Choice Schools Associates

What Choice Schools Associates does

Choice Schools Associates is a for-profit, private, second-generation family-owned education management company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Wyoming, Michigan. The company provides comprehensive charter school management services — including operations, payroll, benefits, HR, compliance, and board governance support — to 16+ charter school partners across Michigan, serving nearly 6,200 students through a network of approximately 500 teachers and support staff. Choice Schools operates four distinct academic models (Montessori, Environmental, Scholar, and Classical) and is recognized as the third-largest and most comprehensive education service provider serving charter schools in the United States.

Name

Choice Schools Associates

Legal name

Choice Schools Associates, LLC

Website

https://choiceschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Choice Schools Associates is a Wyoming, Michigan-based education management company providing comprehensive charter school operations, HR, and compliance services to 16+ charter schools across Michigan, serving nearly 6,200 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Management Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

Keywords

• Charter school management
• Education service provider
• School administration services
• Charter school operations
• Education management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Wyoming

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charter School Management Fees: Choice Schools acts as the superintendent's office for partner charter schools, providing a full range of functions including finance, compliance, marketing, human resources, curriculum, and professional development. Revenue is generated through management services agreements with academy boards across multiple schools.
2. Per-School Management Service Contracts: Choice Schools commits resources and staff to serve the mission, goals, and objectives of each Academy Board, with each partner school generating recurring management fee revenue. Includes services for self-managed schools, schools seeking new management, and new charter school start-ups.
3. Specialized Compliance and Federal Programs Services: Director of State and Federal Programs manages Title I, Title II, 31A, school improvement documentation, homeless populations, and compliance with state and federal requirements—driving additional fee-based services tied to federal grants and state-level programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Choice Schools Associates is a charter school education management company that acts as the full-service superintendent's office for partner charter school boards. It delivers comprehensive back-office and instructional support across human resources, communications, finance, governance, legal and compliance, instructional programs, school culture, and school operations, serving a network of 16+ managed charter school partners across Michigan under Montessori, Environmental, Scholar, and Classical academic models.

Product overview

Choice Schools Associates delivers its offering as a service-based portfolio rather than a single SaaS product: a charter school management platform organized around eight functional service modules (Human Resources, Communications, Finance, Governance, Legal & Compliance, Instructional Programs, School Culture, and School Operations) that together form a complete "superintendent's office" for partner charter schools. This central-office service platform supports a network of 16+ managed school partners, including Battle Creek Montessori Academy, Benton Harbor Charter School Academy, Bradford Academy, Creative Montessori Academy, Dove Academy of Detroit, Founders Grove Classical Academy, Four Corners Montessori Academy, Invictus Classical Academy, Ivywood Classical Academy, Kingsbury Country Day School, Livingston Classical Academy, Macomb Montessori Academy, Muskegon Montessori Academy for Environmental Change, New Branches Charter Academy, Three Oaks Public School Academy, West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science, and Will Carleton Academy, organized around four instructional models (Montessori, environmental, scholar, and classical). The service modules work together as an integrated management solution: Finance and HR feed payroll/benefits/compliance, Communications drives marketing/parent engagement, and Instructional Programs (including the Director of Literacy and Director of Classical Education) deliver curriculum and academic support to each model. Choice Schools also operates internal recognition programs (Choice Champions and Power of One) and an employee benefits program that support its network of nearly 500 teachers and central-office staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charter School Management Services Comprehensive full-service charter school management in which Choice Schools acts as the superintendent's office for partner charter school boards, covering curriculum, compliance, finance, human resources, instruction, operations, marketing, governance, and school culture. Customized to each school's unique mission and academic model.
• Human Resources Services Centralized HR management for partner charter schools covering onboarding, talent acquisition, payroll and benefits administration, employee relations, compliance, and HR policy development delivered by the central office HR team.
• Finance Services School financial management including budgeting, grant management, financial reporting, external audit facilitation, payroll processing oversight, accounting, pupil accounting, enrollment processes, attendance tracking, and customer service support.
• Governance Services Board governance and compliance oversight for all Choice Academies, providing guidance and operational support to academy boards of directors through the Director of Compliance & Board Governance.
• Legal & Compliance Services Legal guidance and compliance support for charter school partners covering state and federal regulatory requirements (Title I, Title II, 31A, school improvement documentation, homeless populations), managed by the compliance leadership team.
• Instructional Programs Curriculum development, instruction, mentoring, professional development, communication of Character Choices, preschool program support, curriculum analysis, testing support, data analysis, and Teacher/Administrator Evaluation compliance. Includes specialized literacy and classical education program leadership.
• School Operations Day-to-day operational support including facilities management, safety initiatives, operational efficiency, transportation logistics, and meal services for partner schools.
• Communications Services Marketing, branding, social media, storytelling, and parent/community engagement support for charter school partners, led by the Chief Communications Officer with the Director of Communications, Director of Marketing, Marketing Coordinator, and Communications Coordinator.
• Founders Grove Classical Academy K-5 classical public charter school in Midland, MI, authorized by Central Michigan University, established and managed by Choice Schools in 2025. Mission to promote academic excellence with a classical and virtuous foundation.
• Ivywood Classical Academy K-10 classical public charter school in Plymouth, MI, offering a virtues-based, content-rich classical education with Latin language integration. Established and managed by Choice Schools since 2019.
• Livingston Classical Academy K-12 classical public charter school in Whitmore Lake, MI, authorized by Whitmore Lake Public Schools. Established in 2015, educates youth on founding principles to pursue a virtuous life of happiness and excellence.
• Will Carleton Academy K-12 tuition-free public charter school in Hillsdale, MI on 36 acres, authorized by Hillsdale ISD. Founded in 1998, managed by Choice Schools since 2018.
• Battle Creek Montessori Academy PreK-8 Montessori public charter school in Springfield, MI, authorized by Ferris State University. Established and managed by Choice Schools since 2012.
• Benton Harbor Charter School Academy PreK-8 public charter school in Benton Harbor, MI. Established in 1998, managed by Choice Schools since 2004.
• Bradford Academy PreK-12 tuition-free public charter school in Southfield, MI, authorized by Bay Mills Community College. Offers Character Education Program and Character Choices curriculum. Managed by Choice Schools since 2010.
• Creative Montessori Academy PreK-8 Montessori public charter school in Southgate, MI, authorized by Central Michigan University. Established in 2001, managed by Choice Schools since 2003.
• Dove Academy of Detroit PreK-8 public charter school in Detroit, MI, authorized by Oakland University. Serves over 500 K-8 students; integrates Character Counts and No Excuses University programs. Managed by Choice Schools since 2013.
• Four Corners Montessori Academy Montessori public charter school in Madison Heights, MI, emphasizing diversity, peace education, and individualized learning. Managed by Choice Schools since 2009.
• Muskegon Montessori Academy for Environmental Change Environmental Montessori public charter school in Norton Shores, MI. Mission to prepare students to be academically and environmentally excellent. Established in 2013.
• Macomb Montessori Academy PreK-6 tuition-free Montessori public school in Warren, MI, authorized by Lake Superior State University. Multi-age classrooms with State and Montessori Certified Teachers.
• New Branches Charter Academy Public charter academy in Grand Rapids, MI with a focus on closing the achievement gap. Established in 1994, managed by Choice Schools since 2015.
• Three Oaks Public School Academy PreK-6 public school academy in Muskegon, MI, opened in 2003 with 90 students and now houses over 300 students.
• West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science Environmental education public charter school in Walker, MI on a 62-acre campus with farmland, working garden, nature trails, and varied ecosystems. Established in 1995, managed by Choice Schools since 2000; one of the first six charter schools in Michigan.
• Kingsbury Country Day School Public charter school in Oxford, MI on a 100-acre wooded campus, authorized by Saginaw Valley State University. Founded in 1868, managed by Choice Schools since 2024.
• Invictus Classical Academy Classical academy partner school located in Warren, MI, listed on the Careers page with a dedicated Rippling-hosted job board for open positions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 6,200 children served across Michigan communities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MI Blue Cross Blue ShieldcoreOthersMI Blue Cross Blue Shield provides health insurance plans to Choice Schools' full-time employees, with benefits starting on the first day of employment. Full-time employees can choose from robust plans through this partner.
• Pine RestcoreOthersPine Rest provides Choice Schools' Employee Assistance Program (EAP), supporting the emotional health and well-being of employees and their families at no cost, including five free sessions per situation.
• AllstateminorOthersAllstate provides identity theft protection coverage to Choice Schools employees as part of the benefits package.
• RipplingcoreTechnology or IntegrationRippling provides the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) used by Choice Schools and each academy to post and manage job openings. Each school has its own branded Rippling job portal (e.g., ats.rippling.com/choice-schools-associates/jobs).
• CrisisGocoreTechnology or IntegrationCrisisGo provides the school safety platform integrated across Choice Schools' academies, enabling crisis management and emergency response capabilities to take safety to the next level.
• Stevens AdvertisingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStevens Advertising designed and built the Choice Schools website (as credited in the site footer: 'Website by Stevens Advertising').
• Verizon WirelessminorOthersChoice Schools employees receive discounts at Verizon Wireless as part of the employee perks program.
• Great Wolf LodgeminorOthersChoice Schools employees receive discounts at Great Wolf Lodge as part of the employee perks program.
• TicketsAtWorkminorOthersChoice Schools employees receive discounts via TicketsAtWork as part of the employee perks program.
• ShiptminorOthersChoice Schools employees receive discounts via Shipt as part of the employee perks program.
• Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah K. Wildey, CEO of Choice Schools Associates, serves as a board member of MAPSA, the Michigan charter school association. This indicates an institutional strategic partnership with the state's primary charter school advocacy body.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Catapult Learning: Provider of educational services and charter school management support to schools and districts, including intervention, special education, and operational services. Comparable as an education services provider serving charter schools, though with a broader services mix.
• KIPP Foundation: Non-profit charter management organization supporting a national network of K-12 charter schools with operational and instructional support models. Comparable as a charter management organization, though structured as a non-profit rather than a for-profit ESP.

Direct peers

• National Heritage Academies: Grand Rapids, MI-headquartered charter school ESP operating a network of K-8 charter academies with centralized back-office services. Closest geographic peer to Choice Schools and a directly comparable full-service ESP competitor in the Michigan charter market.
• ACCEL Schools: National charter management organization operating schools across multiple states, providing full-service management (operations, curriculum, compliance, HR) similar to Choice. Peer given comparable full-service charter ESP business model.
• Charter Schools USA: One of the largest US charter school management organizations, providing full-service ESP functions (HR, finance, compliance, operations) to charter boards across multiple states. Directly comparable as a multi-state, full-service ESP serving K-12 charter schools with a similar service-module offering.
• The Leona Group: Michigan-based charter school management company that provides full-service ESP support to charter academies, including operations, compliance, and instructional support. Direct peer given shared Michigan focus and similar charter management scope.
• Mosaica Education: Charter school management company that operates and supports charter schools with full back-office services. Comparable as a multi-state, full-service ESP for K-12 charter schools.

Broad incumbents

• Stride (formerly K12 Inc.): Large publicly-traded education company providing online learning, managed instruction, and K-12 school management services including charter school partnerships. Adjacent comparable given its K-12 education services and charter school involvement, though scaled much larger than Choice.
• Imagine Learning (formerly Imagine Schools): K-12 educational services provider with a portfolio including managed charter school operations and supplemental instructional services. Comparable given its charter management heritage and K-12 services scope.

Others

• Edmentum: K-12 online learning and curriculum provider that supplies instructional and assessment technology used by charter schools. Comparable as an ecosystem partner to Choice's instructional and compliance services, though not a direct management competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/choiceschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/choiceschoolsassociates
• Instagraminstagram.com/choiceschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1542207

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries16 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 Choice Schools Associates