What Interagency Academy does

Interagency Academy is a public alternative high school operated by Seattle Public Schools, serving grades 9-12 students across nine distinct campus and program sites in Seattle, Washington. It functions as the district's safety-net option for students who do not thrive in traditional comprehensive high schools, with explicit programmatic specializations in credit retrieval, substance use recovery, GED preparation, services for homeless youth, and education for justice-involved youth. The school's flagship is the Recovery Campus — Washington's only public sober high school — which served approximately 190 students between 2015-2025 (≈37/year) with a 51% graduation rate, substantially exceeding the 25% rate observed for Washington students with substance use disorder. Other programs include the Open Doors GED To College Program (linked to Seattle Colleges scholarships), Running Start dual enrollment, and a Job Readiness Training suite offering OSHA 10 and Forklift certifications.

The technology stack is built on standard education-sector infrastructure rather than proprietary systems: Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 for virtual instruction and communication, the Apex digital curriculum for online courses (World History, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra 2, etc.), Schoology LMS, Clever single-sign-on, Seesaw portfolios, SchooLinks for college/career planning, and Peachjar for communications. The Innovation Virtual Campus uses an Ethnic Studies framework with this stack to deliver fully remote learning. All programs are co-located with or backed by community partners (YouthCare, Treehouse, Bridges, SWYFS, King County Behavioral Health, Seattle Colleges) that supply wraparound services such as case management, housing referrals, substance use counseling, and employment training.

The business model is non-commercial: Interagency Academy charges no tuition, generates no disclosed revenue, and is funded entirely through Seattle Public Schools district budgets, state education appropriations, and in-kind partnerships with King County agencies and community nonprofits. Operating status is active across all nine sites with ongoing programmatic expansion (e.g., recent additions include the Construction Pre-Apprenticeship and Kingmakers programs). The entity is best understood as a mission-driven public service rather than a commercial venture — there is no equity, no funding rounds, and no independent ownership structure separate from the Seattle School Board.

Name

Interagency Academy

Legal name

Seattle Public Schools - Interagency Academy

Website

https://interagency.seattleschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Interagency Academy is a Seattle Public Schools alternative high school operating nine campus and program sites that serve at-risk youth through credit retrieval, substance use recovery (Washington's only public sober high school), GED preparation, and education for homeless and justice-involved students, funded entirely by public education budgets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Alternative, Continuation & Credit-Recovery Schools (EDAJAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Adult High School Diploma Completion Programs (EDAAABAB)

Keywords

• Alternative high school
• Credit retrieval
• GED preparation
• Alternative education
• High school diploma

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Interagency Academy is a public alternative high school within Seattle Public Schools serving grades 9–12. It delivers credit retrieval, GED preparation (Open Doors), Running Start, Recovery Campus services, Job Readiness Training, Kingmakers, and Construction Pre-Apprenticeship programs across multiple physical campuses and an Innovation Virtual Campus.

Product overview

Interagency Academy is a Seattle Public Schools alternative high school network offering multiple specialized programs and campus locations for students seeking alternatives to traditional high school. The main network includes six physical campuses (Southeast, Southwest, University District Youth Center/UDYC, Alder, Recovery, and King County Jail) plus the Innovation Virtual Campus for fully remote learning. Core offerings include credit retrieval, GED preparation through the Open Doors program, Running Start dual enrollment, and specialized programs like the Recovery Campus (Washington's only public sober high school). Job Readiness Training (JRT) programs provide CTE pathways in construction, sustainable agriculture, bike mechanics, carpentry, and customer service. The school serves diverse student populations including those experiencing homelessness, justice involvement, and recovery from substance use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Credit Retrieval Program Program that helps students recover academic credits required for high school graduation, offered within Seattle Public Schools' alternative education system.
• GED Program (Open Doors) Preparation program that supports students in earning a GED credential as an alternative to a traditional high school diploma.
• Running Start Program that allows eligible high school students to take college courses for credit, providing a direct pathway to postsecondary education.
• Recovery Campus Campus offering alternative education in a supportive environment for students working on substance-use recovery.
• Job Readiness Training Training program that prepares students for entry into the workforce, including job skills and employment readiness.
• Kingmakers Program supporting student leadership and engagement, operated within Interagency Academy's alternative education offerings.
• Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Pre-apprenticeship training program that prepares students for careers in the construction trades.
• Innovation Virtual Campus Virtual campus delivering alternative high school education online, using tools such as Microsoft Teams and Schoology.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% of students at Recovery Campus have earned or are working toward a high school diploma
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University District Youth Center (UDYC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner at UDYC campus offering case management and employment counseling to youth-in-transition or homeless youth. Provides laundry facilities, food, housing referrals, and shower access to UDYC students.
• Southwest Youth & Family Services (SWYFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Southwest Youth & Family Services to provide therapeutic services and case management on site at the Southwest Campus, ensuring students have access to wraparound supports.
• YouthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouthCare operates the Orion Center providing services to homeless or unstably housed youth including emergency nightly shelter, food, showers, DSHS connection, employment training, and education (GED) at the Orion GED campus.
• Bridges Alternative Peer GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides after school programming for Recovery Campus students and support groups for families. Works hand-in-hand with Recovery Campus to keep students safe and provide structured after-school activities.
• Seattle CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGED completers become eligible for scholarships to any Seattle College (North, South, Central, Georgetown) until students earn their A.A. or turn 21.
• NW Education AccesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents work with education advocates from NEA to help with college enrollment to completion, providing ongoing support beyond just GED completion.
• King County Behavioral Health and Recovery DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Seattle Public Schools to establish the Recovery Campus as part of Interagency Academy system, providing ongoing coordination and support for recovery services.
• Office for African American Male AchievementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kingmakers program for Black male students is taught by educators from this office, supporting cultural, historical, social, and emotional needs of young Black teens.
• Arts CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts Corps teaching artists provide enrichment programming twice per week at the Southwest Campus, supporting creative development and cultural enrichment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• River Ridge Recovery High School (Minnesota): Minnesota recovery high school serving adolescents with SUD. Directly comparable as a public-affiliated recovery school model with wraparound clinical and academic supports.
• Nova High School (Seattle Public Schools): Another alternative high school within Seattle Public Schools serving students seeking non-traditional pathways. Directly comparable as a same-district alternative HS serving overlapping student populations with similar credit-recovery and personalized-learning approaches.
• Seattle World School (Seattle Public Schools): Seattle Public Schools alternative HS focused on newcomer immigrants and refugees. Directly comparable as a district alternative school serving non-traditional learners with wraparound services.
• Phoenix Academy (Connecticut): Recovery high school serving Connecticut students in recovery from substance use. Directly comparable to Interagency Recovery Campus in mission, model, and student population served.
• Middle College High School (Seattle Public Schools): Seattle Public Schools alternative HS focused on dual-enrollment college pathways. Directly comparable alternative-education model within the same district, including Running Start-style programming similar to Interagency.
• Alan T. Sugiyama High School (Seattle Public Schools): Seattle Public Schools alternative high school co-located in the same Sugiyama building as Interagency's Southeast Campus. Directly comparable as a district-run alternative HS serving similar student profiles.
• Hope Academy (Minneapolis Public Schools recovery high school): One of the longest-running public recovery high schools in the U.S. Directly comparable as a district-affiliated recovery HS serving adolescents with substance use disorder — the closest functional analog to Interagency's Recovery Campus.

Emerging players

• Diploma Plus: Network supporting credit-recovery and re-engagement pathways for high school students off-track to graduation. Comparable in credit-retrieval and credit-recovery design focus, similar to Interagency's core credit-retrieval offering.

Broad incumbents

• Big Picture Learning: National network of alternative, personalized-learning schools with internship-based models. Comparable in alternative-school pedagogy and student-centered instruction philosophy, though it operates a national franchise model rather than single-district campuses.
• YouthBuild USA: National network serving opportunity youth with education plus construction pre-apprenticeship credentials. Comparable in target population (disengaged youth) and CTE/pre-apprenticeship programming similar to Interagency's Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Building Trades program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SeattlePublicSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/seattlepublicschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/interagency-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 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 Interagency Academy