What Value Schools does

Value Schools is a private non-profit charter management organization that operates four free public charter schools in Los Angeles, California: Downtown Value School (TK-8, opened 2002), Central City Value High School (9-12, opened 2003), Everest Value School (TK-8, opened 2014, relocated to a new campus in 2022), and University Prep Value High School (9-12, opened 2015). Collectively the network serves over 1,600 TK-12 students drawn primarily from the Pico-Union, Silverlake, and Westlake neighborhoods, with a reported 97% high school graduation rate, 83% college-ready rate, and 73% four-year college acceptance rate. The organization was founded in 2000 by Dr. Jerome Porath and is governed by a community Board of Directors; the Value Schools Foundation, spun into a separate leadership structure in 2022, runs supplementary programs including the Back East Scholars Trip, Base Camp, Career Exploration days, 529 college savings accounts for kindergarteners, financial literacy courses, the LEGO STEAM program, and the Idyllwild Art Camp.

The operating model is funded almost entirely by California per-pupil charter allocations flowing through LAUSD authorization, supplemented by federal Title funds, categorical grants, and approximately $1.4M+ in annual donations and campaign proceeds (2025). No tuition is charged; there is no equity, venture, or debt capital in the structure. The technology stack is commodity K-12 edtech — Edlio for the public website and CMS, PowerSchool as the student information system and parent portal, Google SSO and reCAPTCHA for admin access — with no proprietary platform, no API, no AI/ML capabilities, and no mobile applications. Distribution and student acquisition are community-led: open enrollment, school tours, community events, and word-of-mouth referrals, augmented by a website, Facebook/Instagram/YouTube presence, Constant Contact email newsletters, and earned media.

Strategically, Value Schools has not added a campus since 2015, and recent activity has been organizational rather than expansionary: the 2022 separation of the operating organization from the Foundation into distinct CEO/President roles, the appointment of Loreen Riley as CEO on July 1, 2022, the 2023 Board Chair transition from Grant Cambridge to Vincent Gonzales, and the completion of the new Everest campus funded by the We Climb campaign (target $5.8M, ~$4.6M raised). The differentiation strategy is depth-over-breadth: layering corporate-partner-driven programs (Capital Group, BCG, Glenair, Northwestern Mutual, CARRY Foundation, Ahmanson Foundation) on top of a stable four-school footprint.

Name

Value Schools

Legal name

Value Schools

Website

https://valueschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Value Schools is a private non-profit network operating four free public charter schools in Los Angeles, serving over 1,600 TK-12 students in Pico-Union, Silverlake, and Westlake via per-pupil funding and donations, with supplementary college-prep and career programs run by its Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education (K-12)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD), Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• TK-12 education
• College preparatory programs
• Values-based education
• Charter school network

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Funding: As a public charter school network, Value Schools receives per-pupil funding from state and federal sources based on enrollment. Additional funding comes from charter renewal grants, federal Title programs, and categorical funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Value Schools operates a network of four free public charter schools in Los Angeles serving Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade (Downtown Value School and Everest Value School for TK-8; Central City Value High School and University Prep Value High School for grades 9-12), collectively educating over 1,600 students from underserved communities. The network delivers values-based, college-preparatory public education at no cost to families, supplemented by signature enrichment programs such as the Back East Scholars Trip, Base Camp mentorship, Career Exploration days, 529 college savings accounts, and a LEGO STEAM curriculum.

Product overview

Value Schools is a network of four free public charter schools serving Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade in Los Angeles, California. The network includes two K-8 schools (Downtown Value School, Everest Value School) and two high schools (Central City Value High School, University Prep Value High School), collectively serving over 1,600 students. The schools are supported by the Value Schools Foundation, which provides supplementary programs including the Back East Scholars Trip (BEST), Base Camp mentorship, Career Exploration experiences with local businesses, 529 college savings accounts for kindergarteners, financial literacy courses, and the LEGO STEAM program. Founded in 2000 by Dr. Jerome Porath, the organization celebrated 24 years of operation in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Downtown Value School A free public charter school serving Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles; the first Value Schools campus, opened in 2002.
• Everest Value School A free public charter school serving Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grades in the Silverlake and Westlake neighborhoods of Los Angeles; opened in 2014 with a new campus opened in 2022.
• Central City Value High School A free public charter high school serving grades 9 through 12 in the Silverlake and Westlake neighborhoods of Los Angeles; opened in 2003 with 88 ninth grade students and recognized as a U.S. News & World Report Silver Medal school.
• University Prep Value High School A free public charter high school serving grades 9 through 12 in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles; opened in 2015 under David Doyle's leadership.
• Back East Scholars Trip (BEST) A college exploration program that takes Value Schools students to visit prestigious East Coast universities including Ivy League institutions; founded in 2013 with 130+ participating students, with alumni attending MIT, Brown, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and Naval Academy.
• Base Camp A mentorship and hiking program that provides high school students opportunities to hike local mountains during spring and summer while receiving mentorship to develop their potential.
• Career Exploration Program An experiential learning initiative where businesses host students for half- or full-day interactive career experiences; partners include Capital Group, Glenair, Gunn-Jerkens, Five Crown Homes, TreePeople, and Boston Consulting Group.
• 529 Educational Accounts for Kindergarteners A scholarship initiative where the Value Schools Foundation, in partnership with Capital Group and Northwestern Mutual, establishes 529 college investment accounts for kindergarten students at Downtown Value and Everest Value schools.
• Value Schools Foundation The supporting foundation organization that provides inspiring educational experiences, scholarships, career exploration, and funding for academic leaders across the Value Schools network; led by President David Doyle.
• LEGO STEAM Program A STEAM curriculum at Everest Value School using LEGO-based learning to develop students' engineering, problem-solving, and 21st-century career skills aligned with NGSS standards.
• Idyllwild Art Camp A summer arts program where motivated student-artists from Central City Value and University Prep Value attend Idyllwild Arts Academy to develop skills in dance, theater, visual arts, music, fashion design, and film.
• Financial Literacy Course An annual course taught by board members Jeff Garcia, Vince Gonzales, and Grant Cambridge from Capital Group, teaching students investment concepts, global markets, personal finance, and portfolio management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% high school graduation rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gunn-Jerkens Marketing and CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGunn-Jerkens created the 'We Climb' campaign branding and video. They host career exploration days where students learn marketing, branding, and product development through hands-on projects.
• GlenaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Peter Kaufman hosts career exploration visits and provides paid summer internships for Value Schools students. Students learn about engineering, manufacturing, and career pathways.
• Five Crown HomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founders Christine Conomikes and Gina Doyle host career exploration days introducing students to architecture, real estate development, business, and finance.
• TreePeopleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental education partnership providing career exploration in environmental science and conservation for students.
• CARRY FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Pearl Grimes and the CARRY Foundation provide medical career exploration, etiquette training, and mentorship for aspiring doctors at Value Schools.
• MIT, Brown, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Naval AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBEST (Back East Scholars Trip) partners where students visit top universities including MIT, Brown, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Naval Academy, Dartmouth, Boston College, and more. Alumni from these visits attend these institutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aspire Public Schools: A statewide California charter network operating TK-12 campuses, including Los Angeles-area schools, with a college-prep mission for low-income students. Closely comparable in funding model, scale, and program differentiation strategy.
• Para Los Niños: An LA-based non-profit charter network serving predominantly low-income Latino families in neighborhoods overlapping with Value Schools' Pico-Union community. Comparable in values-based education emphasis and wraparound services.
• Green Dot Public Schools: A large LA-anchored charter management organization operating multiple high schools and middle schools focused on college readiness for underserved students. Directly comparable in operating model, governance structure (non-profit CMO), and student-outcomes focus.
• BrightStar Schools: A multi-site LA charter network operating elementary and middle schools in underserved communities, with a college-prep mission and corporate-partner-supported enrichment programming. Directly comparable in operating model and target demographics.
• Magnolia Public Schools: A California-wide charter management organization operating multiple TK-12 campuses serving diverse, predominantly low-income student populations. Comparable in non-profit charter structure, college-prep focus, and geographic concentration in California.
• KIPP SoCal Public Schools: A multi-campus California charter network operating in Los Angeles, with a college-prep mission targeting underserved communities. Comparable in scale, non-profit charter structure, and culture of measuring college-readiness outcomes.
• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: One of the largest LA-based charter school networks serving predominantly low-income families, with 20+ campuses spanning elementary through high school. Closely comparable to Value Schools in target population, college-prep mission, and reliance on per-pupil public funding.
• Camino Nuevo Charter Academy: A multi-site LA-based charter network serving TK-12 students in underserved neighborhoods, including areas adjacent to Value Schools' Pico-Union footprint. Operates with a college-prep mission under California's per-pupil funding model with comparable programs and demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Unified School District: The principal public-school district competitor in the same LA neighborhoods where Value Schools operates. Relevant comparability around per-pupil funding, regulatory oversight, and shared student demographic pool, though it serves a much broader K-12 mandate.

Others

• California Charter Schools Association: The statewide charter trade association of which Value Schools is a member. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem organization — not a competitor — but sets advocacy, policy, and authorization standards affecting Value Schools' operating environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ValueSchools-y9m
• Facebookfacebook.com/ValueSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/value.schools

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Value Schools