KIPP North Carolina Public Schools

What KIPP North Carolina Public Schools does

KIPP North Carolina Public Schools is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charter school network (EIN 86-1211081), founded in 2001 and headquartered at 1107 Holloway Street, Durham, NC. It operates eight tuition-free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory charter schools serving approximately 3,000 students in grades K-12 across three regions: Charlotte (KIPP Change Academy K-5; KIPP Academy Charlotte 6-8), Durham (KIPP Durham College Prep Elementary K-4; KIPP Durham College Prep Middle 6-8), and Eastern North Carolina (KIPP Pride Lower Elementary K-2; KIPP Pride Upper Elementary 3-5; KIPP Pride Middle 6-8; KIPP Pride High 9-12 in Halifax). The network is the only public school district in North Carolina serving equal urban (Charlotte, Durham) and rural (Halifax, Northampton Counties) populations, with a student body that is 97% students of color, 8.5% multilingual learners, 13% receiving special education services, and 96% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

The operating model blends KIPP's national college-prep framework with locally developed programs. The flagship pedagogical technology is the HillRAP (Hill Reading Achievement Program)/95 RAP literacy intervention delivered in partnership with Hill Learning Center of Durham, an Orton-Gillingham-aligned, Science-of-Reading-based small-group intervention that combines teacher-led instruction with iPad-based technology-assisted practice and individualized charting of student progress. KIPP Forward, the rebranded KIPP Through College/Match program, extends the relationship with alumni through college and career counseling. The network is affiliated with the national KIPP Foundation, which provides curricular, professional development, and research resources, and benefits from validated impact data (the Mathematica college-completion study; U.S. News & World Report Best Charter High Schools 2022; nearly $3.5M in scholarships awarded to the Pride of 2024 class).

Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) recurring per-pupil state and federal public funding that flows with enrollment at each of the eight schools, and (2) philanthropic donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations via online giving, checks, bank/stock transfers, donor-advised fund grants, appreciated assets, and planned giving. Pricing to families is zero — enrollment is tuition-free. Distribution is direct through the eight physical campuses, with outreach via dedicated student recruiters, school tours, community referrals, and an active social media presence. Supplementary programs include KIPP Forward alumni services, an SMS Feedback Program operated with Saachi, and a CommonSku-powered online marketplace for apparel, with recent strategic partnerships layering in mental-health services (Sole Solutions), math tutoring (Heart Tutoring), and an educator homeownership benefit (Ascension CDC / Kingdom Development Partners).

Name

KIPP North Carolina Public Schools

Legal name

KIPP North Carolina Public Schools

Website

https://kippnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

KIPP North Carolina Public Schools is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charter network operating eight tuition-free, college-preparatory K-12 schools across Charlotte, Durham, and Eastern North Carolina, serving approximately 3,000 students (97% students of color, 96% low-income) funded by per-pupil public dollars and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF), Charter Language Immersion & Bilingual Schools (EDAJACAI)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 public schools
• College preparatory
• Public charter networks
• Rural urban education

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 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. Per-Pupil Public Funding: KIPP NC receives state and federal per-pupil funding as a public charter school network. These public funds cover base instructional costs but often do not cover supplements including transportation, nutrition, enhanced support for exceptional and multilingual learners, and technology.
2. Philanthropic Donations: KIPP NC accepts charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations through online donations, checks, bank/stock transfers, donor-advised fund (DAF) grants, appreciated assets, and planned giving. EIN: 86-1211081. Donations support experiential opportunities, facilities, capacity building, innovation, and growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KIPP North Carolina operates a network of 8 free, non-profit, college-preparatory public charter schools providing academically rigorous K-12 education to approximately 3,000 students across Charlotte, Durham, and Eastern North Carolina. The network includes elementary, middle, and high schools with extended learning time, individualized education programs for exceptional children, English language development for multilingual learners, and dual-enrollment/AP/early college options at KIPP Pride High. KIPP Forward, the post-secondary support program (formerly KIPP Through College), provides alumni with college and career counseling through college completion.

Product overview

KIPP North Carolina Public Schools is a network of free, non-profit, college-preparatory public charter schools operating 8 schools across Charlotte, Durham, and Eastern North Carolina serving approximately 3,000 students in grades K-12. The network comprises KIPP Change Academy (K-5) and KIPP Academy Charlotte (6-8) in Charlotte; KIPP Durham College Prep Elementary (K-4) and KIPP Durham College Prep Middle (6-8) in Durham; and KIPP Pride Lower Elementary (K-2), KIPP Pride Upper Elementary (3-5), KIPP Pride Middle (6-8), and KIPP Pride High (9-12) serving Eastern NC communities. The network also offers KIPP Forward, a post-secondary support program for alumni, and supplementary programs including an SMS Feedback Program for family engagement and an Online Marketplace for school merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KIPP Change Academy Free public charter school serving K-5 Grade students in Charlotte, NC, providing an academically rigorous and joyous college-preparatory education experience.
• KIPP Academy Charlotte Free public charter school serving 6-8 Grade students in Charlotte, NC, providing academically rigorous college-preparatory education with extended learning time.
• KIPP Durham College Prep Elementary Free public charter school serving K-4 Grade students in Durham, NC, with culturally responsive teaching and whole-child development focus.
• KIPP Durham College Prep Middle Free public charter school serving 6-8 Grade students in Durham, NC, focused on college-preparatory academics and social justice advocacy.
• KIPP Pride Lower Elementary Free public charter school serving K-2 Grade students in Gaston, NC, focused on building foundational academic skills and character.
• KIPP Pride Upper Elementary Free public charter school serving 3-5 Grade students, part of the unified KIPP Pride campus serving Eastern North Carolina communities.
• KIPP Pride Middle Free public charter school serving 6-8 Grade students in Gaston, NC, with focus on academic excellence and character development.
• KIPP Pride High Free public charter high school serving 9-12 Grade students in Halifax, NC, offering college-preparatory education with AP coursework and dual enrollment at Halifax Community College.
• KIPP Forward Post-secondary support program (formerly KIPP Through College) that helps alumni choose and prepare for educational and career paths through college and career counseling and the Match program.

Quantifiable outcome

• KIPP Kindergarten students began the year 9 percentage points behind the national average; by end of year, KIPP student growth was 6 percentage points above the national average — a change of 15 points.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Ascension CDC (Community Development Corporation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025KIPP NC partnered with Charlotte-based Ascension CDC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to offer the WealthPath-Homeownership Program exclusively to KIPP NC educators. Starting in Fall 2025, the partnership provides KIPP NC employees access to attainable for-sale homes priced based on educator income (80-110% AMI), below-market home prices at the Legacy at Paw Creek community, down payment assistance, financial literacy education, home maintenance training, and wraparound homebuyer education. This is a game-changing benefit designed to build generational wealth for KIPP NC employees.
• Hill Learning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021KIPP NC formalized a partnership with Hill Learning Center in Durham in 2021 (with time-limited federal funding) to expand the HillRAP (Hill Reading Achievement Program)/95 RAP literacy intervention program. Hill Learning Center developed and delivers the HillRAP program, which provides personalized, small-group reading intervention using technology and high-quality professional development grounded in the Science of Reading. The program serves students with persistent reading difficulties, including those with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning differences. The partnership expanded from ENC and Durham schools to Charlotte schools.
• SaachiminorOthersKIPP NC partners with Saachi, a third-party service provider, to collect feedback from families via SMS text messages through the SMS Feedback Program. Saachi delivers and processes feedback surveys on topics including communication, academics, and school culture. KIPP NC does not sell or share phone numbers or SMS opt-in information for marketing purposes.
• Sole Solutions, Counseling and Consulting ServicesminorOthersKIPP NC partnered with Sole Solutions, Counseling and Consulting Services to provide accessible mental health services to students, families, and school communities across KIPP NC schools. Contact: (980) 785-4332, [email protected].
• Heart TutoringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIPP NC partnered with Heart Tutoring in Charlotte for the 2022-23 school year. Heart Tutoring provides volunteer math tutors to support KIPP Charlotte students, with tutoring opportunities open to community members.
• Kingdom Development PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKingdom Development Partners partnered with Ascension CDC and KIPP NC on the attainable housing initiative for KIPP NC educators, specifically in the Legacy at Paw Creek community development on the west side of Charlotte.
• Halifax Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIPP Pride High offers an early college program in partnership with Halifax Community College, allowing students to take tuition-free college classes and earn an associate degree while in high school.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Rocketship Public Schools: Nonprofit CMO that pioneered blended learning in charter schools across the Bay Area, Nashville, Milwaukee, Washington DC, and Indianapolis. Comparable in leveraging technology (iPads, adaptive software) within a charter K-5 model to personalize instruction for low-income students.

Direct peers

• Achievement First: Nonprofit charter network operating 40+ public charter schools in CT, NY, and RI with KIPP-like extended day/year model and college-prep mission. Comparable in serving predominantly students of color from low-income communities with rigorous literacy focus.
• Uplift Education: Texas-based nonprofit charter management organization operating 20+ tuition-free public charter schools serving primarily low-income students. Referenced in KIPP NC's own management team's prior experience (Kendal Grier). Comparable multi-campus nonprofit charter operator.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: A large charter network operating K-12 free public schools with rigorous academics and data-driven instruction. Comparable network structure and mission serving historically underserved communities, with strong literacy and outcomes focus similar to KIPP NC's HillRAP model.
• Uncommon Schools: Nonprofit charter management organization operating 20+ college-preparatory public charter schools across the Northeast. Directly comparable as a multi-state CMO with strong teacher development pipelines and extended school day focus.
• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: One of the largest charter management organizations in the U.S., operating 20+ tuition-free public charter schools serving predominantly low-income students of color. Comparable as a multi-site, multi-region CMOs with extended learning time and college-prep mission.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large nonprofit charter operator with 80+ K-12 public charter schools in Texas and Louisiana. Comparable multi-region CMO with a strong college-prep curriculum and support through college via alumni programming analogous to KIPP Forward.

Broad incumbents

• National Heritage Academies: One of the largest for-profit charter management organizations in the U.S. operating 90+ public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable in running a multi-state K-8 charter portfolio with a similar college-prep orientation and operations scale.
• KIPP Foundation (national KIPP network): The national umbrella organization for the KIPP charter network that licenses, supports, and resources regional KIPP networks including KIPP NC. Operates the same charter school business model and shared brand, educational philosophy, and KIPP Forward college-completion programming.

Regional players

• Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS): The traditional public school district serving Charlotte-Mecklenburg, where two KIPP NC schools operate. Functions as the primary in-territory public competitor for students and teachers and serves as the comparator against which KIPP NC's college-prep outcomes are measured.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KIPPNorthCarolinaPublicSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/KIPPNCPublicSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/kippnc
• Xx.com/kipp_enc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 KIPP North Carolina Public Schools