Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy

What Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy does

Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy is a public charter school located at 4904 N Duncan Drive in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, serving approximately 720 students in grades 6 through 12. Founded by Dr. William Proser in August 1999, the Academy has continuously operated a single-campus, college-preparatory program emphasizing rigorous academics, character development, and rejection of grade inflation. The school is authorized by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission and is open to any Idaho resident through a lottery-based admissions process when applications exceed per-grade capacity (caps stated at 157 in 6th, 140 in 7th, 130 in 8th, 100 in 9th, 75 in 10th, 73 in 11th, and 45 in 12th for the 2025-26 school year). Leadership transitioned in June 2017 when founder Proser retired; Dan Nicklay currently serves as Head of School, with Angela Durick as Charter Administrator/CFO and Stacey Peppin as Principal/Activities Director. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Scott MacPhee.

The Academy's product surface spans core academic programs (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, with AP and honors tracks), a comprehensive fine arts program (band, orchestra, choir, drama, visual arts, speech & debate), competitive athletics, college and career counseling, a 46-credit graduation requirement including a mandatory senior project, English Learner services, and McKinney-Vento homeless-program support. Dual enrollment partnerships with North Idaho College and Lewis and Clark College allow students to earn college credits during high school. The technology stack is composed of standard K-12 administrative and instructional tools: Skyward SIS (Student Information System, 2025-2028 service agreement), Finalsite for the website and online enrollment, Google Classroom for counseling and instruction, eFund for Schools for fee payments, and Transparent Idaho for public financial disclosure. No proprietary technology, mobile applications, or AI/ML capabilities are present. The Academy holds dual accreditation from Cognia and the Idaho State Board of Education.

The business model is that of a publicly funded nonprofit charter school. Revenue is generated through Idaho per-pupil state allocations based on average daily attendance, augmented by federal Title I funds, special education funding, and grants; no tuition is charged. The fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30. Ancillary revenue includes an annual gala and auction (held at the Coeur d'Alene Resort under multi-year 2021-2026 agreements) and a school store. The Academy does not raise equity, does not have a parent company, and operates without disclosed institutional investment or M&A activity. The go-to-market model is school-of-choice enrollment, where families actively apply by the second Friday in March and compete via lottery, with preference given to returning students, children of founders and employees, siblings, and primary attendance area residents. Marketing is driven by brand reputation (ranked #1 high school in Idaho by U.S. News & World Report for 2026), word-of-mouth, campus tours, and the Charter Parent Organization rather than paid advertising.

Name

Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy

Legal name

Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy

Website

https://cdacharter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy is a public charter school in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, serving approximately 720 students in grades 6-12 through a rigorous, tuition-free college preparatory program. Founded in 1999, it is publicly funded via Idaho per-pupil allocations and ranked the #1 high school in Idaho.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Charter School (K-12 Education)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• College preparatory education
• K-12 secondary education
• Tuition-free schooling
• Idaho charter schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Coeur d'Alene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding (Per-Pupil Allocation): As a public charter school in Idaho, the Academy receives per-pupil state funding based on average daily attendance. Fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30. Additional revenue streams include federal Title I funds, special education funding, and grants. No tuition is charged as it is a public school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy is an independent public charter school delivering tuition-free college preparatory education to students in grades 6-12 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Instruction is delivered in a structured environment with small class sizes, uniform and discipline policies, and a required Senior Project capstone for graduation, supplemented by fine arts, athletics, dual-credit, and English Learner programs. The school admits students via a blind lottery and is governed by an independent Board of Directors rather than a traditional school district.

Product overview

Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy is a public charter school offering a unified college preparatory educational program for grades 6-12. The core product is its rigorous academic curriculum emphasizing content-rich education and mastery of subject matter. The Academy provides comprehensive educational services including core academic programs (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language), fine arts (band, orchestra, choir, drama, visual arts, speech & debate), athletics, college & career counseling, and specialized support programs (English Learner services, McKinney-Vento homeless support). Students must complete a 46-credit graduation requirement including a senior project. The school maintains small class sizes with enrollment caps per grade level and operates on lottery-based admission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Preparatory Education Program (Grades 6-12) Tuition-free, lottery-admitted college preparatory schooling for grades 6-12, structured around small class sizes, uniform/dress code, and a required Senior Project capstone for graduation. Targeted at North Idaho families seeking an alternative to traditional district high schools.
• Dual Credit Program

Quantifiable outcome

• First graduating class in 2001-2002 with subsequent classes achieving high college enrollment rates

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Idaho CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual Enrollment Agreement partnership allowing Charter Academy students to earn college credits while in high school. Also partnership for use of Schuler Arts Center for performances and events.
• Lewis and Clark CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding for educational partnership and student pathways.
• Skyward (ISCorp)coreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System (SIS) software and service provider for administrative management, grading, attendance, and student records. Software and Service Agreement 2025-2028.
• FinalsitecoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the school's website, communications, and enrollment management.
• Pacific Office AutomationminorOthersOffice equipment and printing services provider. 2024-2029 lease agreement.
• Coeur d'Alene ResortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual gala and auction event venue partner. Multi-year agreements from 2021-2026.
• Idaho Public Charter School CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversight and authorizer body for Idaho charter schools. Publishes Annual Performance Reports for the Academy.
• Idaho Department of EducationcoreOthersState education agency providing regulatory oversight, funding coordination, and data reporting requirements. Fiscal year reporting and audit submissions required.
• Next Steps Idaho / Idaho State Board of EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership promoting Apply Idaho and Scholarship Idaho programs for college applications and state-sponsored scholarships.
• LutherhavenminorOthersOutdoor education and retreat facility partnerships for student activities. 2022-2023 and 2025 agreements.
• JACC (Jacklin Arts & Conference Center)minorOthersRental agreements for events and conferences. 2023 and 2025 agreements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of college-preparatory charter schools consistently ranked among the top in the U.S. Like Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy, BASIS operates single-site campuses focused on rigorous academics, AP coursework, and high graduation standards.
• Great Hearts Academies: Classical, college-preparatory charter school network with a structured curriculum, uniform/dress code, and character-development emphasis — closely aligned with CDA Charter Academy's scholar-focused philosophy.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: High-performing NYC-based charter network with lottery admission and a strong college-prep orientation; comparable in admissions model and academic rigor.

Emerging players

• Classical Academies: Charter network with classical, college-preparatory curriculum and structured character development — comparable in instructional philosophy and family demographic.

Broad incumbents

• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating K-8 and K-12 campuses with a college-prep orientation and structured environment; similar governance and oversight model to a single-authorized charter school.
• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter network operating college-prep schools with extended days and structured academics, addressing a similar target market through a comparable model.
• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): One of the largest U.S. charter networks focused on college preparation for underserved students; broader scope and multiple regions, but operates in the same charter school category.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Charter operator focused on college readiness, primarily in California and Tennessee; comparable in mission and charter-authorized operating model.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large charter network combining rigorous college-prep academics with athletics and extracurriculars, sharing the scholar-athlete culture and college-readiness focus.

Regional players

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Los Angeles-based charter network operating small public high schools with a college-prep focus; similar small-campus, rigorous-curriculum model, though concentrated in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cdacharteracademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/cdacharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cdacharter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy