across multiple states, including Oklahoma. Provides a useful comparison for the operational scale, back-office infrastructure, and governance of multi-site charter networks that TSAS could evolve into.
• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): One of the largest public charter networks in the U.S., founded on a college-prep mission for underserved students. While KIPP operates at much greater scale, it shares TSAS's focus on college readiness, structured culture, and high-need demographics, making it a useful scale benchmark for evaluating growth options.
• IDEA Public Schools: A large nonprofit charter network operating college-preparatory schools serving predominantly students of color and low-income families. Like TSAS, IDEA emphasizes college graduation as a primary outcome and runs a structured, data-driven academic program.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: A high-performing urban charter network consistently posting top-tier standardized test results and running admissions lotteries with far more applicants than seats. The brand recognition, demand intensity, and academic results are structurally similar to TSAS's reputation in Tulsa.

Regional players

• Booker T. Washington High School (Tulsa Public Schools): Tulsa's public magnet high school with a similar liberal arts, college-preparatory focus and a long-standing reputation for academic excellence in the same market. As the most prominent public college-prep school in Tulsa, it is the closest direct competitor for the same pool of high-achieving, college-bound families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tsas.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/tsas_918
• Xx.com/tsasdotorg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tulsa School Of Arts And Sciences