Paradise school

What Paradise school does

Paradise Schools is a nonprofit, A-rated public charter school organization operating under the legal entity Paragon Management, Inc. in Surprise, Arizona. Founded in 1998, it serves more than 2,800 K-12 students across three campuses: Paradise Honors Elementary School (K-5), Paradise Honors Middle School (6-8), and Paradise Honors High School (9-12). The organization has consistently received an 'A' rating from the Arizona Department of Education and is authorized by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. Its student body is served by an integrated technology stack spanning PowerSchool for student information, ParentSquare for family communication, Savvas/MyPerspectives for ELA curriculum, Parchment for transcripts, eFunds for fee and tuition payments, and Applitrack for HR, supported by Chromebooks for student use and Centegix for campus safety alerting.

The academic portfolio is broader than a standard K-12 charter offering, including Advanced Placement courses, dual and concurrent enrollment with Rio Salado Community College (at $97/credit plus a $15 registration fee), West-MEC career and technical education pathways (Business Management, Engineering, Graphic Design, Law & Public Safety, Sports Medicine), three structured graduation pathways (Associates, College Bound, Career Bound), and a required community service graduation component. Extracurricular surface area is wide, with athletics, performing arts (theater, choir, dance, marching band, color guard), honor societies, and student council. Academic support is delivered through a structured 'Prowler Hour' remediation and enrichment block.

The business model is tuition-free, with the revenue base anchored to Arizona per-pupil public charter funding. Ancillary, fee-based revenue streams supplement state funding: meal services at $3.70 per lunch, bus transportation at $225-$450 per year, $60 annual parking passes, club and activity fees of $25-$300, and Arizona school tax credit donations. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer enrollment through the school website and campus tours, with awareness driven by an owned digital presence across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Customer concentration on the demand side is low (distributed across 2,800+ families) but the payer side is essentially a single state funding source, which is the dominant financial risk in the model.

Name

Paradise school

Legal name

Paragon Management, Inc.

Website

https://paradiseschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paradise Schools is a nonprofit, A-rated public charter organization in Surprise, Arizona, serving 2,800+ K-12 students across three campuses (elementary, middle, high) with tuition-free education, AP and dual enrollment options, and CTE programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Surprise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school, Paradise Schools receives per-pupil state funding based on enrollment. This is the primary revenue source supporting school operations.
2. Tax Credit Donations: The school accepts tax credit donations through Arizona's school tax credit program, allowing taxpayers to redirect state tax liability to qualified schools.
3. Meal Services: Hot and cold lunch options offered daily at $3.70 per lunch, with additional a la carte items available.
4. Transportation Services: Optional bus transportation between campuses: PHES & PHMS AM/PM route at $450/year or $225/semester; PHHS AM route at $240/year or $120/semester
5. Parking Passes: Student parking passes available for $60 per school year, limited availability assigned on first-come, first-served basis
6. Club and Activity Fees: Various clubs and activities charge annual or semester fees ranging from $25-$300 (e.g., National Honor Society $25/semester, Marching Band $300, various clubs $30/year)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paradise Schools provides tuition-free K-12 public charter school education across three campuses in Surprise, Arizona, serving over 2,800 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Its core offering includes standards-aligned core academics, Advanced Placement courses, dual and concurrent enrollment with Rio Salado Community College, Career and Technical Education via West-MEC, and a comprehensive extracurricular program encompassing athletics, performing arts, clubs, and community service.

Product overview

Paradise Schools is a nonprofit A-rated charter school organization established in 1998, serving over 2,800 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade across three campuses: Paradise Honors Elementary School (K-5), Paradise Honors Middle School (6-8), and Paradise Honors High School (9-12). The organization offers a comprehensive educational portfolio including core academic instruction aligned with Arizona standards, Advanced Placement courses, dual/concurrent enrollment partnerships with Rio Salado Community College, and West-MEC career and technical education programs. Beyond academics, Paradise Schools provides extensive extracurricular offerings including athletics, fine arts (theater, choir, dance, band), CTE programs, clubs, and community service requirements. The district utilizes integrated technology platforms including PowerSchool for student information management, ParentSquare for family communication, Parchment for transcript services, and eFunds for payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paradise Honors Elementary School (PHES) Tuition-free public charter elementary school serving Kindergarten through 5th grade students, providing foundational academics, technology integration, and extracurricular activities in a safe, caring environment.
• Paradise Honors Middle School (PHMS) Public charter middle school serving 6th through 8th grade students, offering academic rigor, extracurricular involvement, and preparation for high school.
• Paradise Honors High School (PHHS) Award-winning public charter high school serving grades 9-12, offering rigorous college-preparatory curriculum including AP courses, dual enrollment, CTE programs, athletics, and performing arts.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Courses College-level courses offered through the College Board partnership, allowing students to take AP exams for potential college credit with scores of 3 or higher, focused on critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving.
• Dual Enrollment and Concurrent Enrollment Partnership with Rio Salado Community College enabling students to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. Dual enrollment classes are taught by Paradise Schools teachers; concurrent courses are taught by Rio Salado instructors. Priced at $97 per credit plus $15 registration fee per semester.
• West-MEC Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs Career and technical education programs offered in partnership with West-MEC at partner campuses, providing industry certifications, college credit, and internships in fields such as Business Management, Engineering and Robotics, Graphic Design, Law and Public Safety, and Sports Medicine.
• Athletics Programs Comprehensive athletic program featuring traditional high school sports including football, softball, cheer, pom, track, and other competitive sports, with state-of-the-art facilities and fields and ticketing via the GoFan platform.
• Performing Arts Programs Fine arts offerings including theater productions (Paradise Onstage!), choir, dance, marching band, color guard, and technical theater classes with regular performances and productions.
• Graduation Pathways Three graduation pathways offered at Paradise Honors High School: Associates Degree Pathway, College Bound Pathway, and Career Bound Pathway, allowing students to tailor their high school experience to post-secondary goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Consistent A-rating from Arizona Department of Education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rio Salado Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allows students to take dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment classes. Dual enrollment classes are taught by Paradise Schools teachers qualified to teach at the college level; concurrent courses are taught by Rio Salado instructors. Students earn both high school and college credit.
• West-MECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest-MEC Central Programs offer Career and Technical Education programs. Students can earn industry certification, college credit, and internships through these programs. Available programs include Business Management, Engineering, Graphic Design, Law & Public Safety, and Sports Medicine.
• College BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides Advanced Placement courses and AP testing. Students can take AP tests to potentially earn college credit with scores of 3 or higher.
• Project Lead the WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum provider for career-focused education.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationMain communication platform for Paradise Schools. Used for daily announcements, school events, important reminders, and classroom updates from teachers to parents.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System used for grades, attendance, and assignments. Accessible to parents and students through parent and student portals.
• Arizona Department of Public SafetyminorOthersProvides IVP fingerprint clearance card processing for employment purposes. Staff must obtain fingerprint clearance as required for charter school personnel.
• ASBCS (Arizona State Board for Charter Schools)coreOthersOversees charter school performance and accountability. Paradise Schools maintains A-rating through ASBCS oversight.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Leadership Academy: Arizona-based K-12 charter network operating multiple campuses across the Phoenix metro and surrounding areas. Directly comparable to Paradise Schools in geographic market, tuition-free model, and college-preparatory mission.
• Legacy Traditional Schools: Large Arizona-based charter network with multiple campuses across the Phoenix metro and beyond, serving K-8 (and expanding). Comparable to Paradise Schools in geographic market, tuition-free charter model, and standardized curriculum approach.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Arizona-headquartered K-12 charter school network consistently ranked among the top public schools nationally. Directly comparable to Paradise Schools as a tuition-free Arizona charter operator serving K-12 with college-prep focus, though BASIS operates more campuses and broader programs.
• Great Hearts Academies: Network of tuition-free charter schools across Arizona (and Texas) operating K-12 classical liberal arts campuses. Directly comparable to Paradise Schools in target market (AZ), tuition-free model, multi-campus K-12 structure, and college-prep mission.
• EdKey (Sequoia Schools): Arizona-based nonprofit charter school operator with multiple campuses across the Phoenix metro. Comparable to Paradise Schools as an in-market charter operator serving K-12 students with public funding.
• Imagine Schools: National charter school network with a strong Arizona presence including campuses in the Phoenix metro. Comparable to Paradise Schools as a tuition-free K-12 charter operator in the same regional market.

Others

• National Charter Schools Institute: Industry/sector organization supporting charter school authorizers and operators nationally. Relevant to Paradise Schools as a regulatory ecosystem partner and comparable governance/oversight resource for the charter sector.
• Rio Salado Community College: Arizona community college partner offering dual/concurrent enrollment courses for Paradise Schools high school students. Comparable as a postsecondary education provider in the same AZ ecosystem and a strategic partner rather than competitor.
• Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS): State regulatory body authorizing and overseeing Arizona charter schools including Paradise Schools. Not a peer operator but the key regulatory counterparty whose oversight framework directly governs Paradise Schools' operating license and accountability ratings.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Public Schools: One of the largest national charter networks operating K-12 schools across many states. Comparable to Paradise Schools in mission (college-prep for underserved families), tuition-free charter model, and multi-campus structure, though KIPP operates at much greater scale and in different markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/paradisehonors?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQvanzZGkDqWK4kefUtsf6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ParadiseHonorsHighSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/paradisehonors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paradise-schools

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Paradise school