Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools

What Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools does

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy is a nonprofit public charter school operating on a single campus at 3701 Hayes Street NE in Washington, DC. Founded in 1997 by Irasema Salcido, the school serves students in grades 6-12 through two divisions: Chavez Lower School (grades 6-8) and Chavez Upper School (grades 9-12), with current executive leadership under Executive Director Sanjay Mitchell and Board Co-Chairs Frances Whalen and Jonathan Nobil. The school's stated mission is to prepare students for competitive colleges and empower them to use public policy to create a more just society, which is operationalized through a Public Policy academic program, a Fellowship Program (including Civil Rights Movement mission trips), a College Success Program providing alumni support, an Athletics Program spanning middle and high school sports, a mandatory JUMP-START summer reading initiative, and student media properties including the "Chavez Loud Chavez Proud Podcast."

The business model is that of a publicly funded DC charter school: revenue derives from per-pupil DC public funding allocations, with enrollment funneled exclusively through the My School DC common lottery. The school claims 100% college acceptance rate, $3.1 million in scholarships/grants awarded to students, 4,635 completed fellowship hours, and 3 POSSE Scholars, alongside a 2022 Washington Post Bold Performance School Recognition. The school participates in the federal National School Breakfast and Lunch Program under the Community Eligibility Provision, providing free meals to all students, and maintains compliance with FERPA, Title IX, ADA, McKinney-Vento, and non-discrimination requirements. The technology stack is built on the third-party Edlio school management platform; there is no proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, mobile app, or public API disclosed. The organization maintains community partnerships with Pepco Connect (STEAM Lab donor), the Washington Commanders, multiple DC small businesses, and District government offices (OCA, OGVP).

In March 2026, the Board of Trustees publicly stated it would consider renaming the school in response to news reports about the historical conduct of the namesake Cesar Chavez, introducing a material brand and reputational variable for an institution that otherwise shows stable, single-campus operations across 25+ years.

Name

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools

Legal name

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy

Website

https://chavezschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy is a nonprofit DC public charter school operating one campus serving grades 6-12, focused on college preparation through public policy education and civic engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• College preparatory programs
• Public policy education
• Secondary school services
• Middle school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington, District of Columbia

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy operates a single-campus public charter school in Washington, DC, serving students in grades 6-12 through two divisions—Chavez Lower School (grades 6-8) and Chavez Upper School (grades 9-12). The school's core offering is college preparatory education with an integrated public policy curriculum, complemented by fellowship opportunities, college success support for alumni, athletics, and a free meal program under the Community Eligibility Provision.

Product overview

Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy is a single-campus public charter school serving grades 6-12 in Washington, DC. The school operates two main divisions: Chavez Lower School (grades 6-8) and Chavez Upper School (grades 9-12). The school offers a unified educational program centered on public policy, with integrated programs including the Fellowship program (including mission trips), College Success program (providing ongoing alumni support), and Athletics. The school also runs the JUMP-START summer reading program to combat learning loss, Chavez Media for communications, and the Chavez Loud Chavez Proud Podcast for student-led discussions on public policy. A virtual tour service is available for prospective families, and the school participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program providing free meals to all students under the Community Eligibility Provision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Washington CommandersminorOthers · 31 March 2026Washington Commanders donated flag football jerseys and gear to girls flag football teams at Chavez Schools.
• Pepco ConnectcoreOthers · 25 September 2024Pepco Connect donated and built a state-of-the-art STEAM Lab at Chavez Schools, providing students with opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
• Community Partners NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple community partners including: RAIE'S Kitchen, Beans Custom Cupcakes, The Difference Boutique, Zayyblendz, The Detroit Way, Wavycuts, Mayrfair/Parkside Family Success Centers, Premiercutz grooming, Associates for Renewal in Education, Da Go-Go Fitness, Union Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church
• Office of the City Administrator (OCA)minorOthersStudents visited John A. Wilson Building to learn about government operations, the role of OCA, and how public policy is informed.
• Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP)minorOthersGovernment colleagues engaged with Chavez students during their visit to the John A. Wilson Building.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Friendship Public Charter School: Multi-campus DC public charter network with strong college-prep focus, including a flagship campus near the same NE DC corridor. Competes head-to-head in the same lottery.
• Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School: DC public charter high school with a law-and-public-policy focus. Highly comparable for mission alignment with Chavez's public-policy curriculum and DC location.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Charter school network emphasizing rigorous college-prep academics. Comparable as a college-prep-focused charter with single-site and multi-site models, including BASIS DC.
• Democracy Prep Public Charter Schools: Civic-engagement-themed charter network with a strong college-prep track record. Comparable for combining public-policy/civic mission with college outcomes, mirroring Chavez's positioning.
• DC Prep Public Charter School: DC public charter network serving grades PK-3 through 8 with a college-prep mission. Comparable mission and direct lottery overlap with Chavez for middle-school families.
• KIPP DC Public Charter Schools: Multi-campus DC public charter network serving K-12 with a college-prep mission. Directly comparable as a DC college-prep charter competing for the same My School DC lottery families.

Broad incumbents

• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large NYC-based charter network with strong college-prep outcomes. Comparable as an established charter operator pursuing similar outcomes metrics, but at much larger scale and in a different geography.
• National Heritage Academies: Multi-state charter management organization operating public charter schools. Comparable as a scaled charter operator, but with a broader portfolio rather than a public-policy specialization.
• DC Public Schools (DCPS): DC's traditional public school district. Comparable as the public-school competitor set in the DC market against which Chavez differentiates on college-prep and public-policy focus.

Regional players

• Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science: DC STEM-focused public charter middle school. Comparable as a college-prep charter in the same city, but STEM rather than public-policy focused; partial overlap with Chavez Lower School.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/chavezschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChavezSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/chavezschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chavezschools

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools