East Wake Academy

What East Wake Academy does

East Wake Academy is a K-12 public charter school established in 1998 and located at 821 Charter School Way in Zebulon, North Carolina. The school operates under the oversight of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and is structured into three divisions: K-4 Academy (elementary), Middle Academy (grades 5-8), and Senior Academy (grades 9-12), serving students and families across the East Wake County area. The institution is led by Executive Director Anthony Pirrello with a team of approximately 96 staff including division principals, a Director of Curriculum and Instruction, a Director of Academic Advising and Student Services, a Technology Director, and a Director of Safety and Maintenance.

The school's core academic offering is supplemented by an athletics program, the WINGS before- and after-school care program, a clubs program, driver's education, and an Exceptional Children's special education program. Academic differentiation includes a college-preparatory focus and a dual enrollment arrangement with Wake Technical Community College that allows qualifying high school students to earn college credits. Admissions are managed through the SchoolMint online lottery system, with the school maintaining a community-facing presence across its official website, iOS and Android mobile apps, Facebook, and X (Twitter). Operational technology is limited to standard K-12 administrative tooling — the Apptegy website platform and Infinite Campus for student information — with no proprietary technology or disclosed AI capabilities.

As a public charter school, East Wake Academy is funded primarily through North Carolina state and local per-pupil allocations tied to enrollment, with no tuition charged to NC-resident families. Supplemental revenue comes from WINGS program fees, facility rentals, and donations through the affiliated Eagle Foundation nonprofit. The school is governed by an independent Board of Directors and does not have parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership. It maintains regulatory compliance with NC academic standards, FERPA student data privacy requirements, and state charter school reporting obligations.

Name

East Wake Academy

Legal name

East Wake Academy

Website

https://eastwakeacademy.org

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

East Wake Academy is a K-12 public charter school in Zebulon, North Carolina, serving elementary through high school students across three academy divisions under NC Department of Public Instruction oversight, funded by state per-pupil allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 public education
• Before after school care
• College preparatory curriculum
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zebulon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school in North Carolina, East Wake Academy receives funding from state and local sources based on enrollment. Additional revenue streams include before/after school care program (WINGS), facility rentals, and donations through Eagle Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

East Wake Academy is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school in Zebulon, North Carolina, operating across three academic divisions (K-4 Academy, Middle Academy, and Senior Academy). The school delivers standard-aligned classroom instruction, college preparatory curriculum with dual enrollment through Wake Technical Community College, and supplemental programs including WINGS before/after school care, athletics, clubs, driver's education, and exceptional children's (special education) services.

Product overview

East Wake Academy is a K-12 public charter school offering a three-tiered educational structure: K-4 Academy (elementary), Middle Academy (middle school), and Senior Academy (high school). The school supplements its core academic programs with optional add-on services including WINGS before/after school care, athletics, clubs, driver's education, and an exceptional children's program for special education. The institution is powered by Apptegy's website platform and uses Infinite Campus for student information management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K-4 Academy: Elementary school division covering Kindergarten through 4th grade.
• Middle Academy
• Senior Academy
• WINGS
• Eagle Foundation

Products and services

• K-4 Academy Elementary school program for kindergarten through 4th grade, featuring a specialized curriculum with specials including media/STEAM, music, movement, art, and PE.
• Middle Academy Middle school program covering 5th through 8th grade with curriculum including core subjects, specials, and electives such as Spanish and dance.
• Senior Academy High school program (9th-12th grade) offering course selection guidance, dual enrollment with Wake Technical Community College, and preparation for graduation and post-secondary education.
• WINGS Before and After School Care Program Fee-based supervision and care program for students before and after regular school hours, with enrollment forms and handbook for enrolled families.
• Athletics Program Competitive sports program for middle and high school students, managed through a separate athletics website.
• Exceptional Children's Program Special education services and support for students with disabilities, providing individualized education programs and accommodations.
• Clubs Program After-school clubs and organizations including National Honor Society and other student activities.
• Drivers' Education Driver's education program providing classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training for eligible students.

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 core and minor.

• SchoolMintcoreTechnology or IntegrationSchoolMint provides the online lottery-based admissions platform for East Wake Academy. Parents use SchoolMint to submit enrollment applications and participate in the charter school lottery system.
• Wake Technical Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEWA and Wake Dual Enrollment Program allows qualifying high school students to enroll in college courses at Wake Tech while completing high school requirements, earning both high school and college credits.
• Eagle FoundationcoreOthersEast Wake Academy Eagle Foundation is the school's official nonprofit fundraising organization supporting scholarships, programs, and school improvements. Executive Director Alison Johnson also serves as EWA Eagle Foundation Executive Director.
• NC School Report CardsminorOthersState-mandated school performance reporting through North Carolina Department of Public Instruction school report cards for transparency.
• North Carolina Department of Public InstructioncoreOthersEWA operates as a public charter school under NC DPI oversight, following state academic standards and curriculum requirements including Standard Course of Study.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Woods Charter School: A North Carolina K-12 public charter school serving Chatham County. Directly comparable to East Wake Academy as a state-licensed charter serving elementary through high school with college-prep orientation.
• Pine Lake Preparatory: A North Carolina K-12 public charter school located in Mooresville, NC. Highly comparable to East Wake Academy as a state-licensed NC charter school offering a college-preparatory curriculum with K-12 structure.
• KIPP North Carolina Public Schools: Operates KIPP charter schools across North Carolina, including in the greater Triangle region. Directly comparable to East Wake Academy as a college-prep oriented K-12 charter network operating under NC public charter authorization.

Broad incumbents

• Charter Schools USA: A large charter management organization operating schools nationwide. Comparable to East Wake Academy as a charter school operator, though it operates at significantly greater scale and across more states.
• BASIS Charter Schools: A national charter school network with a strong college-prep and STEM curriculum focus. Comparable to East Wake Academy in mission and college-prep orientation, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple states.
• National Heritage Academies: A large charter management organization operating K-8 charter schools across multiple states. Comparable to East Wake Academy as a charter operator focused on college preparation, though narrower in grade span.
• Uncommon Schools: A charter management organization operating K-12 public charter schools in the Northeast. Comparable to East Wake Academy in its K-12 college-prep focus, though geographically distinct and larger in scale.

Others

• Wake County Public School System: The traditional public school district serving Wake County, including Zebulon where EWA operates. The primary alternative to East Wake Academy for K-12 families in the same service area, competing for the same student population.
• SchoolMint: An EdTech platform that provides the online lottery-based admissions system used by East Wake Academy. An indirect ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but tightly coupled to EWA's enrollment process.

Regional players

• Success Academy: A prominent K-12 charter school network primarily serving New York City. Comparable to East Wake Academy in its K-12 college-prep charter model and lottery-based admissions, but operates regionally in the Northeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eastwakeacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/EastWakeAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/east-wake-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 East Wake Academy