Carter County High School

What Carter County High School does

Ekalaka Public Schools is a public K-12 school district serving the town of Ekalaka (population under 400) and the wider Carter County, Montana area (3,312 square miles). The district operates two divisions on a single campus at 111 W Speelmon St: Ekalaka Elementary District 15 (grades K-8) and Carter County High School (grades 9-12), with the first high school graduating class in 1919. It is classified as a Class C school district under the Montana High School Association. Beyond traditional K-12 enrollment, the district extends services to homeschool families and country school students in grades 7-12 through a partnership with Montana Digital Academy and concurrent college course offerings.

The district operates as a free public education provider with no tuition, funded through state appropriations, local property taxes, and federal programs including Title I Schoolwide. Revenue model is therefore governmental appropriations rather than commercial pricing, and there is no ARR or commercial contract structure. Its go-to-market is community-driven — direct enrollment via the district website (ekalaka.net), in-person community events, the ParentSquare communication platform, and local outreach — with no external sales motion.

The technology stack consists of standard K-12 SaaS: Infinite Campus as the student information system (with mobile apps for parents and students), IXL for personalized math and language arts practice, Renaissance Accelerated Reader for literacy assessment, ParentSquare for family communication, Google Workspace, a 1:1 Chromebook program, and interactive display boards. Physical infrastructure includes a gymnasium, athletic fields, a climbing wall, an on-site daycare, and a community Fitness Center open to the public. Differentiated staff benefits — on-site daycare, 4-day workweek, competitive salaries, and loan forgiveness via the Montana Quality Educator Loan Assistance program — function as a teacher recruitment moat for a remote rural posting.

Name

Carter County High School

Legal name

Ekalaka Public Schools

Website

https://ekalaka.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ekalaka Public Schools is a public K-12 school district in Carter County, Montana, operating Carter County High School (9-12) and Ekalaka Elementary (K-8) to serve a rural agricultural community of under 400 residents with state, local, and federal funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Rural school district
• Secondary education services
• Elementary education programs
• Community education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ekalaka

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Ekalaka Public Schools is a public school district funded through a combination of state funding, local property taxes, and federal programs including Title I funding. As a Title I Schoolwide program, the district receives federal funds to support comprehensive educational strategies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ekalaka Public Schools provides free K-12 public education to students in Carter County, Montana, operating Carter County High School (grades 9-12) and Ekalaka Elementary District 15 (grades K-8) from a single campus in Ekalaka. The district delivers Project-Based Learning and Proficiency-Based Instruction at the elementary level, high school academics with concurrent college courses, agricultural education, and athletic programs (football, volleyball, basketball), and uses a 1:1 Chromebook program with IXL, Renaissance, Infinite Campus, and ParentSquare to support personalized learning. A community Fitness Center and on-site daycare extend services beyond the classroom.

Product overview

Ekalaka Public Schools operates as a unified K-12 school district serving Carter County, Montana, utilizing multiple technology platforms to deliver educational services. The district uses ParentSquare as its primary communication platform connecting families with school updates and announcements, while Infinite Campus serves as the student information system providing parent and student portals for academic records. Instructional technology includes IXL Learning for personalized math and language arts practice, Renaissance Accelerated Reader for literacy assessment, and a partnership with Montana Digital Academy to expand online course offerings for grades 7-12. The district also operates a community Fitness Center open to the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education (Elementary K-8 and High School 9-12) Core free public education program delivering elementary education (K-8) at Ekalaka Elementary District 15 and secondary education (9-12) at Carter County High School, including Project-Based Learning, Proficiency-Based Instruction, agricultural education, and college/career preparation.
• Athletic Programs Interscholastic athletics including football, volleyball, and basketball at the high school and junior high levels, operated as part of the Montana High School Association (MHSA) Class C activities program.
• Montana Digital Academy Online Courses Online course access for grades 7-12 through a partnership with Montana Digital Academy, providing courses not traditionally available in the small rural district and enabling acceleration toward graduation, college credit, or personalized schedules.
• Concurrent College Courses College-level coursework offered concurrently to high school students (grades 7-12), enabling students to earn college credit while completing secondary education.
• Community Fitness Center Community fitness center operated by the district and open to the public, providing health and wellness access for students and the wider Ekalaka community.
• On-Site Daycare On-site daycare center operated by the district to support working families and serve as a recruitment benefit for educators in the rural community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded learning opportunities for students in grades 7-12 through Montana Digital Academy and concurrent college courses
• +2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montana Digital AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026Ekalaka Public Schools announced a partnership with Montana Digital Academy beginning the 2026 school year to expand learning opportunities for students in grades 7-12. The partnership enables students to access online courses not traditionally available in the small rural district, accelerating toward graduation, earning college credit, or building personalized schedules that better fit individual needs.
• Montana Quality Educator Loan Assistance ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe district is listed as an 'impacted school' in the Montana Quality Educator Loan Assistance program, which offers loan forgiveness for newly hired teachers meeting certain qualifications. This partnership helps attract qualified educators to the rural district.
• Montana High School AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEkalaka Public Schools participates in the Montana High School Association (MHSA) as a Class C school district. This partnership enables students to participate in athletic activities including football, volleyball, and basketball at the high school and junior high levels.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hinsdale High School: Hinsdale, Montana-based small Class C high school in northeastern Montana. Comparable to Carter County in enrollment scale, rural isolation, and limited in-district curricular breadth.
• Whitehall High School: Whitehall, Montana-based small Class B/C high school in southwestern Montana. Comparable in scale, rural community setting, and reliance on small-class personalized instruction.
• Powder River County District High School: Broadus, Montana-based small rural high school in southeastern Montana. Closely comparable in Class C classification, rural setting, and limited local course offerings requiring distance-learning partnerships.
• Colstrip High School: Colstrip, Montana-based small high school serving a similarly constrained rural community. Comparable in operating scale and dependence on small-district enrollment dynamics.
• Garfield County High School: Jordan, Montana-based Class C high school serving a similarly small and rural eastern Montana community. Directly comparable to Carter County High School in scale, MHSA classification, and rural operating model.
• Wibaux High School: Wibaux, Montana-based small Class C high school in eastern Montana near the North Dakota border. Comparable in enrollment scale, geographic isolation, and reliance on state/federal funding.
• Circle High School: Circle, Montana-based small rural high school in eastern Montana. Similar to Carter County in serving a small agricultural community with comparable Class C athletic classification and limited local resources.
• Culbertson High School: Culbertson, Montana-based small rural Class C high school in northeastern Montana near the North Dakota border. Directly comparable in enrollment scale, rural operating context, and MHSA participation.
• Terry High School: Terry, Montana-based small rural high school in southeastern Montana. Comparable in scale, agricultural community context, and small-district operational profile.
• Plentywood High School: Plentywood, Montana-based small Class C high school in northeastern Montana. Comparable in scale, MHSA classification, and rural community context serving a thinly populated agricultural county.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ekalakapublicschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carter-county-high-school

Compliance7 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 Carter County High School