PALOS HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT 128

What PALOS HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT 128 does

Palos Heights School District 128 is a public K-8 school district operating under the authority of the Illinois State Board of Education, serving families residing within district boundaries in Palos Heights, Cook County, Illinois. The district delivers free public education from preschool through 8th grade across four schools: Indian Hill Early Learning Center (preschool/kindergarten), Chippewa Elementary School (grades 1-5), Navajo Heights School (grades 1-5), and Independence Junior High School (grades 6-8). Auxiliary services include bus transportation through First Student, special education and student services, athletics and after-school activities, a therapy dog program in partnership with Bright and Beautiful, Inc., and a STEAM Summer Camp run with Center for Future Innovators (CFI Robotics). Two of its programs carry the state's top third-party quality designations: Independence Junior High's 'Exemplary' rating (top 3% of Illinois schools) and Indian Hill's Preschool for All program's Gold Circle of Quality from ExceleRate Illinois.

The district operates on a government-funding revenue model, financed primarily through local property taxes and Illinois Evidence-Based Funding formula aid. Tuition is not charged to in-district residents; incremental fee revenue comes from registration, the STEAM Summer Camp ($400/student with $25 sibling discount), and similar ancillary programs. Enrollment has grown 28% over the past ten years, though district communications emphasize that in Illinois increased enrollment does not translate into proportionally higher state or local funding — a structural fiscal tension that has prompted the 'D128 Budget Matters' transparency initiative tied to the 2026 budget cycle. The underlying technology stack is conventional for a small public K-8 district: an Apptegy-powered website and mobile apps, email/newsletter communications, and standard instructional technology tools; no proprietary technology, AI systems, or patents are disclosed.

Governance is provided by an elected Board of Education (currently presided over by Dr. Richard Facko), with day-to-day administration led by Superintendent Jason Smit (succeeding retiring Dr. Merryl Brownlow effective 2026-27) and a central office team of roughly 18 staff including Assistant Superintendent Mary Kate Moroney, Business Manager Kim Anoman, and Director of Student Services Dee Potempa. Community engagement is multi-channel — website, mobile apps, Facebook, X (@palos128), Instagram (@palosd128), and the 'D128 in 128' short-video series — reflecting an explicit posture of financial and operational transparency.

Name

PALOS HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT 128

Legal name

Palos Heights School District 128

Website

https://d128.k12.il.us

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Palos Heights School District 128 is a public K-8 school district in Palos Heights, Illinois, operating four schools (preschool through 8th grade) for resident families, funded by local property taxes and Illinois state aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Public K-8 education
• Early childhood programs
• STEAM education services
• Special education services
• Student transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Palos Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Public school district funded primarily through local property taxes and Illinois State funding. The district has experienced enrollment growth of 28% over 10 years, but increased enrollment does not translate into increased State and local funding according to district communications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Palos Heights School District 128 provides free public K-8 education to families residing within district boundaries in Palos Heights, Illinois, operating four schools that span preschool through 8th grade. The district supplements classroom instruction with programs including a Gold Circle of Quality-designated Preschool for All program, special education services, STEAM enrichment, a therapy dog program, athletics, and bus transportation.

Product overview

Palos Heights School District 128 operates as a K-8 public school district with four schools serving preschool through 8th grade students. The district offers core educational programs at Indian Hill Early Learning Center, Chippewa Elementary, Navajo Heights School, and Independence Junior High. Special programs include a Gold Circle Quality-designated Preschool for All program, STEAM Summer Camp partnerships, and an Exemplary-rated junior high. The district maintains a website powered by Apptegy for communications, provides bus transportation through First Student, and offers support services including therapy dog programs and special education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool for All (PFA) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 28% enrollment growth over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Center for Future Innovators (CFI Robotics)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026District 128 partners with CFI Robotics to offer a hands-on STEAM Summer Camp at Chippewa Elementary School. The partnership provides LEGO EV3 and Spike Robotics, RoboSumo competitions, engineering design challenges, and STEM lab activities for students entering Grades 2-5. CFI Robotics operates the camp independently with district facilities.
• Cook County Sheriff's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2026District 128 partnered with the Cook County Sheriff's Office to host Game Night and Cyber Safety for Parents/Guardians. The event featured a presentation by the Sheriff's Office Internet Safety Advocate on topics including cyberbullying, social media safety, and online predator prevention.
• Bright and Beautiful, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNavajo Heights and Independence Jr. High implemented a therapy dog program with assistance from Bright and Beautiful, Inc. The program supports the social emotional well-being of students and staff.
• First Student (formerly Illinois School Bus)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst Student provides bus transportation services for District 128 students. First Student recently purchased Illinois School Bus. Transportation registration is required annually and the company works with the district to finalize bus routes.
• TruGreenminorOthersTruGreen provides lawn applications and fertilization services for the grounds of all district schools on a scheduled basis throughout the year.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Apptegy: District communication and CMS provider whose platform powers D128's website, mobile apps, and family messaging. While not a peer in the educational mission sense, it is an enabling technology vendor whose product is embedded in the district's community engagement stack.

Direct peers

• Worth School District 127: Neighboring K-8 public school district serving Worth, Illinois, directly adjacent to Palos Heights. Operates a similar elementary and junior high structure funded by Illinois state and local property tax revenue, with overlapping community demographics and feeder patterns into Bremen High School District 228.
• Chicago Ridge School District 127.5: Adjacent K-8 public district serving Chicago Ridge, Illinois, in the same south suburban Cook County cluster. Comparable in scale, governance structure, and reliance on Illinois state funding, with direct enrollment overlap with Palos Heights families.
• Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123: Nearby K-8 district serving Oak Lawn, Illinois, with similar enrollment scale, Illinois state funding model, and community-based enrollment model. Direct competitor for in-district-resident families in the south suburban Cook County region.
• Orland School District 135: K-8 public district serving Orland Park, Illinois, in the same south suburban Cook County area. Operates a multi-school structure with comparable programming and funding model, and serves as a direct alternative for families in the broader Palos Heights/Orland corridor.
• Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124: K-8 public district serving Evergreen Park, Illinois, and a small section of Chicago. Comparable in governance, funding source, and grade span, with similar demand for student services and extracurricular programming in a south suburban setting.
• Mt. Greenwood Elementary School District 161: K-8 public district in the Chicago/Mt. Greenwood area, sharing the same Illinois school funding mechanics and serving a comparable suburban Cook County population. Operates a similar small district structure with elementary and junior high campuses.
• Alsip-Hazelgreen-Oak Lawn School District 126: K-8 public district serving Alsip and parts of Oak Lawn in south suburban Cook County. Comparable in scale, funding model, and structural challenges facing small Illinois K-8 districts, with similar demand for special education and student services.
• Tinley Park Community Consolidated School District 146: K-8 community consolidated district in the south suburban region, serving as a comparable peer in district governance structure, Illinois state funding exposure, and grade configuration. Operates several schools and competes for enrollment in the regional south suburban corridor.

Regional players

• Bremen High School District 228: Public high school district serving the same south suburban Cook County communities (including Palos Heights feeder patterns). Not a direct competitor (serves grades 9-12) but the natural receiving district for D128 graduates, with closely linked enrollment and community dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/palos128
• Facebookfacebook.com/palos128
• Instagraminstagram.com/palosd128
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palos-heights-school-district-128

Compliance2 records

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 PALOS HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT 128