Ohio Council of Community Schools

What Ohio Council of Community Schools does

Ohio Council of Community Schools (OCCS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Toledo, Ohio that serves as a charter school authorizer and sponsor. Founded in 2002 and one of only two original community school sponsors in Ohio, OCCS holds a 15-year University of Toledo sponsor designation and has accumulated 20 years of charter school authorization experience. The organization sponsors 48 community schools across Ohio, comprising 45 brick-and-mortar schools and 4 virtual e-schools, making it the largest e-school sponsor in the state and the largest sponsor whose sole focus is charter school authorization. OCCS is led by Executive Director Lenny Schafer and Associate Executive Director Jason Wall, supported by a small staff of 11-50 employees.

OCCS's core offering is the sponsorship and ongoing oversight of community schools, encompassing new school application processing, transfer applications, reauthorization, fiscal monitoring, compliance oversight, and technical assistance in areas such as special education and academics. Beyond core authorization, the organization distributes grants and scholarships (OCCS Scholarship Program, Toledo STEM Goes Red Scholarship), runs an annual professional development Convocation (400+ attendees in 2024, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan as 2025 keynote), and supports partner schools through ecosystem partnerships (American Heart Association, Khan Academy, East West Bank, Toledo Walleye, Valentine Theatre, University of Toledo). A specific data-tracking tool, "The Blitz Program," is used at Columbus Preparatory Academy to customize student learning paths.

OCCS is funded through per-pupil state allocations tied to enrollment at its sponsored schools, rather than direct fees to schools. Its go-to-market is sales-led direct outreach, accepting new school applications on a rolling basis with proposal deadlines of July 1 and application deadlines of September 1 each year. Operating exclusively in Ohio, OCCS has earned a perfect 12-of-12 NACSA Index of Essential Practices score, multiple statewide education awards for sponsored schools (5-Star District, Dropout Prevention, Momentum, National Blue Ribbon), and recognition from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

Name

Ohio Council of Community Schools

Legal name

Ohio Council of Community Schools

Website

https://ohioschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ohio Council of Community Schools (OCCS) is a Toledo-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that serves as the official authorizer and sponsor for 48 community charter schools across Ohio, including brick-and-mortar and virtual e-schools, providing compliance, fiscal, and academic oversight.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Authorization and Sponsorship Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Authorizers & Oversight Boards (EDADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Charter school authorization
• Community school sponsorship
• Education oversight services
• Virtual eSchool programs
• Fiscal compliance support

Headquarters

HQ city

Toledo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charter School Sponsorship Funding: OCCS operates as a charter school authorizer (sponsor), receiving per-pupil funding from the state of Ohio for each student enrolled in sponsored schools. As a nonprofit organization, revenue supports authorization activities, technical assistance, and school support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ohio Council of Community Schools is a nonprofit charter school authorizer that sponsors 48 community schools in Ohio (45 brick-and-mortar and 4 virtual eSchools), ensuring sponsored schools are legally, fiscally, and academically sound. Core offerings include charter school authorization, ongoing compliance monitoring, reauthorization oversight, fiscal services, and strategic initiative grants, funded through per-pupil state allocations.

Product overview

Ohio Council of Community Schools operates as a charter school authorizer and sponsor, not a traditional software product company. The organization provides a portfolio of educational support services centered on charter school authorization. Core offerings include charter school sponsorship/authorization services, reauthorization oversight, and compliance monitoring. The organization supports partner schools through fiscal services, strategic initiatives grants, and professional development via the Annual Convocation. Financial support programs include the OCCS Scholarship Program and Toledo STEM Goes Red Scholarship. OCCS sponsors 45 brick-and-mortar community schools and 4 virtual/eSchools across Ohio, making it the largest e-school sponsor in Ohio and the only sponsor focused solely on community school authorization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charter School Authorization/Sponsorship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75% of OCCS-sponsored schools earned equal or better Performance Index Grade than their local district
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• East West BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026East West Bank hosts the 2026 Ohio Charter School Leadership Summit. OCCS is a proud sponsor of this premier one-day event bringing together charter school leaders, legislators, and policy experts.
• American Heart AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting the Toledo STEM Goes Red Scholarship, which offers scholarships for young women pursuing STEM education. The American Heart Association manages scholarship distribution through Gift of College gift cards deposited into 529 college savings plans.
• DesigneticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate sponsor supporting the Toledo STEM Goes Red Scholarship program, providing funding for young women interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• Khan AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Khan Academy founder Sal Khan was the keynote speaker at the 2025 OCCS Convocation. Khan Academy offers free educational lessons to millions of users globally.
• Inchy's Book Vending MachineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023OCCS partnered with Inchy's Book Vending Machine to launch a pilot program providing book vending machines to 18 OCCS sponsored schools to promote literacy.
• National Youth Sports Program at University of ToledominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Two-week sports-focused summer camp partnership providing athletic programming for students from OCCS-sponsored schools.
• Valentine TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ongoing partnership providing OCCS-sponsored schools with professional performances at the Valentine Theatre in Downtown Toledo, offering cultural enrichment opportunities.
• Toledo WalleyeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Hockey program partnership launched in January 2017, now in its third season. The Walleye Street Hockey program provides sports-focused programming for OCCS-sponsored school students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/occscharters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ohio Council of Community Schools