Indianola High School

What Indianola High School does

Indianola Community School District (ICSD) is a public PreK-12 school district headquartered in Indianola, Iowa, operating six attendance centers: four elementary schools (Emerson, Irving, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Whittier), one middle school, and Indianola High School. The district serves approximately 3,650 students across a 160-square-mile catchment spanning Indianola, Ackworth, and Sandyville, with roughly 1,200 students enrolled at Indianola High School (Grades 9-12). Funding flows from local property taxes, state education aid, and federal grants; the district charges no tuition to district residents and operates an open-enrollment process for non-residents subject to Iowa law and capacity.

The district's core instructional product is a Digital Learning Environment (DLE) anchored by a 1:1 Chromebook program and a layered vendor stack: PowerSchool (Student Information System), Schoology (Learning Management System), ClassLink (single sign-on), GoGuardian (device monitoring), FASTBridge (assessment), Follett Destiny (library), RevTrak (fee payments), LINQ Connect (meal payments), MealViewer (menus), XELLO (college/career planning), Incident IQ (IT helpdesk), and StatusGator (infrastructure status monitoring). Indianola High School's academic offering includes 185+ courses, 9 AP courses across English, Math, Science, and Social Studies (592 AP tests taken), 13-15 athletic programs competing in the Little Hawkeye Conference, and 22-34 clubs/activities. A free universal breakfast pilot is scheduled for 2026-27.

The business model is non-commercial: ICSD is a government state entity under Iowa law, governed by an elected School Board and administered by Superintendent Tara Paul (appointed 2024). The IHS campus totals 249,049 sq ft with a capacity of 1,402, and a new academic wing and competition gym construction project began in May 2024. Ancillary revenue streams include activity/athletic fees and food service meal sales, but the bulk of operating revenue derives from public funding formulas tied to enrollment and property tax base. Notable recognitions include a 2017 National Blue Ribbon designation for Whittier Elementary and 2024 Iowa District of Distinction recognition from the Iowa School Counselor Association.

Name

Indianola High School

Legal name

Indianola Community School District

Website

https://www.indianola.k12.ia.us/digital-backpack/high-school/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Indianola Community School District is a public PreK-12 Iowa school district serving ~3,650 students across six schools, including Indianola High School (~1,200 students, Grades 9-12), funded by state aid, local property taxes, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public secondary education
• K-12 digital learning
• College preparatory programs
• Student information systems
• Extracurricular athletics programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianola

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Funded primarily through local property taxes, state education funding, and federal grants. No tuition charged to district residents.
2. Meal Sales: Student and adult meal sales through Food Service department; free and reduced lunch programs available
3. Activity/Athletic Fees: Fees for athletics and activities programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Indianola High School is a public secondary school (Grades 9-12) within the Indianola Community School District, delivering college and career preparatory education through 185+ academic courses including 9 AP courses, supported by a 1:1 Chromebook Digital Learning Environment. The school also operates 13-15 athletic programs competing in the Little Hawkeye Conference and 22-34 student clubs and activities, serving approximately 1,200 students with a 94.64% graduation rate.

Product overview

Indianola Community School District operates as a comprehensive PreK-12 educational institution with six attendance centers serving approximately 3,650 students. The district's technology infrastructure centers on PowerSchool as its primary Student Information System and Schoology as its Learning Management System, both integrated through ClassLink for single sign-on access. The Digital Learning Environment (DLE) provides 1:1 Chromebooks for all students. Core educational offerings include traditional and year-round calendar options, the Purple and Gold Preschool program with early childhood special education inclusion services, and extensive high school academics with 9 AP courses and 185+ course offerings. The district provides athletic programs (13-15 sports), activities and clubs (22-34 organizations), before/after school child care, and transportation services. The district is currently undergoing a new academic wing and competition gym construction project at the high school.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Purple and Gold: Early childhood education program serving 4-year-old preschoolers with state-recognized Purple and Gold Preschool Program
• Indianola Indians
• Purple and Gold Early Childhood

Products and services

• Indianola High School Academic Programs Grades 9-12 secondary education offering 185+ academic courses including 9 Advanced Placement courses across English, Math, Science, and Social Studies departments, for college and career preparation.
• Athletic Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.64% Graduation Rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ClassLinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationClassLink provides single sign-on access to educational applications for staff and students.
• GoGuardiancoreTechnology or IntegrationGoGuardian provides Chromebook monitoring and management for student safety and digital citizenship.
• Little Hawkeye ConferencecoreOthersIHS is a proud member of the Little Hawkeye Conference, competing in 15 athletic programs. This conference membership provides competitive athletic opportunities and regional recognition.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool provides the district's Student Information System (SIS) and Learning Management System (LMS) through Schoology. Enables efficient management of student data from enrollment through graduation.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationDistrict utilizes Google Apps for Education and Google Workspace. Students access their own personal Chromebooks through the Digital Learning Environment.
• Simpson CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner college in Indianola; alumni connections and community relationship
• Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAEA provides special education support, media libraries, professional learning for educators, and collective purchasing consortium services.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Norwalk Community School District: Norwalk CSD is a nearby suburban Iowa school district serving grades PK-12 in Warren County. It is directly comparable to Indianola CSD in scale, governance structure, and Iowa open-enrollment market dynamics, making it a natural enrollment-share competitor.
• Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District: Dallas Center-Grimes is a similarly sized Iowa PK-12 public school district operating in Dallas County. It is comparable to Indianola in scope, calendar structure, and the competitive landscape for suburban growth south of Des Moines.
• Southeast Polk Community School District: Southeast Polk CSD is an Iowa public school district of comparable scale operating PK-12 with similar suburban/rural mix. It competes for open-enrollment families and faces the same Iowa school funding dynamics.
• Ames Community School District: Ames CSD is a mid-sized Iowa PK-12 public school district. It is comparable to Indianola in operating structure, AP offerings, and Iowa public funding exposure, while being similarly anchored by a college-town community.
• Carlisle Community School District: Carlisle CSD is a smaller Iowa PK-12 public school district near Des Moines. It is comparable to Indianola in scale and student demographics, providing a close peer benchmark for performance and funding dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Waukee Community School District: Waukee CSD is one of Iowa's largest and fastest-growing suburban PK-12 districts. It operates at a much larger scale than Indianola and serves as both a broad incumbent benchmark and a key open-enrollment competitor for families in the Des Moines metro.
• Ankeny Community School District: Ankeny CSD is a large, fast-growing suburban Iowa PK-12 district north of Des Moines. It is broader in scale than Indianola and represents a competitive threat for open-enrolled students from the Des Moines metro region.
• West Des Moines Community School District: West Des Moines CSD is a large, established Iowa suburban PK-12 district. It serves as a broader-scale reference point for technology integration, AP programming, and facilities investment that Indianola benchmarks itself against.
• Johnston Community School District: Johnston CSD is a large Des Moines suburban PK-12 district with strong STEM and college-prep reputation. It is comparable to Indianola in offering portfolio but operates at materially larger scale, serving as a benchmark for outcomes.
• Urbandale Community School District: Urbandale CSD is a Des Moines suburban PK-12 district. It is comparable to Indianola in core offerings and Iowa public school funding dynamics, while operating at a larger scale that makes it both a peer and a competitor for open-enrollment families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/indianolacsd
• Facebookfacebook.com/Indianola-Community-School-District-899787926753646
• Instagraminstagram.com/indianolacsd

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Indianola High School