Chicago Collegiate Charter School

What Chicago Collegiate Charter School does

Chicago Collegiate Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school operating on Chicago's far South Side, serving students in grades 5 through 12 across two campuses: a middle school at 11816 South Indiana Avenue and a high school at 10909 South Cottage Grove. Founded in 2011, the school reports a 100% graduation rate, 100% college acceptance rate, and 100% parent approval rating, and states a vision that 100% of scholars complete college within six years of entry. Its student body is approximately 96% Black or African American, with the school positioning itself as a college-preparatory option for an historically underserved community. The organization is led by CEO Tracie Sanlin, supported by a CFO, Director of Marketing and Development, Director of Special Education, Principal, and Manager of HR and Compliance, with a total headcount of 32 employees. It also supports special education students, English Language Learners, and students in transitional living situations, with active parent engagement through the Families for Collegiate volunteer organization.

The school's core products are two interconnected educational programs — the Middle School Program (grades 5-8) and the High School Program (grades 9-12) — augmented by college preparation and support services, a free student meal program (via USDA Community Eligibility Provision and Gourmet Gorilla), student supply services, and transportation support including reduced-price Ventra cards. There is no proprietary technology platform; the school relies entirely on third-party SaaS solutions, including SchoolMint and PowerSchool for enrollment, Parchment for transcript ordering, BambooHR for HR, PayPal for donations, Google Forms for volunteer management, and Lands' End for uniforms. The school manages board governance through a public board-meeting minutes page and operates with a Board Chair, CEO, and structured leadership team.

Chicago Collegiate's revenue model is dominated by per-pupil public funding from federal, state, and local government sources based on student enrollment, supplemented by donations (processed via PayPal and actively solicited through a Development Department), modest student supply fees ($50/year for middle school, $200/year for high school), and minor ancillary fees (e.g., $2 reduced-price Ventra cards, optional busing, after-school enrichment). Families unable to pay fees may volunteer at $10/hour to work them off. As a nonprofit public charter school under Illinois law, the school is tuition-free, governed by a Board of Directors, and has no parent company or external equity holders. Its go-to-market is community-driven: lottery-based enrollment supplemented by school tours, parent testimonials, a school website, Facebook presence, and direct phone/email outreach managed by a dedicated Student Recruiter.

Name

Chicago Collegiate Charter School

Legal name

Chicago Collegiate Charter School

Website

https://chicagocollegiate.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Collegiate Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school on Chicago's far South Side operating middle school (grades 5-8) and high school (grades 9-12) campuses, serving primarily Black and African American students with a college-preparatory curriculum. It reports 100% graduation and 100% college acceptance rates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

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
• Middle school education
• High school education
• Tuition-free schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a public charter school, the primary revenue source is per-pupil funding from federal, state, and local government sources based on student enrollment. This represents the core operational funding for the school.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The school actively solicits donations through its Development Department, accepting monetary gifts to support academic programs, college visits, leadership opportunities, athletics, and student resources. Donations are processed through PayPal.
3. Student Supply Fees: Annual supply fees charged to families: $50 per middle school student (grades 5-8) and $200 per high school student (grades 9-12). These fees cover classroom supplies, technology access, planners, and subsidize field trips and college visits.
4. Transportation and Enrichment Fees: Additional fees for optional services including busing and after-school enrichment programs. Families unable to pay fees can volunteer to work off fees at a rate of $10/hour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicago Collegiate Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school providing rigorous college-preparatory education for grades 5-12 on Chicago's far South Side. Its core offering combines a Middle School Program (Grades 5-8) and a High School Program (Grades 9-12) with wraparound support services including college readiness programming, free meals, transportation assistance, and student supplies, all aimed at 100% graduation and college acceptance.

Product overview

Chicago Collegiate Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school serving grades 7-12 (with middle school serving grades 5-8) on Chicago's far South Side. The school offers a unified college-preparatory education program centered on rigorous academics and comprehensive support services. The core educational offering consists of two interconnected programs: the Middle School Program (Grades 5-8) building foundational skills and the High School Program (Grades 9-12) focused on college readiness and completion. Supporting these core programs are supplementary modules including College Preparation & Support Services, Student Meal Program, Student Fee & Supply Services, and Transportation Services—all designed to remove barriers to student success and ensure 100% college acceptance and completion rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Program (Grades 5-8) Tuition-free college-preparatory middle school program for students in grades 5-8 on Chicago's far South Side, featuring small class sizes, personalized attention, and a curriculum designed to build critical thinking and active citizenship skills needed for high school success.
• High School Program (Grades 9-12) Rigorous college-preparatory high school program for students in grades 9-12, with college readiness embedded in culture and curriculum, designed to ensure students are accepted to and complete college within six years of entry.
• College Preparation & Support Services Comprehensive college readiness programming including college visits, application support, and ongoing monitoring to ensure college completion within six years of high school entry, with support for English Language Learners and special education students.
• Student Meal Program Free daily breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided to all students through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in partnership with Gourmet Gorilla, including allergen and ingredient transparency.
• Student Fee & Supply Services Annual supply fee services covering classroom materials (binders, folders, paper, pencils, planners) and technology access. Middle school fee is $50/year; high school fee is $200/year. Subsidizes field trips and college visits.
• Transportation Services Busing services and reduced-price Ventra cards for public transportation ($2 fee) provided to support student attendance and access, with additional benefits for students in transitional living situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate - all students graduate from high school
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gourmet GorillacoreOthersFood service partner providing fresh and healthy meal options for breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily. Operates as a Community Eligibility Provision partner, enabling all students to receive meals free of charge.
• ParchmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationTranscript ordering service enabling students to order and send transcripts and credentials securely through Parchment's platform.
• Lands' EndminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool uniform partner where families can purchase approved school uniforms through Lands' End's school uniform program.
• SchoolMintcoreTechnology or IntegrationEnrollment management platform used by families to apply to Chicago Collegiate Charter Schools.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationEnrollment form platform used for the application process (enrollment.powerschool.com).
• USDA (Food and Nutrition Service)coreOthersFederal meal program partner enabling the school to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision, allowing all students to receive free meals. Subject to USDA civil rights regulations and nondiscrimination requirements.
• Chicago Public Schools (CPS)minorOthersVolunteer policy alignment with CPS standards for background checks and volunteer requirements. Referenced for volunteer policy compliance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Noble Network of Charter Schools: Chicago's largest charter network operating multiple high schools on the South and West Sides. Directly comparable as a college-prep charter operator serving similar demographics in Chicago.
• YES Prep Public Schools: Houston-based charter network operating grade 6-12 and K-12 campuses with a college-prep focus. Comparable as a multi-campus charter operator with strong college readiness outcomes.
• Uncommon Schools: Northeast-based charter network operating college-prep schools in underserved communities. Comparable rigorous college-prep charter model with strong outcome claims.
• Urban Prep Charter Academies: Chicago charter high school network with a historically all-male model focused on college prep for underrepresented minorities. Comparable college-preparatory mission and Chicago South Side footprint.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based charter network with strong academic outcomes and a college-prep mission. Comparable as a high-performing charter school operator focused on college readiness for underserved students.
• KIPP Chicago: Part of the national KIPP network operating multiple charter schools in Chicago serving grades K-12. Comparable as a college-prep charter operator on Chicago's South Side targeting similar student populations.
• IDEA Public Schools: Texas-based charter network consistently delivering strong college-ready outcomes for low-income students. Comparable large-scale charter operator with explicit college completion mission.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Schools (CPS): Chicago's traditional public school district serving K-12 across the city. Comparable as the broader authorizing/operating environment for Chicago charter schools, with overlapping student populations.
• National Heritage Academies: For-profit charter management organization operating K-8 (and some K-12) schools across multiple states. Comparable as a multi-site charter operator, though typically with younger grade levels.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: College-prep charter/independent school network with rigorous academic curriculum. Comparable college-prep mission and academic rigor, though typically serves a more affluent demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagocollegiate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-collegiate-charter-school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Chicago Collegiate Charter School