Kentucky Schools

What Kentucky Schools does

Dawson Springs Independent School District (also referenced as Kentucky Schools) is a public K-12 school district headquartered at 118 E Arcadia Ave in Dawson Springs, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Established in 1854 and operating under the Kentucky Department of Education, the district serves approximately 592 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade across two schools: Dawson Springs Elementary School (PK-5, 323 students, Principal Jennifer Ward) and Dawson Springs Jr./Sr. High School (grades 6-12, 270 students, Principal Elizabeth Robinson). The district is governed by an elected five-member Board of Education led by Board Chair Wes Ausenbaugh and Vice Chair Meredith Hyde, with Superintendent Leonard Whalen overseeing day-to-day operations.

The district operates a multi-site web presence (dawsonsprings.kyschools.us) anchored on the ParentSquare/Smartsites platform, with dedicated sub-sites for each school and the Little Panther Academy preschool program. Core technology is entirely third-party and standard for K-12: Infinite Campus as the Student Information System (grades, attendance, enrollment, parent/student/staff portals with O365 SSO), ParentSquare for district-wide family communication, Microsoft 365/Outlook for staff productivity, Vector Safe Schools Training for compliance, Manage1to1 for 1:1 Chromebook device management, Parchment for transcript services, TEd K-12 for HR/recruiting, and HealthePro for food service menus. The technology architecture has no proprietary AI or differentiated software layer.

Revenue is derived from three government sources — Kentucky state education funding (per-pupil SEEK and add-ons), federal education funding (Title programs, IDEA special education), and local property taxes in the Dawson Springs area — with no tuition charged for standard enrollment. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on online registration via Infinite Campus, ParentSquare notifications, district newsletters, and word-of-mouth within Dawson Springs. Strategic partnerships include Hopkins County Health Department (school-based clinic), Mountain Comprehensive Care and Pennyroyal Center (mental health), the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC), Kentucky OVR (career services), and feeder relationships with Union Commonwealth University and Western Kentucky University's Gatton Academy.

Name

Kentucky Schools

Legal name

Dawson Springs Independent School District

Website

https://dawsonsprings.kyschools.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1854

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dawson Springs Independent School District is a public K-12 school district in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, serving 592 Pre-K through 12th grade students across two schools, funded by state, federal, and local property tax sources under the Kentucky Department of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADABAA

Public School Districts (K–12)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/School Districts, Local Education Authorities & Boards

SECONDARYEDAJAAAB

Public Elementary Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

SECONDARYEDAJAAAE

Public K–12 Combined Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• Preschool early childhood
• Special education services
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dawson Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Funding (Kentucky): Primary funding from Kentucky state education funding based on average daily attendance and enrollment figures.
2. Federal Education Funding: Federal Title programs, special education funding (IDEA), and other federal grants supporting district programs.
3. Local Property Taxes: Local property tax revenue supporting school operations and facilities in Dawson Springs area.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dawson Springs Independent School District delivers tuition-free public K-12 education to approximately 592 students across two schools in Dawson Springs, Kentucky: Dawson Springs Elementary (Pre-K through 5th grade) and Dawson Springs Jr./Sr. High School (grades 6-12), supplemented by the Little Panther Academy preschool program. Core offerings include standard academic instruction, special education, English language development, gifted and talented education, career services through PRE-ETS/OVR, athletics, and wraparound family support via the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC). The district operates under Kentucky Department of Education oversight and is funded by state education aid, federal grants, and local property taxes.

Product overview

Dawson Springs Independent School District operates a multi-site web presence anchored by the main district website (dawsonsprings.kyschools.us), which serves as the central hub for district-wide information, enrollment, departments, and news. The district ecosystem comprises two individual school websites — Dawson Springs Elementary School (Pre-K through grade 5) and Dawson Springs Jr./Sr. High School (grades 6-12) — along with specialized sub-products including the Little Panther Academy preschool program. Key software-as-service modules augment the core web presence: ParentSquare handles all district-wide communication and family engagement; Infinite Campus serves as the Student Information System for grades, attendance, enrollment, and parent/student/teacher portals; and Vector Safe Schools Training delivers staff safety and compliance training. The overall architecture is a unified platform (district website) supporting multiple sub-school sites and integrated third-party SIS and communication modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dawson Springs Elementary School (PK-5) Core operating school of Dawson Springs ISD providing tuition-free public elementary education for Pre-K through 5th grade students; serves approximately 323 students in Dawson Springs, KY under Principal Jennifer Ward. Includes standard academics, special education, English language development, tutoring, and gifted and talented education.
• Dawson Springs Jr./Sr. High School (Grades 6-12) Core operating school of Dawson Springs ISD providing tuition-free public secondary education for grades 6-12; serves approximately 270 students under Principal Elizabeth Robinson. Includes academics, athletics, college and career readiness, guidance office services, clubs, and student life programming, and supports career services through PRE-ETS and OVR.
• Little Panther Academy (Preschool) District-run preschool program providing early childhood education to young children in the Dawson Springs community, with its own staff, parent handbook, and registration process; income-based assistance may be available through CCAP for some families.
• Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) District-run wraparound support center connecting students and families with basic needs assistance, health services, mental health referrals (in partnership with Mountain Comprehensive Care and Pennyroyal Center), family programs, and other community resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate achieved in 2024-25 school year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Hopkins County Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool-based health clinic services provided through partnership with Hopkins County Health Department, offering health and human services to students on campus.
• Mountain Comprehensive Care (MCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health counseling and referral services for students through Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, addressing student social-emotional needs.
• Pennyroyal CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health and substance abuse counseling referrals and services for students and families in need.
• Union Commonwealth UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrack athlete Cooper Burge signed with Union Commonwealth University (NAIA) for collegiate athletics in fall 2026.
• Western Kentucky University (Gatton Academy)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent Elanor Chappell accepted to The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, the Commonwealth's first residential two-year program for gifted students at WKU.
• Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer services through PRE-ETS (Pre-Employment Transition Services) providing career exploration and job readiness support.
• Kentucky Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState oversight and accountability through KDE, including annual accountability ratings and reporting requirements.
• Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRYSC connects families with school and community resources supporting student success through basic needs, health services, mental health referrals, and family programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Livingston County Schools (Kentucky): Small, rural Kentucky public school district operating under identical KDE standards and funding formulas, with similar scale constraints and community-based delivery model.
• Caldwell County Schools (Kentucky): Small rural Kentucky public school district serving a comparable-sized PK-12 population under the same KDE accountability framework and per-pupil funding (SEEK) structure, with overlapping operational scale.
• Crittenden County Schools (Kentucky): Rural Western Kentucky public school district with enrollment and operational footprint comparable to Dawson Springs ISD, subject to the same state assessment and accountability structure.
• Marshall County Schools (Kentucky): Western Kentucky public school district with comparable rural-to-micropolitan footprint, similar KDE accountability and SEEK funding mechanics, and analogous K-12 service delivery from elementary through high school campuses.
• Hopkins County Schools (Kentucky): Public school district operating in the same county as Dawson Springs ISD, serving a similar rural Western Kentucky community with K-12 public education delivered through county-level administration comparable in size and funding model.
• Christian County Schools (Kentucky): Kentucky public school district operating under state KDE oversight with the same funding model and curriculum frameworks; comparable in operating profile as a non-urban, K-12 district serving a similar regional student population.
• Todd County Schools (Kentucky): Rural Kentucky public school district of similar enrollment scale, sharing the same KDE oversight, state assessments, and per-pupil funding structure that governs Dawson Springs ISD's operations.
• Muhlenberg County Schools (Kentucky): Public school district in Western Kentucky with comparable rural profile, same KDE accountability regime, and analogous funding mix of SEEK plus local property tax revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DawsonSpringsISD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Kentucky Schools