What Foundation Academies does

Foundation Academies is a public charter school organization operating free K-12 education for more than 1,200 scholars in Trenton, New Jersey. Founded in 2007, the organization runs three campuses — FA Elementary (363 West State St), FA Middle (1 Arch Street, with an additional gymnasium at 719 Cass Street), and FA Collegiate (525 Adeline Street) — and is governed by a Board of Trustees under a charter with the New Jersey Department of Education. CEO Sheria McRae, a Teach For America alumna and Trenton native, leads the organization. Core academic offerings are supplemented by an After School Program, Workforce Development services, Enrichment activities, and an FA Athletics program covering basketball, volleyball, soccer, flag football, track and field, tennis, esports, wrestling, lacrosse, and cheerleading.

The organization's business model is government-funded public education: there is no tuition, and enrollment is conducted through a random lottery open to all students with priority given to Trenton residents and siblings of currently enrolled scholars. Revenue is derived from per-pupil public education financing, supplemented by philanthropic donations, competitive grants (e.g., a $2,000 Mercer County 250th Implementation Mini-grant), and corporate/community partnerships that provide in-kind support and program enrichment rather than direct fee-for-service. The technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary: a Squarespace-hosted marketing website, standard social media channels, and third-party partnerships (notably Connect Athlete for scholar-athlete recruiting profiles). A $60 million new high school campus is under construction with completion expected by July 2026, which will reorganize the network's physical footprint into a dedicated elementary, middle, and collegiate configuration.

Strategic positioning is built on academic outcomes (ranked in the Top Third of New Jersey public schools, graduation rate exceeding the state average, 100% college acceptance for the Class of 2026 with $18M+ in scholarship offers and 817 applications to 172 institutions) and a deepening partnership ecosystem, including first-of-its-kind agreements with Kean University (teacher certification pathway), Teach For America New Jersey (lab school status), the NJ Department of Labor and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (Pre-Employment Transition Services for 50 participants), D1 Training Princeton (athletic training), Bristol Myers Squibb (STEM), and Capital Health (healthcare career exposure). The organization has no parent company, private equity backing, or venture capital investment, and operates exclusively within a single geography (Trenton, NJ).

Name

Foundation Academies

Legal name

Foundation Academies Charter Schools

Website

https://foundationacademies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Foundation Academies is a free public charter school organization serving more than 1,200 K-12 scholars in Trenton, New Jersey, across three campuses, funded by per-pupil public education financing and supported by a network of community, corporate, and university partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 education services
• College preparation programs
• Workforce development training
• Public school services

Headquarters

HQ city

Trenton, NJ

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public charter school, Foundation Academies receives funding through public education financing based on enrollment. This is government-funded education with no tuition charged to students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Foundation Academies is a free public charter school network operating three campuses (FA Elementary, FA Middle, FA Collegiate) that serves more than 1,200 scholars in grades K-12 in Trenton, New Jersey. The organization delivers rigorous academics, college preparation, workforce development, athletics, and enrichment programs as part of a comprehensive K-12 public education experience funded through state per-pupil allocations and lottery-based enrollment.

Product overview

Foundation Academies is a free public charter school network serving more than 1,200 scholars in grades K-12 in Trenton, New Jersey. The organization operates three school levels (FA Elementary, FA Middle, and FA Collegiate) that form its core educational offerings. Supporting the academic mission, the school provides enrichment programs including After School Programs, Workforce Development, and Enrichment activities. FA Athletics offers competitive sports programs across multiple disciplines. Through the Connect Athlete Platform partnership, the school enables scholar-athletes to create profiles for college recruiting exposure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FA Elementary: Elementary school campus serving students in grades K-5, located at 363 West State St, Trenton, NJ 08618
• FA Middle
• FA Collegiate

Products and services

• FA Elementary

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduation rate exceeds state average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teach For America New JerseycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2026Foundation Academies hosted the Teach For America New Jersey Corps Member Induction ceremony in New Jersey's capital for the first time. CEO Sheria McRae is a TFA alumna. The school serves as a lab school developing exceptional educators.
• Princeton Battlefield SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Partnership for the 'Men Without Shoes' research project to identify and highlight the roles of 14 Black Revolutionary War soldiers who fought in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Students conducted original archival research and created a multimedia exhibition.
• Connect AthleteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2025Princeton-based platform partnership enabling students to create dynamic athletic profiles capturing growth, achievements, and goals - providing direct access to college coaches, recruiters, and opportunities.
• NJ Department of Labor and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025First school in New Jersey to formally partner with NJDVRS for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Serves 50 participants ages 14-21, providing career exploration, workplace readiness training, self-advocacy development, and work-based learning.
• D1 Training PrincetoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2025First school partnership providing Division 1-level trainers, equipment, and opportunities. FA Collegiate athletes have access to strength, nutrition, and conditioning training Monday through Saturday, both in-season and out-of-season.
• Kean University College of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2025First-of-its-kind partnership creating a direct pathway for individuals to complete their provisional teaching year at Foundation Academies while earning certification through Kean's Alternate Route Program. Flexible virtual coursework through Kean Global with real-world classroom experience.
• Bristol Myers SquibbminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership expanding STEM opportunities for Trenton students.
• Capital HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Future Young Professionals Career Day giving scholars exposure to healthcare careers and workforce pathways.
• Trenton ThunderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership including FA Day events at Trenton Thunder Ballpark, community engagement activities, and equipment donations including bats, gloves, and helmets.
• United States Tennis Association (USTA)minorOthersProvides tennis equipment support for the athletics program including Junior Knights developmental tennis program.
• Morven Museum & GardenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for 'Men Without Shoes' exhibition debut during Black History Month. Located in Princeton, NJ.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Achievement First: Northeast charter K-12 network with a college-prep mission and strong teacher-training pipeline; comparable in operating model, scholar demographics, and outcome focus to Foundation Academies.
• Uncommon Schools: Northeast-focused charter K-12 network with a strong college-prep identity and rigorous outcomes metrics; comparable in mission, region, and urban-scholar focus to Foundation Academies.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large NYC charter K-12 network with strong outcomes narrative and a lottery-based enrollment system; comparable model and scale ambition, though operating in a different metro.
• KIPP New Jersey: KIPP's New Jersey affiliate operating K-12 charter schools in Newark and other urban NJ communities; the closest state-level competitor with similar scholar demographics and college-prep outcomes model.
• Mastery Charter Schools: Philadelphia-based charter K-12 network with comparable urban scholar demographics, college-prep outcomes focus, and a similar multi-campus operating structure; closest regional comparable outside of NJ.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: Northeast charter K-12 network with explicit civic-leadership and college-prep identity; comparable scholar demographics, mission framing, and lottery-based enrollment.
• North Star Academy: Uncommon Schools' Newark-based K-12 charter network; the closest geographic and demographic comparable to Foundation Academies — urban New Jersey, underserved scholars, college-prep outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Public Schools: Largest U.S. charter K-12 network, also mission-driven around college-prep for underserved scholars with a teacher-development flywheel — directly comparable operating model to Foundation Academies but at much greater scale and across many regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FoundationAcademies
• Facebookfacebook.com/FoundationAcademies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundation-academies
• Instagraminstagram.com/foundation_academies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Foundation Academies