Dayton Early College Academy

What Dayton Early College Academy does

Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charter school system operating three campuses in Dayton, Ohio, serving approximately 1,300 students across grades K-12. Founded in 2003 as Ohio's first early college high school, DECA grew into a contiguous K-12 pipeline through the 2012 launch of DECA PREP (grades K-4) and the 2016 opening of DECA Middle (grades 5-8), with DECA High (grades 9-12) located on the University of Dayton campus. The student population is 75% economically disadvantaged and 81% first-generation college students, with reported outcomes including 100% college acceptance and college degree completion at five times the national average for peers of similar economic background.

The core educational product is the proprietary Gateway Framework, which requires students to complete structured benchmarks including community service hours, job shadows, unpaid internships, ACT preparation, literary analysis papers, an autobiography, and a minimum of three college courses for high school graduation. Early college credit is delivered through a foundational partnership with Sinclair Community College. Supporting products include CDF Freedom Schools enrichment for K-8 students and an Ohio Arts Council-funded Artist in Residence program. Technology integrations consist of standard educational SaaS: Finalsite (website), ParentSquare (parent/student communications), Naviance (college planning), and FinalForms (document management).

Revenue derives from two streams: Ohio state per-pupil funding (the primary source) and gap-financing private donations and foundation grants. As a public charter school, DECA charges $0 tuition and serves students exclusively within the Dayton Public School district. The school generates revenue through enrollment-based state allocations and fundraising via the Dayton Foundation, with no equity, venture, or debt capital structure disclosed. Strategic partnerships with the University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College, The Job Center, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and various community organizations support experiential learning and college readiness programming.

Name

Dayton Early College Academy

Legal name

Dayton Early College Academy

Website

https://daytonearlycollege.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charter school system operating three campuses in Dayton, Ohio, serving approximately 1,300 K-12 students, with 75% economically disadvantaged and 81% first-generation college students, focused on college preparation through its proprietary Gateway Framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-12 education
• Early college programs
• College preparatory education
• Charter school system

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Per-Pupil Funding: Ohio State Legislature provides per pupil support funding for each enrolled student. This is the primary public funding source.
2. Private Donations and Foundation Grants: Gap funding - cost to educate minus state funds - comes from foundations and individuals. DECA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 260463618.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charter school system operating three campuses in Dayton, Ohio — DECA PREP (Grades K-4), DECA Middle (Grades 5-8), and DECA High (Grades 9-12). The system delivers free, college preparatory K-12 education to approximately 1,300 students, with high school students earning dual high school and college credit through a partnership with Sinclair Community College beginning as early as freshman year. Students must complete a structured Gateway Framework of milestones including community service, job shadows, internships, and college coursework to graduate.

Product overview

Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) is a public charter school system with three distinct educational programs across three campuses: DECA PREP (Grades K-4), DECA Middle (Grades 5-8), and DECA High (Grades 9-12). The system is singularly focused on college readiness, with students beginning college coursework as early as freshman year at DECA High through a partnership with Sinclair Community College. The Gateway Framework is a unique requirement system across all campuses that includes community service, job shadows, internships, and literary analysis papers. Freedom Schools provides additional summer enrichment for K-8 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DECA PREP DECA PREP is a free, public elementary school serving over 480 K-4th grade students in Dayton, Ohio. Its singular focus is helping youngest learners establish core skills and habits for college success, with a promise that all students will be reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade.
• DECA Middle DECA Middle serves fifth through eighth grade students in a historic building in Downtown Dayton, providing a quality, engaging, and rigorous college preparatory curriculum with emphasis on deep and meaningful relationships, connecting real-life experiences to classroom content.
• DECA High DECA High is Ohio's first early college high school, located on the University of Dayton campus. Students begin taking college courses at Sinclair Community College as early as freshman year, earning dual high school and college credit. Students must pass six gateway benchmarks to graduate.
• Freedom Schools Children's Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools program offered to K-8 students yearly at DECA PREP, providing summer and after-school enrichment through a research-based and multicultural program model that supports scholars and their families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5x national average college completion rate for similar economic demographics
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sinclair Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Partnership for early college credit program. DECA High students begin taking college courses as early as freshman year, earning dual high school and college credit through Sinclair Community College.
• University of DaytoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003DECA High is located on the prestigious University of Dayton campus, providing students with access to university facilities and exposure to college environment.
• BBA CafécoreOthersBaked By Anita (BBA Café) provides fresh, high-quality meals to DECA students. Owner Anita Stephens is a Dayton native who has served breakfast and lunch to Dayton and Cincinnati charter schools since 2009.
• Ohio Arts CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOhio Arts Council provides annual grants supporting the arts program at DECA High, including Artist in Residence Sierra Leone who leads creative programs.
• Dayton Public SchoolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDECA students participate in athletics through Dayton Public Schools athletic department. Charter students can participate in DPS sports programs.
• Westminster Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing after school programs including Science Club and Lego League Robotics Team for DECA Middle students.
• The Job CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Works program partnership connecting students with internships and job readiness training through The Job Center in Montgomery County.
• Children's Defense Fund (CDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF Freedom Schools program offered annually at DECA PREP for K-8 students. Provides summer and after-school enrichment through research-based multicultural program model.
• NCCJ Greater DaytonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnytown Youth Leadership Institute partnership providing summer program for DEI education and leadership development.
• Goodwill Easterseals Miami ValleyminorOthersCommunity board membership for Superintendent David Taylor - organizations serving the Dayton community.
• Public Media Connect (Think TV)minorOthersCommunity board membership for Superintendent David Taylor - public media organization.
• Engineering and Science Foundation (ESF)minorOthersCommunity board membership for Superintendent David Taylor.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KIPP Schools: National network of public charter K-12 schools with a college-prep mission focused on underserved students. Highly comparable to DECA in mission, gateway-style college-readiness programming, and outcome-driven culture.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large charter K-12 network focused on college preparation and acceptance for low-income communities. Comparable in mission, structured college-readiness milestones, and emphasis on student outcomes.
• BASIS Charter Schools: College-prep charter K-12 network with highly structured academic curriculum. Comparable to DECA in college-prep intensity and outcome tracking, though BASIS focuses more on academic acceleration.
• Achievement First: Northeast-based charter K-12 network with a college-for-all mission and structured college-prep pathway. Operates similarly to DECA with rigorous academic benchmarks and college-readiness programming.
• YES Prep Public Schools: Houston-area charter K-12 system with college-prep mission and explicit college acceptance benchmarks. Comparable to DECA in targeting underserved students and tracking college-readiness outcomes.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based charter K-12 network with a college-prep mission and rigorous academic culture. Comparable to DECA in structured academic expectations and college-readiness focus.
• Uncommon Schools: Northeast charter K-12 network with a college-prep mission for low-income students. Comparable to DECA in mission alignment, structured college-readiness supports, and outcome measurement.

Broad incumbents

• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating K-8 schools across multiple states. Comparable as a broader charter operator serving similar demographics, though less focused on a college-prep high-school model than DECA.

Regional players

• Cincinnati College Prep Academy: Cincinnati-based public charter K-12 school serving underserved students with a college-prep mission. Regional peer operating in Ohio with similar target population and college-readiness focus as DECA.
• Columbus Collegiate Academy: Ohio-based charter school focused on college preparation for underserved students in Columbus. Comparable regional peer to DECA in mission and college-readiness programming within Ohio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJP_oC65H4cWNSDWslPrauw
• Facebookfacebook.com/daytonearlycollege
• Instagraminstagram.com/decadistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/dayton-early-college-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Dayton Early College Academy