The Romine Group-Merritt Academy

What The Romine Group-Merritt Academy does

The Romine Group, LLC is a charter school management organization that operates Merritt Academy, a tuition-free K-12 Public School Academy with an attached preschool program located in New Haven, Michigan. The academy is authorized by Saginaw Valley State University under Michigan's Public School Academy framework and is funded entirely through the state's per-pupil foundation allowance. Merritt Academy positions itself as a small, family-oriented school with class sizes capped at 24-25 students and a 180.5-day instructional calendar, employing 38 staff with published salary bands of approximately $51,510 for new teachers and $61,235 for veteran teachers.

The academy's academic program is built around structured intervention frameworks, including a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), the ZAP (Zeroes Aren't Permitted) attendance/assignment-completion program, a Ninth Hour recovery period, and a Coding Club for STEM enrichment. Administrative operations run on PowerSchool as the Student Information System, supporting enrollment, grading, and reporting workflows typical of Michigan charter academies. The school is a member of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA) and participates in a Southeast Michigan consortium for shared special education services.

The business model is a single-site public charter school: revenue derives from Michigan's per-pupil state foundation allowance scaled to enrolled students, supplemented by any applicable federal Title funds and preschool funding, with no tuition charged to families. The Romine Group functions as the management entity providing operational oversight, while SVSU serves as the regulatory authorizer whose approval is required for continued operation. There is no disclosed evidence of multi-site operation, tuition-based programs, or external service revenue; the financial profile is therefore that of a single-site, state-funded public academy.

Name

The Romine Group-Merritt Academy

Legal name

Merritt Academy Charter School

Website

https://merritt-academy.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Romine Group, LLC operates Merritt Academy, a tuition-free K-12 Public School Academy with preschool in New Haven, Michigan, serving local families through Michigan's per-pupil state charter funding under Saginaw Valley State University authorization.

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 Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• K-12 charter education
• Public school academy
• Preschool programs
• Special education services
• Academic intervention programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Haven

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public school academy, Merritt Academy receives per-pupil foundation allowance from the State of Michigan based on enrollment
2. Before/After School Care Fees: Before and after school care is offered at additional cost for working families
3. Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP): State-funded free preschool program for eligible four-year-olds, funded by the State of Michigan

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Merritt Academy is a tuition-free Public School Academy (charter school) located in New Haven, Michigan, managed by The Romine Group, LLC. It delivers K-12 education from preschool through 12th grade, including the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), kindergarten through high school curriculum, special education services, intervention and enrichment programs, and before/after care.

Product overview

Merritt Academy is a tuition-free Public School Academy (charter school) offering a comprehensive K-12 educational program managed by The Romine Group. The school provides a family-oriented educational environment with programs including the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) for four-year-old preschoolers, free full-day kindergarten, and K-12 instruction. Academic support is delivered through MTSS (Multi-Tiered Student Support), ZAP, and Ninth Hour programs. The school offers special programs including Coding Club with robotics (Sphero), Spanish, art, music, physical education, and athletics. Special education services encompass speech pathology, social work, counseling, and specialized instruction. Food services provide breakfast and lunch through the USDA School Lunch Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP)
• K-12 Education
• Special Education Services
• Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
• ZAP (Zeroes Aren't Permitted)
• Ninth Hour Program
• Coding Club
• Food Services
• Before and After Care

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU)coreOthersSVSU is the charter authorizer for Merritt Academy. As the authorizing body, SVSU oversees the academy and provides institutional oversight and accountability for the public school academy.
• The Romine Group, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Romine Group is the management company (Educational Service Provider) for Merritt Academy. All employees work for The Romine Group. The management company handles day-to-day operations under direction of the Board of Directors. Contact: Phil Maurey at [email protected] or (586) 731-5300.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool provides the student information system used for the parent portal (powerschool.merritt-academy.org). Parents use PowerSchool to access student grades, progress reports, and communicate with teachers.
• AetnaminorOthersAetna provides medical insurance and vision insurance for employees of The Romine Group, including staff at Merritt Academy.
• Mutual of OmahaminorOthersMutual of Omaha provides life insurance and dental insurance for employees of The Romine Group, including staff at Merritt Academy.
• MAPSA (Michigan Association of Public School Academies)minorOthersMerritt Academy is a member of MAPSA, the professional organization supporting public school academies in Michigan.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Heritage Academies: Michigan-based charter school management organization operating K-8 schools statewide, including in Southeast Michigan. Directly comparable as a charter management company serving similar families with a tuition-free public school academy model.
• KIPP Foundation: National charter school network operating tuition-free public charter schools focused on college preparation. Comparable as a charter operator with similar college-outcome-driven mission and K-12 structure.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: High-performing charter school network with strong academic outcomes and college preparation focus. Comparable as a charter operator with similar outcome-driven mission and K-12 structure, though regionally focused in NYC.
• Charter Schools USA: Large national charter school management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools. Comparable as a charter management company offering similar K-12 programs under a centralized operational model.
• Leona Group: Charter school management company operating public school academies across multiple states including Michigan. Comparable as a competing charter management organization with a similar ESP/governance model.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Charter school network known for rigorous academics and college preparation outcomes. Comparable as a tuition-free charter operator with a similar outcomes-focused value proposition for families.
• CS Partners: Michigan-based charter school services and management organization. Comparable as a peer management organization supporting public school academies with similar operational and authorizer relationships.
• Choice Schools Associates: Michigan-based charter school management company providing educational services to public school academies. Closely comparable as another Michigan charter management operator serving similar K-12 populations.
• Connections Academy: Online public charter school operator providing K-12 education through tuition-free virtual models. Comparable as a charter school operator offering K-12 programs though through an online delivery model that differs from Merritt's in-person format.

Broad incumbents

• Stride (formerly K12 Inc): Large publicly traded online learning and charter management company. Comparable as a broad K-12 education provider with charter management exposure and technology-enabled curriculum delivery at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/merritt_academy
• Facebookfacebook.com/MerrittAcademyNewHaven
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-romine-group-merritt-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Romine Group-Merritt Academy