What Compass Charter Schools does

Compass Charter Schools (legal entity Compass LLC.) is a Florida-based, privately held charter school management organization that operates the Navigator Academy of Leadership network. Founded by Jeremy Calkins, who began charter school development in 2007, Compass opened its first Navigator-branded campus (Valrico, K-8) in 2019, added a second campus in Davenport (now K-12 after the high school program launched in August 2025), and has approval to open a third K-5 campus in SouthShore for the 2027-2028 school year. As of the latest data, the network serves 1,800+ students across two operating schools with 80+ teachers, operating tuition-free under Florida's public charter funding model.

The company's core educational product is the SMART curriculum (Science, Math, Art, Reading, Technology) integrated with Franklin Covey Education's Leader in Me framework for student leadership development, delivered with a 1:1 student-to-device technology ratio and Cognia accreditation. Navigator Academy of Leadership Valrico has received a 'B' designation from the Florida Department of Education and was the highest-scoring charter school among those established in 2019. Beyond operating its own campuses, Compass offers a menu of turn-key back-office services to other charter operators, including school implementation, curriculum and data support, professional development, governance and compliance, accreditation assistance, accounting and grant management, and HR support.

The business model is dual-track: (1) direct operation of tuition-free public charter schools funded primarily through Florida per-pupil state allocations, and (2) provision of management and back-office services to external charter school clients on a B2B basis. Revenue is therefore a function of enrolled students (currently ~1,800 across two campuses) at the state-determined per-pupil rate, supplemented by service-fee revenue from third-party charter operators. The customer base consists of K-12 families in Hillsborough and Polk counties, with a planned extension into the SouthShore submarket. Distribution is direct-to-family via the Compass website and Typeform enrollment links for each campus.

Name

Compass Charter Schools

Legal name

Compass LLC.

Website

https://compassesp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compass Charter Schools is a Florida-based, privately held charter school management organization operating the Navigator Academy of Leadership network, which serves 1,800+ K-12 students across tuition-free public charter campuses in Tampa/Valrico, Davenport, and (planned) SouthShore, and offers turn-key back-office services to other charter operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 education services
• Charter school management
• Leadership development curriculum
• Tuition-free public education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charter School Tuition: As a tuition-free charter school network, Compass Charter Schools operates as a public charter school, likely funded through per-pupil state funding and potentially federal grants for charter schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Compass Charter Schools operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools under the "Navigator Academy of Leadership" brand across Florida (Valrico K-8, Davenport K-High School, SouthShore K-5 opening 2027-2028), serving 1,800+ students with the proprietary "SMART" curriculum integrated with the Leader in Me leadership framework. The organization also sells turn-key charter school management and back-office services to other charter school operators, including school implementation, curriculum and data support, professional development, governance and compliance, accreditation, accounting, and human resources support.

Product overview

Compass Charter Schools operates a network of Navigator Academy of Leadership charter schools (Valrico, Davenport, and SouthShore opening 2027-2028) providing K-8 and K-12 education. The company's core offering combines a 'SMART' curriculum (Science, Math, Art, Reading, Technology) with leadership development through the Leader in Me framework. Compass also provides back-office services to charter schools including management, implementation, curriculum development, professional development, governance and compliance, accreditation, accounting, and human resources support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Navigator Academy of Leadership: Charter school brand operating under Compass Charter Schools, serving students in K-8 and K-12 grade levels with focus on leadership development and SMART curriculum (Science, Math, Art, Reading, Technology).

Products and services

• Navigator Academy of Leadership Valrico Tuition-free public charter school serving Kindergarten through 8th Grade students in Valrico, Florida. Operated by Compass Charter Schools with the SMART curriculum and Leader in Me framework, and Cognia-accredited.
• Navigator Academy of Leadership Davenport Tuition-free public charter school serving Kindergarten through High School students in Davenport, Florida. Operated by Compass Charter Schools with the SMART curriculum and Leader in Me framework, and Cognia-accredited.
• Navigator Academy of Leadership SouthShore Tuition-free public charter school opening for the 2027-2028 school year, serving Kindergarten through 5th Grade students in SouthShore, Florida. Operated by Compass Charter Schools.
• Charter School Management Services Turn-key charter school management services including day-to-day operations, governance support, compliance, accreditation, curriculum, professional development, accounting, and HR support, sold to other charter school governing boards and operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• B School designation from Florida Department of Education - Navigator Academy of Leadership Valrico
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CogniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompass Charter Schools and Navigator Academies are Cognia Accredited. Cognia is a global nonprofit and the world's largest education community, providing accreditation services for schools seeking continuous improvement and quality assurance.
• Franklin Covey Education (Leader in Me)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNavigator Academies implement the Leader in Me framework, a comprehensive leadership development program from Franklin Covey Education. This partnership supports student leadership skills development across all school campuses.
• Polk County School BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNavigator Academy of Leadership Davenport collaborates with Polk County School Board, with Chairman Justin Sharpless visiting the campus to learn about the school's mission and innovative programs.
• Navigator Academy ValricocoreOthersNavigator Academy of Leadership Valrico (NAL-001) is one of three schools operated under Compass Charter Schools management, serving K-8 students in Valrico, FL.
• Navigator Academy DavenportcoreOthersNavigator Academy of Leadership Davenport is one of three schools operated under Compass Charter Schools management, serving K-High School students in Davenport, FL.
• Navigator Academy SouthShoreminorOthersNavigator Academy of Leadership SouthShore is a new school opening for the 2027-2028 school year, operated under Compass Charter Schools management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National non-profit network of college-preparatory public charter schools with a strong leadership-and-character focus. Comparable as a multi-site charter operator with an integrated leadership development framework similar to Leader in Me.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large charter school network operating K-12 campuses with a focus on academic excellence. Comparable as a scaled multi-site charter operator with strong academic outcomes and rigorous curriculum.
• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating numerous public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable as a multi-site charter operator providing turn-key management and back-office services similar to Compass's service offering.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national charter school network operating K-12 public schools with a college-prep mission. Comparable as a scaled multi-site charter operator with rigorous academic outcomes focus.
• Rocketship Public Schools: National charter school network operating K-5 elementary campuses with technology integration. Comparable as a multi-site charter operator emphasizing technology integration (1:1 devices) and academic outcomes like Compass.

Direct peers

• Academica: Florida-based charter school management company operating numerous public charter schools across South Florida. Directly comparable as a Florida charter management organization providing back-office services to charter operators.
• Charter Schools USA: One of the largest charter management organizations in Florida and the U.S., operating multiple K-12 campuses. Directly comparable as a multi-site Florida charter operator with turn-key management services similar to Compass.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Operates a network of high-performing public charter schools with an advanced academics curriculum focus. Comparable as a multi-site charter network emphasizing academic rigor and STEM-focused curriculum like Compass's SMART curriculum.
• Pineapple Cove Classical Academy: Florida-based public charter school with multiple campuses emphasizing classical education and leadership. Comparable as a Florida charter operator with a differentiated educational approach and multi-site footprint.
• Mater Academy: Operates a large network of charter schools across Florida with a focus on college-prep and leadership. Comparable as a multi-site Florida charter school network with differentiated curriculum and leadership development emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compass-charter-schools-fl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Compass Charter Schools