Baltimore International Academy

What Baltimore International Academy does

Baltimore International Academy (BIA) is a free public charter school chartered by Baltimore City Public Schools, operating two campuses in Baltimore City: the original BIA (now referred to as BIA West) at 5434 Harford Rd, and BIA East at 4410 Frankford Ave in northeast Baltimore. Founded in 2007 by Dr. Kona-Facia Freeman-Nepay and Patrick Nepay, BIA was the first international language immersion school in the Baltimore City Public Schools system. The school delivers a K-8 education that combines full language immersion in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, or French with the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (K-5) and Middle Years Programme (6-8). Elementary students receive all core academic content (mathematics, science, social studies, reading, and language arts) through their chosen target language, with formal English Language Arts instruction beginning in grade 2; middle school students receive partial immersion with two subjects taught in the target language.

BIA's core technology is the immersion instructional methodology itself, not a software product. The school supplements its core curriculum with complementary programs: a paid Enrichment Program (before/after-school care with STEM, STEAM, history, and culture activities), DELF French language certification exams (A1–B2, including Prim and Junior versions), a VEX IQ Robotics competition team, language-specific cultural clubs, a GAL STEM Club for gifted learners, and a PBIS behavior system awarding "BIA Bucks" redeemable at a student store. BIA is authorized as both an IB World School and a Title I school, and has received the PBIS Successful School Gold Banner.

The business model is that of a public charter school rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue derives from per-pupil public funding allocations from Baltimore City Public Schools, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Education, augmented by federal Title I funding, grants (e.g., the Tutoring Grant), and donations/fundraising through Friends of BIA and the PTO. Charter schools in Maryland do not receive facilities funding, so BIA fundraises approximately $900,000 per year to cover its building costs and to subsidize 8th-grade international travel. A small out-of-district tuition stream (~$10,000/year per student) is available only after all Baltimore City residents on the waitlist have been placed. Enrollment is open to all Baltimore City residents via annual public lottery, with applications submitted online via Google Forms. The school serves a single geography (Baltimore City) and a single age band (K-8), with no private equity, venture capital, or outside ownership interests involved.

Name

Baltimore International Academy

Legal name

Baltimore International Academy

Website

https://biaeast.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Baltimore International Academy is a free public K-8 charter school in Baltimore City, chartered by Baltimore City Public Schools, offering full language immersion in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, or French combined with the International Baccalaureate Primary and Middle Years Programmes, funded primarily by per-pupil public allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: BIA East receives per-pupil funding from Baltimore City Public Schools, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and the United States Department of Education. As a Title I school, additional federal Title I funding supplements the budget. The school also receives funding through grant programs such as the Tutoring Grant.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The school actively fundraises to supplement public funding, particularly to cover facilities costs (approximately $900,000 per year since charter schools do not receive facilities funding), travel abroad programs for 8th graders, and enrichment activities. Donations are accepted online via credit card and by mail. The PTO also raises funds independently.
3. Out-of-District Tuition (Non-City Residents): Non-Baltimore City residents may be considered for enrollment only after all city residents on the waiting list have been placed, with an approximate tuition fee of $10,000 per year arranged through the BCPS Office of Enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Baltimore International Academy (BIA) is a free public charter school chartered by Baltimore City Public Schools, serving students in grades K-8. The school delivers instruction in five language immersion tracks (Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French) combined with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme. Elementary students receive full language immersion across core subjects; middle school students receive partial immersion, with formal English Language Arts introduced in grade 2.

Product overview

Baltimore International Academy is a free, public charter school offering a dual-track educational program: Language Immersion (Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, or French) combined with International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary and Middle Years Programmes for students in Grades K-8. The school operates as Baltimore City's first international language immersion school, where elementary students receive full immersion instruction in their target language across all core subjects, while middle school students receive partial immersion. English Language Arts instruction begins in second grade. The school also offers supplementary programs including an Enrichment Program for before/after-school care, DELF French certification exams, VEX IQ Robotics, language-specific clubs, and a GAL STEM Club for gifted learners. Students graduate as bilingual, biliterate individuals prepared for high school and global environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Language Immersion Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% of BIA East students speak only English at home, demonstrating the school's reach into non-language-speaking households.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Great Hearts Academies: Multi-state network of tuition-free K-12 charter academies emphasizing a classical liberal arts curriculum and high academic standards. Comparable to BIA as a tuition-free public charter school operating across multiple campuses with strong community brand.
• Léman Manhattan Preparatory School: NYC-based K-12 IB World School combining inquiry-based IB programmes with multiple world-language offerings. Directly comparable to BIA's combination of IB PYP/MYP authorization with multi-language immersion in a tuition-charging independent setting.
• Dwight School: NYC-based PreK-12 IB World School offering the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) with a multilingual and globally oriented curriculum. Comparable to BIA's authorized IB PYP/MYP status and inquiry-based pedagogical framework.
• International School of Boston: PreK-12 French/English immersion school with IB curriculum components. Directly comparable to BIA's language immersion approach and internationally minded graduation outcomes.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of high-performing K-12 charter/independent schools known for top-quintile academic outcomes and a rigorous STEM-forward curriculum. Comparable to BIA on the dimensions of charter governance, K-8 grade span, and top-tier state assessment results.
• German International School Washington D.C. K-12 immersion school delivering full German-language instruction across core subjects in the Mid-Atlantic region. Comparable to BIA's full-immersion instructional model and embassy/community partnership ecosystem.
• KIPP Baltimore: Local Baltimore charter K-8 network sharing the same city footprint, per-pupil funding model, and Title I eligibility as BIA. Comparable as a same-market peer operating under the Baltimore City Public Schools charter framework.
• French American International School of Portland: Independent PreK-8 school delivering rigorous French immersion plus IB PYP framework. Closely comparable to BIA's language immersion + IB PYP/MYP model and the bilingual/biliterate graduation outcome.

Broad incumbents

• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large New York City charter K-12 network consistently posting top state assessment results. Comparable to BIA as a public charter operator achieving top-tier academic outcomes, though at much greater scale and without BIA's multi-language immersion model.

Emerging players

• Mandarin Immersion Magnet School: Houston ISD public magnet K-8 school offering Chinese (Mandarin) immersion across core subjects. Comparable to BIA as a public-school immersion operator, though focused on a single target language rather than BIA's five simultaneous tracks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bia_335
• Facebookfacebook.com/BIAWest385/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/baltimoreinternationalacademy/?hl=en

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Baltimore International Academy