Jewish Day School

What Jewish Day School does

The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle (JDS) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) Jewish day school founded in 1980, operating a Preschool-through-8th-grade program for approximately 100 students on a single campus in Bellevue, Washington. The school's core product is a multi-age inquiry-based curriculum integrating rigorous STEM and humanities academics with a pluralistic Jewish Studies program, delivered through a proprietary 'Villages' classroom architecture (Green Village for Kindergarten, Yellow for 1st-2nd, Blue for 3rd-4th, Purple for 5th, Orange for preschool) that structures peer mentoring across age groups. Supplemental products include the Solutions in Science environmental curriculum (linking UN Sustainable Development Goals to Jewish values), the Jewmanities integrated Jewish Social Studies program, a 15+ elective middle school catalog (3D Printing, Robotics, Architecture, Fashion Design), the 8th grade Israel capstone trip, and the Summer at JDS program.

JDS's revenue model is a hybrid of tuition (subscription recurring), fundraising (Annual Fund, Gather & Give gala, tribute donations, Samis Foundation grants), and ancillary fees. Tuition ranges from $21,500 (preschool half-day) to $36,380 (grades 6-8), but the school states that tuition covers only ~60% of operating costs; the remaining ~40% is funded through charitable contributions from families, alumni, faculty, staff, corporations, and foundations. The 2025 Gather & Give event raised approximately $350,000, and the school has secured $22 million (80%) of its $28 million Barnabie Point Project capital campaign for a new Mercer Island campus (groundbreaking October 2025). Distribution is direct through on-campus instruction, a Ravenna-powered admissions funnel with structured priority deadlines, three free bus routes across Seattle/Bellevue/Sammamich/Issaquah/Redmond, and a tiered affordability framework including the Samis Day School Affordability Initiative (capping tuition at $18,000/year for families under $350K income), Shamoor tenure-based grants, Shutaf professional discounts, and Multi-Student Discounts.

Name

Jewish Day School

Legal name

The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle

Website

https://jds.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Jewish Day School is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Preschool through 8th grade independent school in Bellevue, Washington, serving approximately 100 students with an inquiry-based curriculum integrating rigorous academics and pluralistic Jewish Studies through a multi-age Villages classroom model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Half-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAC), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

Keywords

• K-12 Jewish education
• Independent day school
• Inquiry-based curriculum
• Hebrew language instruction
• Multi-age learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue source. Tuition covers approximately 60% of operating costs. Multiple payment plan options including one payment (July), four payments (July, October, January, April), ten payments (July-April), or twelve payments (July-June).
2. Annual Fund: Annual giving campaign supporting academic programs, Jewish Life & Learning, faculty recruitment/retention, specialist offerings, environmental education, 8th grade Israel trip, and tuition affordability.
3. Gather & Give Auction & Gala: Annual spring fundraising event. 2025 event raised nearly $350,000 for the school. Includes sponsor contributions and auction items.
4. Tribute Donations: Memorial and lifecycle event donations supporting school programs and faculty development opportunities.
5. Jewish Communal Professional Discount: 30% discount for full-time Jewish community professionals (synagogue or approved nonprofit), 15% for part-time. This represents foregone revenue as professional discount.
6. Bus Transportation: Three bus routes serving Seattle, Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, and Redmond areas. Free for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Jewish Day School (JDS) is an independent, nonprofit co-educational day school serving preschool (ages 2.5–5) through 8th grade in Bellevue, Washington. It delivers a rigorous secular curriculum alongside integrated Jewish studies, Hebrew language instruction, and multi-age "Villages" organized around inquiry-based learning. Students matriculate through elementary and middle school years and graduate prepared for top secondary programs, including a culminating 8th-grade Israel experience.

Product overview

Jewish Day School is a Preschool-8th grade independent Jewish day school offering an integrated educational program that combines inquiry-based academics with pluralistic Jewish education. The core product portfolio includes: Preschool Program (ages 2.5-5), Elementary School (Grades K-5), Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Summer at JDS Program. The school operates a Multi-Age Learning Villages system where students are grouped in multi-age classrooms to foster mentorship and leadership. Jewish Life and Learning is woven throughout all grade levels, providing Hebrew language instruction, Jewish studies, holiday celebrations, and community building. The Inquiry-Based Learning Curriculum forms the pedagogical foundation, emphasizing questioning, discussion, and problem-solving. Supplementary programs include the 8th Grade Israel Trip capstone experience, Learning Resource Center for academic support, Solutions in Science (middle school environmental education), and the myJDS Portal for parent/student access. Financial accessibility is supported through multiple tuition assistance programs including the Samis Foundation Affordability Initiative, grants, and discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool Program
• Elementary School Program
• Middle School Program Grades 6–8 program that prepares students for top secondary schools, offering advanced Judaic and secular coursework and culminating in the 8th-grade Israel trip.
• Summer at JDS Program
• Jewish Life and Learning Program School-wide Jewish educational program woven across all grade levels, providing Hebrew language, Torah studies, Jewish history, holidays, and ethical/values instruction integrated into the daily schedule.
• 8th Grade Israel Trip Capstone multi-week travel and study experience in Israel for graduating 8th graders, charged separately at $2,100.

Quantifiable outcome

• JDS students develop self-directed learning habits by middle school, generating their own questions and initiating inquiry independently
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative CongregationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of Barnabie Point Project - a four-level building on HNT's Mercer Island campus to serve as JDS's new home. HNT will use JDS classrooms during weekend and evening hours for their religious school. Third floor will host offices for other nonprofit Jewish organizations. Represents 7-year process to find new home after sale of previous campus.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Stroum Jewish Community Center: The Stroum Jewish Community Center is a Jewish community center on Mercer Island that operates educational and youth programs. It is an adjacent ecosystem partner, located on Mercer Island near JDS's future Barnabie Point campus, and serves overlapping Jewish community families with complementary programming.

Direct peers

• Solomon Schechter Day School: Solomon Schechter operates a national network of K-8 Jewish day schools across multiple U.S. regions. It is a directly comparable peer in the same product category with the same target audience and similar educational philosophy.
• The Moriah School: The Moriah School is a Jewish day school serving early childhood through 8th grade in Englewood, NJ. It is a directly comparable peer in the same K-8 Jewish day school category with integrated secular and Judaic curriculum.
• Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School: Akiba-Schechter is a K-8 Jewish day school in Chicago offering integrated Judaic and secular studies. It is a directly comparable peer in the same product category (K-8 Jewish day school with inquiry-based pedagogy) serving a similar Jewish family demographic.
• Seattle Hebrew Academy: Seattle Hebrew Academy is a K-8 Jewish day school in the Seattle metropolitan area offering both general and Jewish studies curricula. It is the closest direct competitor to JDS, serving overlapping Jewish and Hebrew-curious populations in the same regional market.
• SAR Academy: SAR Academy is a K-8 Jewish day school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, NY, offering dual curriculum of general and Judaic studies. It is a directly comparable peer in the same product category as JDS, with similar inquiry-based academic philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• University Prep: University Prep is an independent 6-12 school in Seattle. It is a broad incumbent in the Seattle independent school market, competing for similar middle-school families seeking rigorous academic preparation, but without the K-8 lower school or Jewish studies offerings.
• Lakeside School: Lakeside School is a prestigious 5-12 independent school in Seattle. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same high-income, education-focused families in the Seattle market, though without the faith-based Jewish curriculum component.
• The Overlake School: The Overlake School is a private independent school in Redmond, WA, serving grades 5-12. It is a broad incumbent in the Seattle-area independent school market, competing for similar tuition-paying families but without the Jewish studies specialization.
• The Bush School: The Bush School is an independent K-12 school in Seattle. It is a broad incumbent comparable in grade range (K-12 vs JDS K-8) and serves the same affluent Seattle-area demographic seeking small-class inquiry-based education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jewishdayschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/jdsseattle
• Xx.com/jewishdayschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/212261

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Jewish Day School