McDonogh 35 Senior High School

What McDonogh 35 Senior High School does

McDonogh 35 Senior High School is a public charter high school located in New Orleans, Louisiana, operating as part of the InspireNOLA Charter Schools network, a nonprofit organization serving more than 5,000 students across seven schools in Orleans Parish. Founded in 1917 as the first public four-year high school for African American pupils in New Orleans, the school serves grades 9-12 through an open-enrollment, college-preparatory model with a STEAM emphasis. Its product is structured as a core secondary education program augmented by specialized academic tracks (Rigor Academy, National Honor Society, ACT 20+ Club, Exceptional Student Services), career and dual-enrollment programs (Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts via NOCC/Delgado, the SUNO STEAM Summer Camp, the Talented Art Visual program), extracurricular activities (marching band, wrestling, anime club), and a teacher-pipeline program (Inspiring Minds Teacher Prep).

The school is funded through Louisiana's per-pupil public charter funding mechanism, supplemented by philanthropic and community sponsorships (e.g., Hancock Whitney, Delta Sigma Theta, Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club). Distribution is via a single channel: open enrollment, where families select the school through the district's unified enrollment system. Operationally, McDonogh 35 operates from a state-of-the-art 16-acre facility in the Bayou District that opened on August 20, 2015, constructed with $55 million in FEMA recovery funds. The school's underlying technology stack is light: PowerSchool is used for parent/student grade access and Clever for employee SSO, with no disclosed proprietary platform or AI tooling.

McDonogh 35 is governed by a Head of School (Dr. Desmond Moore), a 9th Grade Principal (Victoria Gettridge), and two Assistant Principals (Robert Darrith, Marcus Hodges), under the broader InspireNOLA Board of Directors. The school's strategic positioning rests on three pillars: a 100+ year historic brand identity, demonstrated academic turnaround (B letter grade and a 27-point increase in School Performance Score during 2023-2024, with Top Gains School recognition), and a non-selective open-enrollment model that distinguishes it from selective magnet and exam schools in New Orleans. The parent entity, InspireNOLA, is led by CEO Jamar McKneely, and the school reports into a multi-school portfolio of which McDonogh 35 is one of three high schools (alongside Edna Karr and Eleanor McMain).

Name

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

Legal name

InspireNOLA Charter Schools

Website

https://mcdonogh35.inspirenolacharterschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

McDonogh 35 is a public charter high school in New Orleans and part of the InspireNOLA network, offering college-preparatory STEAM education to grades 9-12 students through open enrollment and dual-enrollment programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Charter Secondary Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC), Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)

Keywords

• Public charter high school
• College preparatory education
• STEAM secondary education
• High school academics
• Dual enrollment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McDonogh 35 Senior High School is a public charter college-preparatory high school serving grades 9-12 in New Orleans, Louisiana, operating as part of the InspireNOLA Charter Schools nonprofit network. The school delivers a college-preparatory curriculum with a STEAM focus, ACT preparation, dual enrollment/industry certification pathways (culinary arts and hospitality), special education services, and a wide range of athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular programs. It is a non-selective open-enrollment institution, funded through public per-pupil allocations, grants, and donations.

Product overview

McDonogh 35 Senior High School is a college-preparatory charter high school within the InspireNOLA Charter Schools network. The school's product offerings include its core educational program supplemented by specialized academic programs (Rigor Academy, National Honor Society, ACT 20+ Club), exceptional student services for special education, career-focused programs (Culinary Arts, Teacher Prep), fine arts (TAV Program, Marching Band), athletics (including the historic Wrestling Program), and student clubs (Anime Club). The school utilizes PowerSchool for parent/student portal access and Clever for employee single sign-on.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• McDonogh 35 Senior High School Core College-Preparatory Program Tuition-free public charter high school education for grades 9-12 in Orleans Parish, New Orleans, offering a college-preparatory curriculum with STEAM focus, ACT preparation, and a broad range of athletics and extracurriculars, delivered as part of the InspireNOLA Charter Schools network.
• Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Dual Enrollment Program Dual enrollment program offered in partnership with NOCC and Delgado Community College that allows McDonogh 35 students to earn college credits and industry certifications in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts.
• Talented Art Visual (TAV) Program A gifted art program for students in grades 3-12 identified as talented in visual arts, providing real-world art experience and preparation for art-related careers.
• Inspiring Minds Teacher Prep Program Program preparing future teachers, with McDonogh 35 graduates completing the program to become educators.
• McDonogh 35 Wrestling Program The first public school wrestling team in Orleans Parish, established and advancing to the state tournament.
• Exceptional Student Services (Special Education) Special education and support services for students with disabilities, providing individualized educational programs and accommodations.

Quantifiable outcome

• $85 Million in college scholarships earned by Class of 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure ClubminorOthersCommunity partnership for annual backpack and school supply giveaway event
• Hancock WhitneyminorOthersCorporate sponsor for annual backpack and school supply giveaway event
• Uniforms by Logo ExpressminorOthersUniform vendor partnership; authorized seller of McDonogh 35 apparel
• New Orleans Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.minorOthersCommunity partnership for annual backpack and school supply giveaway event
• New Schools for New OrleansminorOthersEducational nonprofit partner supporting school initiatives
• Congressman Troy A. CarterminorOthersPolitical partnership for community events and school support
• Special OlympicsminorOthersDonation received by McDonogh 35 from Special Olympics
• Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSUNO hosts STEAM Summer Camp for McDonogh 35 students; students exhibit artwork at SUNO; partnership for art programs
• New Orleans Career Center (NOCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual enrollment partnership allowing students to earn college credits and industry certifications in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts
• Delgado Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege credits earned through NOCC dual enrollment program in hospitality from Delgado
• Wright GrayminorOthersCommunity partnership for annual backpack and school supply giveaway event
• Chamberlain UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership program allowing exceptional high school seniors to take college courses before graduation

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edna Karr High School: Sister high school within the InspireNOLA Charter Schools network. Operates the same charter model in New Orleans with overlapping leadership, branding, and shared student outcomes reporting — the most directly comparable operating peer.
• Lusher Charter School: High-performing New Orleans charter school (K-12) with strong college-prep outcomes. Competes for college-bound students in the same open-enrollment market and serves as a peer benchmark for academic performance.
• Benjamin Franklin High School: Top-ranked public charter high school in New Orleans with a selective admissions model. A direct competitor for high-achieving students and a benchmark for college-prep performance in the same market.
• New Orleans College Preparatory Academies: Multi-site charter network in New Orleans operating open-enrollment schools with a college-prep focus. Direct competitor for the same student demographic in Orleans Parish.
• KIPP New Orleans Schools: Largest charter school network in New Orleans serving a similar open-enrollment, college-prep population. Competes for the same students and families in the Orleans Parish open-enrollment market.
• Warren Easton Charter High School: Long-standing public charter high school in New Orleans with similar college-prep mission and athletic program emphasis. Directly comparable on student demographics and community positioning.
• Eleanor McMain Secondary School: Third InspireNOLA high school in the same network. Shares the same charter governance, college-prep curriculum, and outcome-tracking framework, making it a directly comparable operating peer.

Others

• New Schools for New Orleans: Educational nonprofit that supports charter schools in New Orleans, including McDonogh 35. Comparable as an ecosystem participant influencing charter performance and replication.
• Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO): HBCU partner hosting McDonogh 35's STEAM Summer Camp and TAV art exhibits. Comparable as a higher-education ecosystem partner in the college pipeline for the school's graduates.

Regional players

• Algiers Charter School Association: Charter network serving the Algiers area of New Orleans. Operates a similar open-enrollment, college-prep model but primarily in a different sub-market of the parish.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McDonogh35
• Facebookfacebook.com/mcdonogh351917
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcdonogh-35-senior-high-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcdonogh35

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 McDonogh 35 Senior High School