Jubilee School

What Jubilee School does

Jubilee School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent school (EIN 23-2844857) operating a single PreK-6 program at 4211 Chester Avenue in West Philadelphia since 1977. It serves approximately 100-160 children across preschool through sixth grade with 125 employees, anchored on an Afro-centric, child-centered, inquiry-based curriculum that integrates arts, social justice, and Pennsylvania academic standards. Core programs include the PHL PreK-funded free PreK program, K-6 academics, a K-6 arts curriculum delivered through partnerships with Rock to the Future, Philadanco, and PHonk!Philly, aftercare at $500 per family per month, afterschool clubs, and the student-run Jubilee Voices Publishing House (11 published titles since 2021-2022).

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition ($7,000 per year, among the lowest of Philadelphia-area independent schools) with the majority of families receiving scholarships or financial aid, supplemented by EITC/OSTC tax-credit scholarships, donations and monthly fundraising campaigns, aftercare fees, and direct book sales ($20-$40 per title). External scholarship partners include the Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia ($1,250-$3,350 per child), Family Choice Scholarship Program, and Go Forward Education Foundation. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: families are acquired through open house visits, word-of-mouth, and PHL PreK routing, with earned media in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Billypenn and an active alumni referral network supporting pipeline. There are no technology products, AI capabilities, or applications; operations run on Brightwheel for admissions, Squarespace for web, and Zeffy for donations.

Strategic positioning combines the lowest-cost private-school tuition in the region with a distinctive Afro-centric curriculum and student-driven outputs (published books, the MOVE bombing historical marker, UN presentations) that differentiate it from mainstream alternatives.

Name

Jubilee School

Legal name

Jubilee School

Website

https://jubileeschool.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Jubilee School is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent school serving PreK through 6th grade children via an Afro-centric, arts-integrated, child-centered curriculum, with tuition among the lowest of local independent schools and significant reliance on scholarships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Primary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Independent school education
• Afro-centric curriculum
• Arts-integrated learning
• Private elementary school
• Child-centered inquiry learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments. Tuition is set at $7,000 annually. The majority of students receive scholarships or financial aid to offset costs. The school maintains affordability as a core mission.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The school relies on community donations through one-time and monthly giving programs, internal fundraising, and facility support campaigns. Monthly donor recruitment is actively pursued.
3. EITC and OSTC Scholarships: Business owners may support the school through Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, directing tax dollars toward student scholarships.
4. Aftercare and Afterschool Programs: Aftercare program costs $500 per month per family and includes supervised play, homework support, and snack time. Afterschool clubs require deposits and run for set sessions.
5. Book Sales (Jubilee Voices Publishing House): The school publishes books written by students through Jubilee Voices Publishing House. Books are sold online at prices ranging from $20-$40, including titles like 'Journey to the Core of the Twentieth Century' and 'Sonia Sanchez: The Freedom and Dream Worker'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jubilee School operates a PreK through 6th grade independent day school in West Philadelphia grounded in Afro-centric, child-centered, inquiry-based learning. Its core offering integrates academics aligned with Pennsylvania standards with arts programming (dance, music, visual arts, poetry) and social justice education, delivered on a single campus at 4211 Chester Avenue.

Product overview

Jubilee School offers a unified PreK-6th grade independent school experience with multiple interconnected programs. The core educational offering comprises the PreK Program (free through PHL PreK) and the K-6th Grade Program, both grounded in child-centered inquiry-based learning. Supporting programs include the Aftercare Program and Afterschool Clubs (Sojo Grow Crew, Jubilee Dynamites Step Team, Art Club, Read 2 Succeed). The Arts Program provides dance, yoga, violin, drumming, poetry, and visual arts through community partnerships. The distinctive Jubilee Voices Publishing House is a student-led publishing initiative where students research and publish books about history, producing titles like 'Journey to the Core of the Twentieth Century' and 'The Deep Past of Haiti'. These programs are unified by the school's Afro-centric educational philosophy emphasizing student voice, creativity, and social activism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jubilee Voices Publishing House: A student-run publishing house where Jubilee students research, write, illustrate, and publish books focusing on under-told stories of struggle, resilience, and accomplishment in African American and global history. Founded in 2021-2022, it has published eleven books with more in progress.

Products and services

• PreK Program Free preschool programming for 3 and 4 year olds delivered through the City of Philadelphia PHL PreK system, focused on curiosity, creativity, imagination, guided exploration, and play aligned with the Jubilee philosophy.
• K-6th Grade Program Full-day educational program for kindergarten through sixth grade students integrating academics aligned with Pennsylvania standards, arts, social justice education, and hands-on exploration through child-centered inquiry-based learning. Tuition is $7,000 annually with most students receiving scholarships or financial aid.
• Aftercare Program After-school supervised child care program priced at $500 per month per family, providing supervised play, homework support, and snack time for PreK-6th grade students, including non-Jubilee students. Financial assistance available through ELRC Child Care Works.
• Afterschool Clubs Enrichment clubs for grades 1-6 including Sojo Grow Crew (gardening and cooking), Jubilee Dynamites Step Team (step dancing), Art Club, and Read 2 Succeed literacy program, requiring deposits and running for set sessions.
• Arts Program Comprehensive arts education integrated into the K-6 curriculum covering dance, yoga, violin, drumming, poetry, and visual arts, delivered through partnerships with Rock to the Future (ukulele/piano), Philadanco (dance), and PHonk!Philly (Afro-Brazilian drumming).
• Jubilee Voices Publishing House Student-led publishing imprint where Jubilee students research, write, illustrate, and publish books focused on under-told stories of struggle, resilience, and accomplishment in African American and global history. Eleven titles have been published, sold online at $20-$40 each.

Quantifiable outcome

• 47+ years of continuous operation and nearly 50 years of educational impact
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Philadelphia / PHL PreKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJubilee School participates as a PHL PreK site, offering free preschool programming for 3 and 4 year olds through the City of Philadelphia's Free Pre-K program. This partnership enables access to free early childhood education for eligible families at Jubilee.
• Rock to the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education partnership providing group lessons. Kindergarten-3rd grade students learn ukulele while 4th-6th graders learn piano. Part of comprehensive arts program.
• PhiladancocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance education partnership with teaching artists from Philadanco. Students learn technique, musicality, and rhythm through movement as part of arts curriculum.
• PHonk!PhillyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfro-Brazilian drumming instruction led by PHonk!Philly, connecting students to cultural roots of rhythm while teaching teamwork and coordination.
• Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP)coreOthersCSFP provides partial, need-based scholarships ranging from $1,250-$3,350 per child per year through a lottery system. Many Jubilee students receive these scholarships.
• Family Choice Scholarship ProgramminorOthersEITC and OSTC scholarship program allowing parents to choose private or religious schools through Pennsylvania's tax credit programs.
• Go Forward Education FoundationminorOthersFoundation creating educational opportunities by moving K-12 students from low-performing schools to higher-quality schools through financial assistance.
• Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC)minorOthersELRC helps eligible families receive financial assistance through Child Care Works program to cover aftercare costs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mastery Charter Schools: Network of charter schools in Philadelphia serving K-12. Comparable as a Philadelphia K-6 education provider targeting similar urban families, though operating under a charter-management model rather than as an independent private school.
• KIPP Philadelphia Schools: Network of K-12 charter schools in Philadelphia. Comparable as a Philadelphia K-6 education provider serving urban families seeking alternative educational approaches, though structured as a charter network rather than a single-site independent school.

Direct peers

• Friends Select School: Philadelphia independent PreK-12 Quaker school in Center City. Comparable as a long-established, mission-driven independent elementary school serving a similar Philadelphia family demographic with a values-based curriculum and small class sizes.
• Germantown Friends School: PreK-12 independent Quaker school in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Comparable mission-driven independent school with a long history, similar tuition tier, and overlapping Philadelphia family market.
• Norwood-Fontbonne Academy: Catholic independent school in Chestnut Hill serving PreK-8. Comparable Philadelphia-area independent elementary school competing in the same tuition bracket and family demographic.
• Greene Towne School: Independent Montessori school in Center City Philadelphia serving infants through 6th grade. Comparable independent elementary school with a distinct educational philosophy and overlapping Philadelphia private-school family pool.
• The Waldorf School of Philadelphia: Independent Waldorf school in Philadelphia serving early childhood through 8th grade. Comparable as a values-based, philosophy-driven independent school with arts integration and comparable size.
• The Philadelphia School: Progressive independent school in Philadelphia serving infants through 8th grade. Comparable as an inquiry-based, progressive independent school with comparable tuition positioning in the same regional market.
• St. Peter's School: Independent Episcopal school in Philadelphia's Society Hill neighborhood serving PreK-8. Comparable independent elementary school with similar tuition band, urban campus, and Philadelphia family market.

Regional players

• Christian Day School (Camden / Philadelphia area): Independent Christian school in the Philadelphia region offering elementary education. Comparable as a regional independent elementary school with a faith/mission orientation, though geographically slightly outside Jubilee’s core West Philadelphia market.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jubilee-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Jubilee School