Nativity Preparatory Academy Rochester, NY

What Nativity Preparatory Academy Rochester, NY does

Nativity Preparatory Academy is a private, tuition-free Catholic middle school in Rochester, New York, founded in 2009 and co-sponsored by McQuaid Jesuit and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester. It serves approximately 60-80 students in grades 5-8 drawn from underserved Rochester inner-city communities, operating with an 8:1 student-faculty ratio and an extended school day until 5:30 PM. The school follows a NativityMiguel-based educational model and offers core academic instruction alongside enrichment products including a Summer Academic & Leadership Program at Camp Asbury, after-school tutoring and clubs (basketball, writing, step dance, music, art, Computer Club), a student-run newspaper (All Saints Post), and a Graduate Support Program that follows 179 alumni through high school, college, and career.

The organization operates an entirely donor-funded revenue model: since 2018, tuition has been eliminated and the school is sustained by individuals, foundation and corporate grants, and religious/ministry groups, with only a nominal annual activity and supplies fee charged to families. Documented outcomes include a 96% high school graduation rate and 79% two- or four-year college graduation rate, with 76% of the student body achieving honor roll status in 2024. The technology stack is described as a standard educational technology platform with extended learning management for enrichment activities; no proprietary AI/ML or differentiated technical assets are evident.

Nativity Preparatory Academy is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by William Carpenter, with James C. Smith as President (appointed June 2020, previously 19 years at YMCA of Greater Rochester) and Jennifer Kremer as Principal (appointed November 2019). Marketing and enrollment operate through community events, campus tours, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo), a brand-new podcast (Voices of Nativity), and paid radio advertising on WDKX and Legends 102.7. Single-campus scale, donor-funded economics, and reliance on a dense local institutional network (McQuaid Jesuit, Sisters of St. Joseph, St. John Fisher College, Mars Corp./Shift2, Golisano Institute, Harris Beach Murtha) define its operating profile.

Name

Nativity Preparatory Academy Rochester, NY

Legal name

Nativity Preparatory Academy

Website

https://nativityrochester.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nativity Preparatory Academy is Rochester, NY's only tuition-free Catholic middle school, serving grades 5-8 underserved students with an 8:1 student-faculty ratio. It is entirely donor-funded, co-sponsored by McQuaid Jesuit and Sisters of St. Joseph, and extends alumni support through a Graduate Support Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Catholic Middle School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Tuition-free middle school
• Catholic middle school education
• Middle school education
• Education nonprofit services
• After-school enrichment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donor-Funded Operations: Nativity Preparatory Academy is entirely funded through the generosity of individuals, grants from foundations, corporations and religious/ministry groups. The school is tuition-free, operating solely on donations and grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Nativity Preparatory Academy is Rochester's only tuition-free Catholic middle school serving students of all faiths in grades 5-8, providing strong academics coupled with values of spirituality, morality, and personal responsibility for underserved students. The school operates an extended school day until 5:30 PM and an extended school year, including enrichment activities such as tutoring, arts, athletics, STEM, and a Graduate Support Program that follows students through high school, college, and career.

Product overview

Nativity Preparatory Academy offers a tuition-free Catholic middle school education for grades 5-8, built on a nationally renowned educational model featuring an extended school day (until 5:30 PM) and extended school year. The institution provides holistic education through its core academic program coupled with enrichment offerings including Summer Academic & Leadership Program, After-School Tutoring & Enrichment Program, Graduate Support Program, Voices of Nativity Podcast, and Student Newspaper (All Saints Post). Annual fundraising events include Nativity in Bloom and Billy D'Antonio Summer Golf Classic. The school is funded entirely through donor generosity and serves underserved Rochester inner-city youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tuition-Free Catholic Middle School Education (Grades 5-8) Rochester's only tuition-free Catholic middle school serving students of all faiths in grades 5-8, providing strong academics coupled with values of spirituality, morality, and personal responsibility for underserved students.
• Extended Day Program An extended school day until 5:30 PM allowing students to attend enrichment activities including tutoring, arts, athletics, STEM, and other programs that help them thrive.
• Graduate Support Program A program that follows Nativity graduates beyond eighth grade through high school, college, and career with mentoring, tuition support, and continued connection to the Nativity family.
• Summer Academic & Leadership Program A week-long summer program offering learning, growth, and community activities including inventions, creative writing, kayaking, and hiking at Camp Asbury for students.
• After-School Tutoring & Enrichment Program After-school enrichment activities from 2:30-4:00 PM including basketball, writing club, step dance, music, art, and clubs, with volunteer partners providing instruction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% high school graduation rate for Nativity graduates
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mars Corp. and Shift2minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2025Mars Corp. and Shift2 partnered with Nativity Prep to gift the school a Mars-branded laptop and additional supplies for the Computer Club.
• Hidden Heart WreathsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 November 2021Hidden Heart Wreaths supports Nativity through wreath sales, with proceeds funding educational initiatives. Has raised $7,000 for Nativity through wreath sales, paying for 50% of one student's tuition for an entire school year.
• St. John Fisher CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021St. John Fisher College student mentors partner with Nativity students on writing projects during after-school enrichment. Nursing students provide hands-on lessons about vital organs and body systems.
• McQuaid JesuitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Nativity Preparatory Academy along with Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester. McQuaid Jesuit is a key institutional partner in the school's mission.
• Sisters of St. Joseph of RochestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Nativity Preparatory Academy alongside McQuaid Jesuit. Key founding partner providing institutional support and mission alignment.
• Golisano Institute for Business & EntrepreneurshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolisano Institute hosted Nativity's 8th grade class for a visit, exposing students to alternative post-high school options and entrepreneurship education.
• Legends Radio 102.7minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNativity partners with Legends Radio 102.7 for media exposure, with President James C. Smith appearing on ROC Talks to share the Nativity story and mission.
• Windsor CottageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHome-furnishing consignment shop sells Nativity students' artwork on flour sack towels, with all proceeds benefiting the school. Board member Peggy Growney owns the shop.
• United Way Day of Caring VolunteersminorOthersUnited Way Day of Caring brings volunteers from Underberg & Kessler LLP and Gorbel to help beautify Nativity's building and grounds.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Uncommon Schools: A nonprofit charter management organization serving predominantly low-income students in urban areas with extended school days and college-prep focus. Comparable in mission but operates at much larger scale as a charter network.
• Cristo Rey Network: National network of Catholic high schools serving low-income urban youth through corporate work-study programs. Shares the Catholic, college-prep, low-income mission with Nativity Prep, though grade-level focus differs.
• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): A national network of tuition-free public charter schools serving underserved communities with extended school days and college-prep curricula. Operates at significantly larger scale than Nativity Prep but shares the mission of college access for low-income students.
• NativityMiguel Network: The national network of NativityMiguel middle schools that includes the Rochester academy. It defines the educational model, accreditation standards, and peer accountability framework utilized by Nativity Preparatory Academy.

Direct peers

• Trinity Education for Excellence: Other Catholic middle schools in the NativityMiguel network operate with similar extended-day, donor-funded models. These schools provide direct comparison points for outcomes, scale, and operational practices.
• Nativity Preparatory Academy (Wilmington, DE): A sister NativityMiguel tuition-free Catholic middle school in Wilmington, Delaware. Operates the same educational model with extended day/year and graduate support, making it a close structural peer.

Others

• Inner-City Scholarship Fund: A nonprofit that funds Catholic school scholarships for underserved NYC youth. Serves as a comparable funding/advocacy model for donor-supported Catholic education for low-income families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/nativityprep
• Facebookfacebook.com/NativityRochester
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nativity-preparatory-academy-rochester-ny
• Instagraminstagram.com/nativityrochester

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Nativity Preparatory Academy Rochester, NY