Coral Academy of Science-Reno

What Coral Academy of Science-Reno does

Coral Academy of Science-Reno (CASR) is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school founded in 2000 and sponsored by the Washoe County School District, serving more than 1,800 students across five campuses in Reno, Nevada. CASR delivers a college-preparatory S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum spanning three elementary schools (North, South, Northwest), one middle school, and one high school. Core academic programming integrates Project Lead the Way (PLTW) hands-on STEM curricula across all grade levels, Pre-AP foundation courses for grades 9-10, 14 AP and Honors courses for grades 11-12, and a UNR Collegiate Academy dual credit program enabling eligible students to earn up to 42 transferable college credits on campus at $25 per credit hour. Supporting programs include Naviance-based college counseling, MAP and AimsWeb assessments, NIAA-sanctioned athletics across 9 sports (including the only charter school football program in Nevada), free after-school tutoring, and STEAM Family Fun Nights.

The school operates a nonprofit governance model under a five-member volunteer Board of Directors (President Engin Arslan, Ph.D.; Vice President Ercan Aydogdu, Ed.D.; Secretary Rachel Cord; Treasurer Ricci Rodriguez-Elkins, M.Ed.; Member Rebecca Solomon, Ph.D.), with operational leadership distributed across campus principals reporting to a High School Principal (Murat Kurt) and Assistant Principal (Breanne Tyska). CASR is fully accredited by AdvanceED and holds a Nevada Department of Education 5-Star School rating for its high school (4-Star for elementary and middle school campuses) for the 2020-21 school year.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through per-pupil public funding allocations from the Washoe County School District and the state of Nevada, with a residual stream of consumable fees ($160/semester for grades K-5; $110/semester for grades 6-12) and a one-time refundable $50 book deposit. CASR has augmented base funding with $890,363+ in College and Career Readiness grants from the Nevada Department of Education (FY 2018-19 through FY 2020-21) and additional STEAM grants from the Governor's Office of Science, Innovation & Technology. Admission is administered through an annual lottery via the SchoolMint online portal, with no academic eligibility requirements; priority is given to returning students, siblings, and faculty/board members' children. Cohort outcomes are a key marketing differentiator: 96-100% graduation rates (vs. 82.6% Nevada state average), 96% college acceptance, 56% average AP exam pass rate, and 87% of 2021 graduates receiving Governor's Millennium Scholarships.

Name

Coral Academy of Science-Reno

Legal name

Coral Academy of Science

Website

https://coralacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Coral Academy of Science-Reno is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school in Reno, Nevada, serving 1,800+ students across five campuses with a college-preparatory STEAM curriculum, PLTW programs, AP courses, and a UNR dual credit program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 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

Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• STEAM education
• K-12 college preparatory
• Charter school education
• Tuition-free education

Headquarters

HQ city

Reno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a tuition-free public charter school sponsored by the Washoe County School District (WCSD), CAS derives its primary revenue from per-pupil state and district funding allocations. No tuition is charged to students. Additional revenue includes consumable fees ($160/semester K-5; $110/semester 6-12) and book deposit ($50 one-time refundable).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Coral Academy of Science-Reno is a tuition-free public charter school sponsored by the Washoe County School District, serving over 1,800 K-12 students across five campuses in Reno, Nevada. The school delivers a college-preparatory S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum through Project Lead the Way programs, Pre-AP and AP coursework, and a UNR Collegiate Academy dual credit program allowing students to earn transferable college credits on campus. Supporting offerings include NIAA athletics, college counseling via Naviance, free after-school tutoring, and CAMP enrichment classes for elementary students.

Product overview

Coral Academy of Science is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school sponsored by the Washoe County School District, serving over 1,800 students across five campuses in Reno, Nevada. The school's core offering is its college-preparatory S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum, which spans three elementary campuses (North, South, Northwest), a middle school, and a high school. The educational portfolio includes Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programs providing hands-on STEM education across all levels, 14 AP and Honors courses, Pre-AP foundation courses for grades 9-10, and the UNR Collegiate Academy dual credit program allowing students to earn transferable college credits on campus. Supporting programs include NIAA athletics (9 sports), after-school tutoring and clubs, enrichment classes (CAMP for elementary), college counseling via Naviance, and S.T.E.A.M. Family Fun Nights. The school maintains small class sizes averaging 25 students and has achieved top rankings including #1 high school in Northern Nevada and #275 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 College Preparatory Education Tuition-free public charter school serving grades K-12 with emphasis on S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education; college preparatory curriculum preparing students for college and career success. Delivered across five campuses in Reno, Nevada.
• Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Programs Four-year honors-level interdisciplinary program in science, math, and engineering offering three tracks: Biomedical Science, Computer Science, and Engineering. Students experience hands-on, project-based activities developing critical thinking skills and use the design process to create inventions solving real-world problems. Includes PLTW Gateway program at middle school.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• 96-100% cohort graduation rate (vs. 82.6% for Nevada state average)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) - Collegiate AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The UNR Collegiate Academy dual credit program allows eligible CAS-HS students to enroll in college-level courses taught on the CAS High School campus by CAS teachers. Students earn transferable college credits for university admission. The reduced fee is $25 per credit hour with books and materials furnished. This program began in 2023-24 and is expanding.
• Project Lead the Way (PLTW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023PLTW is a nonprofit organization providing transformative K-12 STEAM curriculum. CASR has partnered with PLTW to deliver its Gateway program at middle school and its four-year honors-level interdisciplinary programs (Biomedical Science, Computer Science, Engineering) at high school. PLTW provides curriculum, training, materials, and professional development to CAS teachers. PLTW has been used in over 11,000 schools in all fifty states.
• College Board (Pre-AP Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018CAS High School is among the first schools to join the College Board Pre-AP program and is one of only one hundred schools selected to pilot the initiative in 2018. CAS continues as an official Pre-AP designated school, offering English 1, English 2, Biology, Algebra 1, Geometry with Statistics, and Chemistry as Pre-AP courses required for all freshman and sophomore students.
• Washoe County School District (WCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral Academy of Science is a tuition-free public charter school sponsored by the Washoe County School District. WCSD provides per-pupil funding, school accountability oversight, and enrollment in the Infinite Campus student information system. CAS is the largest charter school in Washoe County.
• NIAA (Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAS is a member of the NIAA and competes in the Northern 2A league. The school offers 9 NIAA-sanctioned sports: Football, Cross-Country, Golf, Cheer, Volleyball, Basketball, Wrestling, Track & Field, and Skiing. CAS was the first charter school in Nevada with a football program.
• Nevada Department of EducationminorOthersThe Nevada Department of Education provides per-pupil funding, school accountability ratings (Star ratings), and College and Career Readiness grants. CASR was awarded over $890,363 in College and Career Readiness grants from FY 2018-19 through 2020-21.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Doral Academy of Nevada: Nevada-based K-12 public charter school network operating multiple campuses in the Las Vegas valley with a college-preparatory STEAM focus. Closest regional competitor to CAS in terms of state-level charter operations, curriculum positioning, and funding model.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large NYC-based charter school network serving K-12 with a strong college-preparatory focus, rigorous academics, and high-profile rankings. Comparable to CAS as a tuition-free public charter with selective admissions via lottery and measurable academic outperformance vs. district averages.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of STEM-focused public charter schools consistently ranked among the top U.S. high schools by U.S. News. Comparable to CAS in its AP-heavy curriculum, college-prep orientation, STEAM emphasis, and high national rankings.
• KIPP Public Schools: National nonprofit network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving K-12, particularly in underserved communities. Directly comparable to CAS in mission (college prep for all), lottery-based admission, and reliance on public per-pupil funding augmented by philanthropic grants.
• Pinecrest Academy of Nevada: Tuition-free public charter school network in Nevada serving K-12 with a classical, college-preparatory curriculum. Comparable to CAS as a same-state charter peer competing for similar lottery-eligible families in Northern Nevada.

Broad incumbents

• Imagine Schools: National charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable to CAS in business model (per-pupil public funding, lottery admissions) but serves a much broader geographic footprint with less specialization in STEAM.
• Charter Schools USA: One of the largest for-profit charter management organizations in the U.S., operating K-8 and K-12 campuses nationwide. Comparable to CAS as a multi-campus charter operator but operates across many states with a broader, less STEAM-specialized portfolio.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large nonprofit charter network operating college-preparatory public schools primarily in Texas with a focus on closing the college-completion gap. Comparable to CAS in mission, lottery-based access, and college-prep outcomes, but at significantly larger scale.
• National Heritage Academies: National for-profit charter management organization operating K-8 charter schools with a "moral focus" curriculum. Comparable to CAS in multi-site charter operations and per-pupil funding model, but does not offer high school or college-prep STEAM specialization.

Regional players

• Academies of Excellence (Nevada State High School): Nevada-based public charter school focused on early college credit and dual enrollment. Comparable to CAS in the dual-credit and college-readiness niche, but focused specifically on the dual-enrollment model rather than full K-12.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coralacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/CoralAcademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/coralacademyreno
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coral-academy-of-science-reno

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Coral Academy of Science-Reno