French American School of Puget Sound

What French American School of Puget Sound does

French American School of Puget Sound (FASPS) is a nonprofit private bilingual French-American school founded in 1995, operating two campuses in the Puget Sound region — the founding campus on Mercer Island, Washington, and a second campus on Capitol Hill in Seattle. The school serves approximately 400+ students from 18 months through Grade 8, employs 98 staff, and maintains a 7:1 student-faculty ratio. Its student body represents more than 60 nationalities, with 38% of students having a French-speaking parent and 22% receiving tuition assistance. The school holds dual accreditation from the French Ministry of National Education and the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS), and is affiliated with the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad), Mission Laïque Française (MLF America), and NAIS — collectively the highest credentialing stack available to a U.S.-based French-American school.

The school's core product is a harmonized curriculum that integrates the French Ministry of National Education standards with the U.S. Common Core, delivered by teachers credentialed through the French National Education system. Beginning in Grade 3, students add a third language (Spanish or Mandarin), extending the offering beyond a strict bilingual model. The product surface has been progressively broadened over time through Extended Day care (Garderie), Summer Programs, and a Bébé + Me early-childhood offering that lowers the enrollment entry age. Technology infrastructure in the input is limited to third-party tools such as the Ravenna Hub admissions platform — there is no proprietary or AI-enabled platform described. International exchange partnerships with schools in France, the Canary Islands, and Taiwan are integrated into the curriculum and serve as both a recruitment and retention mechanism.

FASPS operates a tuition-driven business model. Tuition is not publicly disclosed and is billed annually, with financial aid awarded to 22% of the student body. Revenue is supplemented by fee-for-service auxiliary programs (Extended Day, Summer Programs, Bébé + Me). As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the school does not raise equity capital; expansion is funded through tuition, philanthropy, and accumulated surplus. Distribution is via brand reputation, accreditation signaling, consulate / francophone-community networks, and word-of-mouth within the Pacific Northwest bilingual-education market. The school is not a venture-backable asset class and operates as a stable, mission-driven institution rather than a growth equity opportunity.

Name

French American School of Puget Sound

Legal name

French American School of Puget Sound

Website

https://fasps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nonprofit bilingual French-American private school founded in 1995, operating two Puget Sound campuses (Mercer Island and Capitol Hill, Seattle), serving 400+ students ages 18 months through Grade 8 under a French Ministry / U.S. Common Core harmonized curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Bilingual Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Language Schools (61163), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAL

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJABAA

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJAGAB

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Programs (Gifted, ESL/ELL, Remedial, RTI/MTSS)

Keywords

• Bilingual education
• Independent school
• Language immersion
• Primary education
• French american curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Mercer Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: The school generates revenue primarily through tuition charged to families for enrollment in its bilingual French-American educational programs spanning preschool through Grade 8. Additional auxiliary programs include extended day care (Garderie), summer programs, and after-school activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

French American School of Puget Sound is a private, nonprofit bilingual French-American independent school providing full-day instruction from age 18 months through Grade 8 across two campuses in the Seattle metro area. The school delivers a dual French and American curriculum, with approximately 400+ students and a 7:1 student-faculty ratio in a community representing 60+ nationalities. Tuition-funded academic programs are supplemented by before/after care and seasonal/summer enrichment offerings.

Product overview

French American School of Puget Sound is a bilingual French-American independent school providing a unified educational program across three levels: Preschool & Kindergarten (18 months-K), Elementary School (Grades 1-5), and Middle School (Grades 6-8). The school offers a harmonized curriculum aligned with the French Ministry of Education and U.S. standards, delivering instruction in French and English with third-language options (Mandarin or Spanish) in upper grades. Auxiliary programs include Extended Day/Garderie before-and-after school care, Summer Programs, and the Bébé + Me parent-child program. The school operates two campuses in the Seattle area (Mercer Island and Capitol Hill) serving approximately 400 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool Program Early-childhood bilingual French-American program for the youngest learners (toddlers through pre-K) delivered across both Mercer Island and Capitol Hill campuses. Designed for families seeking full French-language immersion from the earliest ages.
• Elementary School (Grades 1-5) Bilingual French-American elementary instruction for Grades 1 through 5, delivered on the Mercer Island campus with a 7:1 student-faculty ratio. Curriculum follows a blended French and American academic framework.
• Middle School (Grades 6-8) Bilingual French-American middle-school instruction for Grades 6 through 8, located on the Mercer Island campus. Prepares students for both French and American secondary-school pathways.
• Extended Day / Before- and After-School Care

Quantifiable outcome

• By Grade 2, students read fluently and compose short paragraphs in both English and French
• +2 more outcomes

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• French Ministry of National EducationcoreOthersOfficial accreditation body providing recognition of the school's French educational program. The school follows the French Ministry of Education curriculum harmonized with US standards.
• NWAIS (Northwest Association of Independent Schools)coreOthersRegional accreditation through NWAIS, a association serving independent schools in the Pacific Northwest region.
• AEFE (Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger)coreOthersOfficial network for French education abroad, providing support and recognition for the school's French-language programs.
• MLF America (Mouvement Laïque Francophone)minorOthersAffiliated with the MLF America network supporting French-language education across the Americas.
• NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools)minorOthersNational professional association for independent schools in the United States.
• Partner Schools in France, Canary Islands, and TaiwancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational exchange partnerships with schools in France, Canary Islands (Spain), and Taiwan providing homestay exchanges up to 6 weeks and international trip opportunities for middle school students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lycée Français de New York: One of the largest French-accredited schools in the US, offering French-English bilingual education from preschool through high school. Comparable in mission, accreditation, and trilingual offerings.
• French-American School of New York (FASNY): Independent French-American bilingual school serving the New York metro. Operates with a directly comparable French Ministry-aligned curriculum and target family demographic.
• French American International School (San Francisco): Long-established French-American bilingual school serving the Bay Area, with a comparable trilingual curriculum and dual accreditation. A direct mission and product comparable operating in a different US metro.
• French American International School (Portland, OR): French-American bilingual independent school in the Pacific Northwest, the closest geographic comparable to FASPS. Offers a similar French immersion curriculum with comparable accreditation and target demographic.
• Lycée Français de Seattle: French government-affiliated school in the Seattle area serving Francophone and bilingual families. Directly competes with FASPS for the same French-curriculum-seeking demographic in the same metro.

Regional players

• Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences: Independent 6-12 school in Seattle serving the same upper-middle-class family demographic. Receives FASPS graduates and competes for families seeking college-prep secondary education.
• Bertschi School (Seattle): Independent elementary school in Seattle serving a similar demographic to FASPS's elementary program. Competes for the same preschool-through-grade-5 family segment without French immersion.
• Meridian School (Seattle): Independent K-5 school in the Seattle area with a progressive, inquiry-based curriculum. Competes with FASPS's elementary program for families seeking progressive private education.
• The Bush School (Seattle): Independent K-12 school in Seattle with comparable tuition positioning and progressive educational philosophy. Competes with FASPS for the same upper-middle-class Seattle families, though without the bilingual specialty.

Broad incumbents

• Lakeside School (Seattle): Premier independent school in Seattle, much larger in scale than FASPS. Competes for the same high-income Seattle families at the middle/high school level after FASPS graduates transition out.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fasps

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 French American School of Puget Sound