IOTA Community Schools

What IOTA Community Schools does

IOTA Community Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charter school network operating tuition-free campuses in Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas (EIN 47-0970499). The network serves over 1,600 students across three schools: Bluff City High School (grades 9–12) and Wooddale Middle School (grades 6–8) in Memphis, with IOTA Leadership Academy (grades K–5 and 6–8) launching in Little Rock for the 2026–2027 school year on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus. The educational model is built around small class sizes, dedicated advisory periods, project-based learning (including STEM via Project Lead the Way), free after-school programming, and a College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) program offering pathways in IT, Digital Arts, Fashion Design, Audio/Visual Production, Supply Chain Management, and Culinary Arts, with industry certifications (CPR, SERVSAFE, OSHA 10, Adobe, TRUST).

The network is funded primarily through per-pupil state education allocations in Tennessee and Arkansas; no tuition, application fees, or admissions tests are charged to families. Enrollment is conducted through SchoolMint (Tennessee) and EnrollArkansas (Arkansas), with blind random lotteries when applications exceed available seats. The organization employs approximately 61 staff across both states and is led by Executive Director Jocquell Rodgers, with Daniel Peñaranda as CFO and Christina Austin and Deadre Ussery serving as Chief Innovation Officers. Day-to-day school leadership is provided by Principals Katie Davis (Bluff City High), Krystal Parson (Wooddale Middle), and founding Principal DarShauna Shepherd (IOTA Leadership Academy Arkansas).

The underlying technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS tools: PowerSchool for student information, Google Classroom for learning management, Clever for single sign-on, SchoolMint and EnrollArkansas for enrollment, and SmartRecruiters for hiring. The network's go-to-market is direct-to-family through statewide enrollment portals, supplemented by community events, campus tours, social media (Instagram), and corporate partnership development for fundraising. Strategic ecosystem partners include the Tennessee Valley Authority (internships), Junior Achievement (financial literacy), The SOW Program (culinary arts CTE), and University of Arkansas at Little Rock (campus co-location and dual enrollment pathways). IOTA's value proposition emphasizes documented academic growth results, relationships-focused culture, and structured pathways to college and career for students in underserved Memphis and Little Rock communities.

Name

IOTA Community Schools

Legal name

IOTA Community Schools Tennessee

Website

https://iotaschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IOTA Community Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charter school network operating three tuition-free campuses serving 1,600+ students in grades K–12 across Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas, with new Arkansas schools launching in 2026–2027.

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 Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-12 education
• Tuition-free education
• Charter school network
• College preparatory programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a tuition-free public charter school network, IOTA Community Schools operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 47-0970499) funded primarily through per-pupil state education allocations. No tuition, application fees, or charges of any kind are assessed to families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IOTA Community Schools operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools serving grades K-12 across Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas. The schools deliver college and career preparatory education through small class sizes, dedicated advisory periods, project-based learning, and free after-school enrichment programs. Supporting offerings include a Mentor Program, an After School Program, and a College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) program with industry-recognized certifications.

Product overview

IOTA Community Schools is a network of tuition-free public charter schools operating across Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas. The network consists of four schools: Bluff City High School (grades 9-12) and Wooddale Middle School (grades 6-8) in Tennessee, and IOTA Leadership Academy (grades K-5) and IOTA Leadership Academy (grades 6-8) in Arkansas. The schools share a unified educational approach featuring small class sizes, dedicated advisory periods, project-based learning, and free after-school programs. Supporting programs include the IOTA Mentor program, a free After School Program with academic support and enrichment clubs, and a College, Career, and Technical Education (CCTE) program offering industry certifications and career pathways. The network serves over 1,600 students and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IOTA Leadership Academy: A tuition-free public charter school in Little Rock, Arkansas serving grades K-5 and 6-8, opening for the 2026-2027 school year.

Products and services

• Bluff City High School

Quantifiable outcome

• IOTA schools have earned some of the highest academic growth ratings in Tennessee
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EnrollArkansascoreTechnology or IntegrationArkansas families apply through EnrollArkansas, the statewide public school enrollment platform. This partnership enables standardized application processing, lottery management, and enrollment tracking for IOTA Leadership Academy across all grade bands.
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOTA provides career exposure experiences through internships and career exploration programs with TVA, connecting students with professionals and real-world workforce pathways.
• The SOW ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides daytime culinary arts CTE opportunities for students, offering hands-on training in culinary skills as part of career-focused education.
• Junior Achievement (JA Finance Park)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOTA Mentorship program partners with Junior Achievement to provide financial literacy and career exploration experiences through JA Finance Park activities.
• University of Arkansas at Little RockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOTA Leadership Academy is located on the campus of University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Southwest Little Rock, opening Fall 2026/2027. This co-location provides students with early exposure to higher education environment and college pathways.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Green Dot Public Schools: National charter management organization operating public charter schools serving grades 6-12, primarily in urban communities. IOTA's founding team explicitly came from Green Dot, making it the closest lineage and operational peer.
• Gestalt Community Schools: Memphis-based charter network operating multiple schools with a college-prep focus and similar small-class, advisory-based model. Direct local competitor in the Memphis MSA.
• KIPP Memphis: Charter school network serving grades K-12 in Memphis, TN, with college-preparatory mission and similar target demographics. Competes for the same Memphis families and the same per-pupil funding pool.

Broad incumbents

• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter network operating 50+ schools across New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, focused on college preparedness for students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable mission and rigor.
• Mastery Charter Schools: Pennsylvania-based charter network operating grades K-12 with turnaround-style school model, similar college-prep focus, and comparable demographic targeting.
• KIPP (national network): The largest U.S. charter network, operating 200+ schools across 20+ states. Larger and better-resourced but serves similar demographics and pursues similar college-prep outcomes; KIPP Memphis is the local affiliate.
• National Heritage Academies: For-profit charter management organization operating 90+ public charter schools across nine states, including the Midsouth. Provides centralized back-office services analogous to what a multi-school charter network requires.
• Aspire Public Schools: Multi-state charter network operating K-12 public charter schools in California and Tennessee with a college-preparatory focus. Comparable operating model at greater scale.
• Achievement First: Multi-state charter management organization operating 40+ schools across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island with similar college-prep mission and urban demographic focus.

Others

• Memphis-Shelby County Schools: The traditional public school district where IOTA's Tennessee campuses operate. Not a competitor in product terms, but defines the catchment, funding environment, and family choice set that IOTA must navigate.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/iotacommunityschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iotaschools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 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 IOTA Community Schools