The John Crosland School

What The John Crosland School does

The John Crosland School is a private, non-profit, K-12 independent school in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 1978 by Dr. Mary Dore as Dore Academy and renamed in 2012 after developer and philanthropist John Crosland Jr. The school occupies a 58,000-square-foot campus on six acres and serves approximately 28 staff supporting students with ADHD, dyslexia, processing delays, and other learning differences — populations it addresses through individualized, multi-sensory instruction grounded in the Orton-Gillingham methodology, team-teaching with integrated reading specialists and speech-language pathologists, flexible-seating classrooms, and an emerging use of generative AI (Google Gemini, ChatGPT) as a learning accommodation tool for brainstorming, speech-to-text, proofreading, and Socratic tutoring.

The school's product surface spans Lower, Middle, and Upper School programs, plus counseling, athletics, esports, summer camp, and the Senior Exploration Experience (SEE) internship program. It is currently executing the $10 million Dreams, Delivered capital campaign, which opened a new Exploratorium in early 2026 featuring STEM labs, maker spaces, an esports lab, recording studio, pottery studio, and woodworking classroom, with a new gymnasium targeted for 2028 completion.

The revenue model combines recurring tuition and fees (the primary stream), donations and philanthropy channeled through an Annual Fund, capital campaign, and major gifts (Charlotte Hornets Foundation, HoopTee Charities, Wells Fargo Championship), and special-event fundraising such as the Shine On Gala. Financial aid and scholarship programs support access. Go-to-market is community-led — campus tours, admissions events, parent referrals, and earned media — with no venture or private-equity capital, no parent company, and operating as an SAIS-accredited, board-governed non-profit.

Name

The John Crosland School

Legal name

The John Crosland School

Website

https://johncroslandschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The John Crosland School is a Charlotte, NC-based private non-profit K-12 school founded in 1978, serving students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences through individualized multi-sensory instruction, Orton-Gillingham methodology, and a growing AI-enabled learning program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education K-12 Private School

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs & Learning Differences Private Schools (EDAJABAH)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Learning differences support
• Dyslexia instruction
• K-12 private education
• Neurodivergent education

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Private school tuition charged to families for K-12 education. The school offers financial aid and scholarship programs to support access for students with learning differences.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The school receives donations through its Annual Fund, capital campaigns, and major gift programs. Donors include foundations (Charlotte Hornets Foundation, Wells Fargo Championship, HoopTee Charities) and individual philanthropists.
3. Special Events: Revenue from events such as the Shine On Gala and other fundraising activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The John Crosland School delivers individualized, multi-sensory K-12 private education for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences, applying the Orton-Gillingham methodology and AI-enabled learning tools within small class settings. The school offers a full Lower, Middle, and Upper School continuum with integrated counseling, athletics, arts, and college/career preparation programs, including the Senior Exploration Experience (SEE). It operates as an SAIS-accredited, non-profit independent school in Charlotte, North Carolina, with revenue from tuition, donations, and grants.

Product overview

The John Crosland School is North Carolina's first comprehensive school for students with learning differences, offering a unified educational program spanning Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School. The school provides specialized instruction through individualized, multi-sensory approaches including Orton-Gillingham methodology, integrated with counseling services, athletics, arts programs, and career exploration initiatives like the Senior Exploration Experience (SEE). The institution is currently undergoing significant expansion through its $10 million Dreams, Delivered capital campaign, which will add an Exploratorium facility featuring STEM labs, maker spaces, performing arts spaces, and a recording studio to its existing 58,000-square-foot campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lower School Program Specialized K-5 educational program for students with learning differences, focusing on foundational literacy, multi-sensory instruction, and individualized support for young learners with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences.
• Middle School Program Middle school curriculum for students with learning differences featuring amplified math and science programs, hands-on STEM projects, and team-teaching models with integrated reading specialists and speech-language pathologists.
• Upper School Program High school program preparing students for graduation and beyond through college preparation, the Senior Exploration Experience (SEE), LIFE class, and comprehensive academic and social-emotional support.
• Counseling Services Comprehensive counseling program supporting students' social-emotional development, mental health awareness, and wellness through individual and group support.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive athletic offerings including flag football, cross country, basketball, and other sports designed to build confidence, executive function skills, and social development for students with learning differences.
• Summer Camp Summer enrichment program offering continued learning and social engagement opportunities for students during summer months.
• Senior Exploration Experience (SEE) Required off-campus internship program for seniors during the two-week masterclass period, part of the LIFE class, providing real-world career exposure through partnerships with organizations including National Gypsum, Compassionate Care Vet Clinic, and Habitat for Humanity Restore.
• Esports Program Competitive esports team and technology program led by the IT Director, providing students with learning differences opportunities for strategic thinking, teamwork, and technology skill development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students with dyslexia who had fallen behind in public school make significant academic progress
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ashley FurniturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Upper School students joined staff on a field trip to Ashley Furniture Industries to select furniture and decorative pieces for the new Exploratorium. Ashley Furniture staff then delivered and installed the furniture, supporting the Dreams, Delivered capital campaign.
• The Howard SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Sister school partnership with The Howard School in Atlanta, which has a similar mission to empower students with language-based learning differences. Head of School and Director of Advancement visited to share best practices in campus design, integrated expertise models, and student leadership programs.
• Mayor Vi LylesminorOthers · 1 January 2026Mayor Vi Lyles of Charlotte participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Exploratorium, cutting the ribbon alongside student Sofia to officially open the new facility.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Lab School of Washington: Washington, D.C., independent K-12 school for students with learning disabilities, founded on the Orton-Gillingham and Merrill methodologies, with similarly structured art-integrated curriculum and college-prep outcomes. One of the most prominent specialized LD private schools in the U.S.
• The Howard School: Atlanta-based independent K-12 school serving students with language-based learning differences; explicitly a JCS 'sister school,' partnering on best-practice sharing for campus design, integrated expertise models, and student leadership. The closest comparable institution in mission and model.
• Jemicy School: Baltimore-area independent school for students with dyslexia and other language-related learning differences, offering day and boarding programs. Highly comparable target audience, methodology, and college-prep orientation.
• The Gow School: Boarding/day secondary school in New York state dedicated to students with dyslexia and similar language-based learning differences. Comparable in its singular LD focus, evidence-based reading instruction, and college-prep outcomes.
• Frostig Center / Frostig School: California-based independent school serving students with learning disabilities including dyslexia and ADHD. Operates with similarly individualized, diagnostic-prescriptive teaching and strong neuroscience foundation.
• The Kildonan School: New York-based independent day and boarding school for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences. Strong overlap with JCS in Orton-Gillingham methodology and the mission of building self-advocacy and executive-function skills.
• The Churchill School and Center: New York City independent school serving students with language-based learning disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD) through individualized, multisensory instruction. Direct functional overlap with JCS in approach, target student, and K-12 span.
• Lawrence School: Ohio-based independent school serving students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences across elementary and middle school grades. Comparable curriculum philosophy and use of multisensory, structured literacy instruction.
• The Vanguard School: Pennsylvania-based special education private school serving K-12 students with learning differences including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD. Direct overlap in mission, methodology, and student population.

Emerging players

• Landmark School: Massachusetts-based private school for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities; while more residential/boarding in nature, it shares the singular LD focus and the Orton-Gillingham-rooted methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thejohncroslandschool2700
• Facebookfacebook.com/johncroslandschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/johncroslandschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-john-crosland-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 The John Crosland School