What Impact Public Schools does

Impact Public Schools is a nonprofit public charter school network founded in 2016 and headquartered in Tukwila, Washington. The organization operates four elementary campuses across the South Puget Sound region — Impact | Puget Sound Elementary (Tukwila), Impact | Salish Sea Elementary (South Seattle), Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary (Tacoma), and Impact | Black River Elementary (Renton) — serving K-6 scholars who are racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse. A fifth site, Impact | Puget Sound Middle School, is launching with its first 6th grade class in Fall 2026 and is planned to grow through 12th grade in separate facilities. Impact is governed by a Board of Directors and operates under Washington State charter school law without private equity or venture capital backing.

The network delivers free public education funded primarily through per-pupil state allocations, supplemented by federal Charter Schools Program grants and philanthropic donations. Its operating technology stack is built around standard SaaS integrations: ParentSquare for two-way family communications (with translation across more than 100 languages), SchoolMint for enrollment applications, Workday and ADP for HR and payroll, Google Forms for procurement workflows, and FrenchToast for uniforms. Curriculum emphasizes equity-driven leadership development, rigorous math and literacy, social-emotional learning, and structured enrichment; in the 2024-25 school year Impact's scholars outperformed Washington State averages in both math and science. The organization also operates an in-house Teaching Fellows Program, a City University teacher certification partnership subsidizing up to $3,500/year per teacher, and Teacher Leadership roles with stipends, forming an internal educator pipeline.

The network employs approximately 87 staff across home office functions and school-based faculty and leadership. Reach extends to the full operational envelope of a multi-school operator — free meals via the Community Eligibility Provision, after-school care through Champions and Launch, full special education and English Learner supports, and dedicated principals and assistant principals at each campus. Strategic priorities evidenced in the input are extending the K-12 pathway, scaling enrollment at existing campuses, and deepening the educator talent pipeline that supports growth.

Name

Impact Public Schools

Legal name

Impact Public Schools

Website

https://impactps.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Impact Public Schools is a nonprofit public charter school network operating four free K-6 elementary campuses across Washington State's South Puget Sound region, serving diverse families and funded by per-pupil state allocations, federal grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-12 education
• Elementary education services
• Free public schools
• Charter school network

Headquarters

HQ city

Tukwila

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a Washington State public charter school network, Impact Public Schools receives per-pupil state funding based on enrollment. Schools participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program providing free meals to all students.
2. Federal Charter School Program Grants: Impact Public Schools participates in federal programs including the Charter Schools Program Grant, which requires adherence to federal debarment and suspension requirements under Executive Order 12549 as implemented in 2 CFR 180.200.
3. Philanthropic Donations: The network accepts charitable contributions to support the launch of new schools, sustainable growth, curriculum refinement, teacher preparation programs, community engagement, and dissemination of best practices. Donations are processed through PayPal.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Impact Public Schools operates a network of free public charter schools delivering K-6 education to scholars across the South Puget Sound region of Washington State. The network offers tuition-free instruction at four elementary campuses plus a launching middle school, supplemented by free meals, after-school care, and teacher credentialing pathways.

Product overview

Impact Public Schools is a network of five free public charter schools serving the South Puget Sound region in Washington State, offering K-6 elementary education and expanding into middle/high school. The portfolio consists of four operating elementary schools (Puget Sound Elementary in Tukwila, Salish Sea Elementary in Seattle, Commencement Bay Elementary in Tacoma, and Black River Elementary in Renton) and one newly launched middle school (Puget Sound Middle School launching Fall 2026). Each elementary school operates as a distinct product with its own campus, principal, mascot, and community identity. The network also offers complementary programs including a Teaching Fellows Program, Teacher Certification Program in partnership with City University, Teacher Leadership Opportunities with stipends, After School Care (operated by Champions and Launch), and a School Meals Program. The network uses ParentSquare as its communication platform for family engagement. The expansion into middle school education represents a major strategic growth initiative to provide a seamless path from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Impact | Puget Sound Elementary (Tukwila) Tuition-free K-5 public charter elementary school located in Tukwila, WA. Features bright classrooms, large outdoor play areas, and dedicated teachers; mascot Wolfpack.
• Impact | Salish Sea Elementary (Seattle) Tuition-free K-5 public charter elementary school located in South Seattle (Othello Square). Features a brand-new building with bright classrooms and large outdoor play areas; mascot Orcas.
• Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary (Tacoma) Tuition-free K-5 public charter elementary school located in Tacoma, WA. Features beautiful views, large classrooms, and dedicated teachers; mascot Eagles.
• Impact | Black River Elementary (Renton) Tuition-free K-4 public charter elementary school located in Renton, WA. Features bright, modern classrooms, dedicated diverse educators, and engaging outdoor play areas; mascot Otters.
• Impact | Puget Sound Middle School Tuition-free middle school program launching with 6th grade in Fall 2026, featuring hyper-personalized learning (two teachers in 90-minute Math and ELA blocks), small advisory groups of 7-8 peers, clubs and athletics, digital citizenship and financial literacy curriculum, and student leadership through the Founding Ambassador program.
• After School Care Program Extended-day learning programs operated Monday-Friday from school dismissal until 6:00 PM at Impact campuses. Operated by Champions at Puget Sound Elementary, Salish Sea Elementary, and Commencement Bay Elementary; operated by Launch at Black River Elementary.
• School Meals Program Free grab-and-go breakfasts and hot lunches for all students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) federal program. Provided in partnership with Fresh N Local; meals meet USDA nutritional requirements and are nut-free and pork-free.

Quantifiable outcome

• Outperformed Washington State average in math and science in the 2024-25 school year

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact partners with City University for a Teacher Credential Grant & Certification program. Full-time school employees can earn their WA Residency Teacher Certification in just one school year. Impact provides teachers with up to $3,500/year for up to three years to pay for teacher preparation programs. A residency certification is valid in any Washington Public School district and transferable to over 30 states.
• Fresh N LocalcoreOthersImpact Public Schools partners with Fresh N Local to provide grab-and-go breakfasts and hot lunches at each school. All meals meet USDA nutritional requirements for National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. All school meals are nut-free and pork-free. The program operates under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) providing free meals to all students.
• ChampionscoreOthersChampions operates after school programs at Impact | Puget Sound Elementary, Impact | Salish Sea Elementary, and Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary. Programs run Monday-Friday from school dismissal until 6:00 pm, providing extended-day learning environments supporting families and continuing learning outside the classroom.
• LaunchcoreOthersLaunch operates after school programs at Impact | Black River Elementary. Programs run Monday-Friday from school dismissal until 6:00 pm, providing extended-day learning environments supporting families and continuing learning outside the classroom.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationParentSquare is the primary communication platform used by Impact Public Schools to communicate with families. All school information is sent via email and/or text. The platform translates communications into over 100 languages, supports document sharing, calendar viewing, RSVP for events, survey responses, volunteer sign-ups, and secure delivery of report cards and IEPs.
• SchoolMintcoreTechnology or IntegrationSchoolMint is the enrollment application platform used by Impact Public Schools for student applications. Families apply through SchoolMint to enroll at Impact schools.
• WorkdaycoreTechnology or IntegrationWorkday is the HR and onboarding platform used by Impact Public Schools. All employees are onboarded into Workday, which handles payroll, benefits enrollment, and tax elections.
• ADPcoreTechnology or IntegrationADP is the payroll platform used by Impact Public Schools. New hires complete I-9, W-4, and direct deposit setup through ADP.
• FrenchToastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrenchToast is the uniform supplier for Impact Public Schools. Families purchase additional uniforms through frenchtoastschoolbox.com using school code QS5SEFE. Impact provides new families with at least one embroidered unisex polo.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rocketship Public Schools: Tuition-free public charter elementary network built specifically to close the achievement gap for low-income and historically underserved scholars; highly analogous operator scale, demographics, and per-pupil funding model.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Nonprofit operator of public charter high schools and middle schools focused on serving under-resourced communities; directly comparable charter-networking model and equity mission, including a comparable teacher-residency and leadership-development pipeline.
• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state nonprofit charter management organization operating K-12 campuses with a college-prep, equity and extended-hours academic model; Impact's Puget Sound Elementary principal Kristina Curran previously taught at Uncommon Schools, indicating directly shared operating DNA.
• KIPP Public Schools: National nonprofit charter school network serving similar racially and socioeconomically diverse K-12 populations with an explicit college-preparatory, equity-focused mission; Impact's Black River Elementary principal Anne Cabrera previously coached at KIPP DC, evidencing direct operating practice overlap.
• Aspire Public Schools: California-based nonprofit charter school network running K-12 campuses in low-income communities with a college-for-certain mission; mirrors Impact's tuition-free, equity-led, multi-site operating model and family-services framing.
• Summit Public Schools: Nonprofit charter network built around personalized learning, small advisory cohorts, and project-based assessment; closely matches Impact's middle-school design (two-teacher 90-minute blocks, 7-8 scholar advisories, digital citizenship and leadership curriculum).
• Rainier Prep: Tuition-free public charter school in the Puget Sound region serving similarly diverse scholars; the closest in-region charter peer for Impact and a direct competitor for South Puget Sound families comparing public charter options.

Broad incumbents

• IDEA Public Schools: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit charter networks operating K-12 campuses across multiple states with a college-for-all mission; serves as the broad-incumbent benchmark for Impact's K-12 expansion ambitions and multi-state replication potential.

Others

• Tacoma Public Schools: Local traditional public school district where Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary draws students; not a charter operator but the principal incumbent competitor for families and per-pupil funding in the Tacoma service area.

Regional players

• Lumen Scholar (formerly Green Hill Scholar / Washington charter operators): Regional Washington-state focused public charter operator with similar K-8 college-preparatory positioning; relevant peer for evaluating Impact's WA-specific policy exposure and in-region enrollment competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impactpublicschools

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Impact Public Schools