What Ottumwa Community School District does

The Ottumwa Community School District is an Iowa public K-12 school district headquartered in Ottumwa, Iowa, serving more than 5,000 students across twelve schools: two high schools (Ottumwa High School and Gateway High School), one junior high (Evans), one intermediate school (Liberty), six elementary schools (Douma, Eisenhower, Fahrney, Horace Mann, James, Wilson), one early childhood center (Pickwick), and one virtual school (Ottumwa Online). The district was founded in 1910 and employs 501-1,000 staff, operating as a government state entity funded through Iowa's school funding formulas, local property taxes, and federal education programs (Title I, USDA Community Eligibility Provision).

The district's product portfolio centers on standards-based learning — a district-wide transition from traditional letter grades to a 4-point proficiency scale aligned to Iowa Core Standards, with K-6 implementation in 2024-25, grade 7 in 2025-26, and grades 8-12 by 2026-27. Supporting services include mental health therapy through a Hazel Health telehealth partnership (reporting 80% student improvement after six sessions), free meals for all students via USDA CEP, Talented and Gifted programming, special education and dyslexia services, English Language Learners support, and Prime Time Youth Care before/after-school childcare. Technology infrastructure runs on PowerSchool (student information system), Schoology (high school LMS), Clever (SSO), ParentSquare (family communications), TimeClock Plus (HR/timekeeping), and InTouch/TouchBase (online fee payments), with the Standard Response Protocol adopted for emergency management.

The district's revenue model is non-commercial: it is funded primarily through state per-pupil aid and local property taxes, supplemented by federal programs and minor transactional revenue from student resource fees and athletic passes processed through InTouch and GoBound. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through physical schools, the Ottumwa Online virtual program, and Iowa's open enrollment policy that allows non-resident families to choose the district. The customer base — students and families in Ottumwa and Wapello County — is captive by virtue of residence rather than discretionary purchase, making this entity structurally different from a typical commercial target.

Name

Ottumwa Community School District

Legal name

Ottumwa Community School District

Website

https://ottumwaschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ottumwa Community School District is an Iowa public K-12 district serving 5,000+ students across 12 schools, funded through state aid and local taxes. It delivers standards-based education, virtual schooling, free meals, and telehealth mental health services to families in Ottumwa and Wapello County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Specialized Intervention & Skill-Building Programs (Speech/OT Support Materials, Social Skills) (EDACAJAJ)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Early childhood education
• Special education services
• Standards-based learning
• School nutrition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottumwa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Traditional public school district funded primarily through state and local property taxes, state per-pupil funding, and federal education programs. Operates under Iowa school funding formulas.
2. USDA Child Nutrition Program: District participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, providing free breakfast and lunch to all students. Additional summer meal distribution program for children 18 and under.
3. Student Fees: Resource fees, library fines, yearbooks, device fees collected through InTouch/TouchBase online payment portal integrated with PowerSchool.
4. Activity and Athletic Passes: Student activity passes and all-sport passes sold through GoBound online ticketing platform for athletics and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ottumwa Community School District is a public K-12 school system serving students in Ottumwa, Iowa, across 12 school buildings including two high schools, a junior high, an intermediate school, six elementary schools, an early childhood center, and a virtual school option. The district delivers standards-based instruction, special education, mental health and counseling services, free meal programs, transportation, before/after school care, and a range of enrichment and athletic programs to approximately 5,000+ students. It also supports adult learners and community members through continuing education, employee assistance, and community programs.

Product overview

Ottumwa Community School District operates as a comprehensive K-12 public school system serving Ottumwa, Iowa. The district's product portfolio includes its core educational methodology (Standards-Based Learning with a 4-point grading scale), learning management via Schoology at the high school level, virtual learning through Ottumwa Online, and early childhood education at Pickwick Early Childhood Center. Supporting services include mental health therapy (Hazel Health), before/after school childcare (Prime Time Youth Care), and summer nutrition programs. The district leverages PowerSchool as its student information system and ParentSquare for family communications, with student assessments conducted via ISASP. Transportation is provided through Durham School Services. The district serves approximately 5,000+ students across multiple elementary schools, junior high, and high schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ottumwa Online

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of students improve after 6 Hazel Health therapy sessions

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hazel HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationHazel Health provides online therapy services for Ottumwa Schools students, offering 1-on-1 counseling from licensed therapists specializing in kids and teens. The program reports 80% of students improve after 6 therapy sessions. Services are provided at no cost to families and continue through summer months.
• Durham School ServicescoreOthersDurham School Services provides school bus transportation services under contract with the district. Services include bus tracking technology (Durham Bus Tracker), hard surface route scheduling, and hazard zone transportation services.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationParentSquare is the district's primary family communications platform, enabling notifications for school closings, events, emergencies, and general communications. Integrated with PowerSchool for seamless access.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool is the district's student information system used for grades, attendance, enrollment, and parent portal access. Parent accounts provide access codes for Schoology and other district systems.
• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationClever provides single sign-on portal for students and teachers to access district learning applications and resources securely.
• SchoologycoreTechnology or IntegrationSchoology is the learning management system (LMS) used at Ottumwa High School to support student instruction, digital assignment submission, interactive discussions, and assessments.
• InTouch / TouchBasecoreTechnology or IntegrationInTouch Online Payment Portal enables parents to pay student fees, make donations, and purchase items via credit/debit cards. Integrated with PowerSchool for single sign-on access.
• TimeClock PluscoreTechnology or IntegrationTimeClock Plus is the district's HR and timekeeping system used by staff for clocking in/out, leave requests, and substitute job assignments through web and mobile apps.
• Indian Hills Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIHCC Dental Clinic partnership provides dental services and hygiene education. The district also has education partnerships with BVU, William Penn University, and Simpson College for employee development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dubuque Community School District: Eastern Iowa public K-12 district serving Dubuque. Comparable in operating multiple schools under one district office and adhering to Iowa Core Standards and CEP/free meal eligibility rules.
• Council Bluffs Community School District: Southwest Iowa public K-12 district of comparable scale serving a similar mid-size city. Shares the same open enrollment exposure and state-aid revenue model.
• Cedar Rapids Community School District: Mid-to-large Iowa public K-12 district serving Cedar Rapids and Linn County. Comparable in scale and program breadth to Ottumwa, operating under the same state per-pupil funding and open enrollment framework.
• Iowa City Community School District: Eastern Iowa public K-12 district serving Iowa City and Johnson County. Operates under the same Iowa Core Standards, state funding formulas, and open enrollment policy as Ottumwa, with similar multi-school structure.
• Waterloo Community School District: Northeast Iowa public K-12 district serving a similar mid-sized city footprint. Comparable in scale, program offerings (alternative high school, early childhood, special education), and reliance on state and federal funding streams.
• Sioux City Community School District: Western Iowa public K-12 district comparable in scale (~5,000+ students) and demographic profile to Ottumwa. Subject to identical state funding and open enrollment dynamics.
• Burlington Community School District: Southeast Iowa public K-12 district serving Burlington in the same region as Ottumwa. Highly comparable in geographic proximity, demographic profile, and reliance on the southeast Iowa labor market.
• Muscatine Community School District: East-central Iowa public K-12 district serving Muscatine. Comparable in scale, multi-school structure, and exposure to similar state funding, open enrollment, and demographic dynamics as Ottumwa.
• Marshalltown Community School District: Central Iowa public K-12 district with a similar enrollment size (~5,000 students) and demographics to Ottumwa. Operates under the same funding formulas and offers comparable ELL, TAG, and alternative pathway programs.
• Des Moines Public Schools: Largest public school district in Iowa, operating K-12 across multiple schools. Comparable as a fellow Iowa public district subject to the same state funding formulas, open enrollment dynamics, and Iowa Core Standards.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OttumwaSchools

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Ottumwa Community School District