What Ontonagon Area School District does

Ontonagon Area School District (OASD) is a public K-12 school district operating under the authority of the State of Michigan and serving approximately 300 students across elementary and junior/senior high school grades. Headquartered at a single consolidated campus at 701 Parker Avenue in Ontonagon, Michigan — following the 2010 consolidation of the elementary school into the Jr-Sr High building — the district covers one of the largest geographic footprints of any public school district in Michigan, spanning the townships of Carp Lake, Greenland, Ontonagon, Rockland, and the southern portion of Bohemia. Established in 1858-59 as Ontonagon Union School, OASD is the oldest public school district in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and has grown through successive township annexations (Rockland and Greenland in 1965; White Pine/Carp Lake in 2008).

The district's core academic offering is a traditional K-12 program aligned with the Michigan Merit Curriculum, supplemented by a Dual Enrollment program that allows high school students to earn college credit. Its most differentiated product is the Fab Lab Program — a K-12 digital fabrication maker space that integrates STEAM curriculum with the 4Cs framework and the Engineering Design Process, using equipment such as 3D printers, laser engravers, CNC mills, vinyl cutters, TinkerCAD for computer-aided design, and Dremel PrintCloud for printer management. Additional service lines include Guidance and Counseling (college and career planning, scholarship search, ACT/SAT prep, Tuition Incentive Program enrollment), Interscholastic Athletics (football, volleyball, basketball, track, and golf across three regional conferences), and WOAS-FM, a community radio station owned by the district since 1978 and streamed online.

OASD is a government entity, not a commercial enterprise: it charges no tuition to resident students, generates no disclosed revenue in the traditional sense, and is funded by state per-pupil allocation, local property taxes, and grants. The only direct cost-recovery mechanism disclosed is a 'pay to participate' athletic fee policy adopted in 2011, with specific fee amounts not publicly disclosed. The district is governed by a seven-member Board of Education led by Superintendent/Principal Lisa Johnson, with operational staff including a Business Specialist, Business Assistant, Building & Grounds Supervisor, Athletic Director, and WOAS-FM General Manager Kenneth Raisanen. Technology infrastructure is sourced from third-party vendors — PowerSchool (SIS), Imagine Learning/Edgenuity (digital curriculum), REMC1 (website), and NFHS Network (live streaming) — and the district maintains active partnerships with Michigan Tech (Summer Youth Program), TRIO, College Board, Khan Academy, Fastweb, and Sallie Mae for college-readiness services.

Name

Ontonagon Area School District

Legal name

Ontonagon Area School District

Website

https://oasd.k12.mi.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ontonagon Area School District is a Michigan public K-12 school district serving approximately 300 students across five Upper Peninsula townships, operating a consolidated campus with a distinctive Fab Lab maker-space STEAM program, athletics, and community radio station WOAS-FM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary and Secondary Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• STEAM curriculum
• Maker space programs
• Dual enrollment
• Community radio broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Ontonagon, Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ontonagon Area School District provides tuition-free K-12 public education to approximately 300 students in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from a single consolidated campus. Its core offering centers on the Fab Lab Program, a K-12 maker education initiative combining STEAM curriculum with a digital fabrication maker space equipped with 3D printers, laser engravers, CNC mills, and vinyl cutters, designed to democratize hands-on learning for all students. The district also delivers dual enrollment, college and career counseling, interscholastic athletics, and operates the WOAS-FM community radio station.

Product overview

Ontonagon Area School District is a K-12 public education institution serving approximately 300 students in Michigan's Upper Peninsula since 1858. The district operates from a consolidated campus and offers a comprehensive educational portfolio centered around its flagship Fab Lab Program—a K-12 maker education initiative combining STEAM curriculum with a digital fabrication maker space. Beyond traditional academic instruction aligned with Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements, the district provides dual enrollment opportunities for college credit, comprehensive guidance and counseling services for college and career planning, interscholastic athletics across multiple sports, and operates WOAS-FM, a community radio station staffed by students and volunteers. The Fab Lab Program serves as the district's most distinctive offering, integrating hands-on equipment (3D printers, laser engravers, CNC routers, vinyl cutters) with structured curriculum to provide experiential learning across all grade levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fab Lab Program A comprehensive K-12 maker education program combining STEAM curriculum with digital design and fabrication equipment. Features a dedicated maker space with 3D printers, laser engravers, CNC mills, and vinyl cutters, designed to democratize learning for all students.
• K-12 General Education Traditional K-12 educational program serving approximately 300 students in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, operating from a single consolidated campus since 2010 with a 150+ year history.
• Dual Enrollment Program Partnership program allowing high school students to earn college credits while completing secondary education requirements, aligned with Michigan Merit Curriculum standards.
• Guidance and Counseling Services Comprehensive college and career planning services including scholarship searches, transcript requests, ACT/SAT test preparation, and Tuition Incentive Program enrollment support.
• Interscholastic Athletics Competitive athletic programs including football, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls track, and boys and girls golf, participating in Bridge Alliance Football Conference, Mountain Lakes Conference, and Copper Country Conference.
• WOAS-FM Radio Station Community radio station operated by Ontonagon Area Schools at 88.5 FM since 1978, featuring student and community volunteer programming with online streaming capabilities.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Michigan Tech Summer Youth ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Michigan Technological University for Summer Youth Program, sponsored by White Pine Scholarship Program, providing enrichment opportunities for students.
• TRIOminorOthersTRIO provides free resources focused on college and career access; provides the College Planning Toolbox with free tools, calculators, and resources to help students and families navigate saving, planning, and paying for college.
• College BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for college planning resources including scholarship search and college readiness tools; students can link College Board accounts with Khan Academy.
• Upper Peninsula Power Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical grant provider for WOAS-FM radio station facility rebuild beginning in 1997, along with Ontonagon Area Schools and public donations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hancock Public Schools: Upper Peninsula K-12 public school district serving a small community with overlapping geographic and demographic dynamics.
• Calumet Public Schools: Upper Peninsula public school district operating in a similar former-mining-community context with comparable scale and programming.
• L'Anse Area Schools: Small Upper Peninsula K-12 public district serving a similar rural community, comparable in enrollment size and operating constraints.
• Baraga Area School District: Neighboring small rural public school district in Michigan's Upper Peninsula; highly comparable to OASD in scale, geography, and demographic profile.
• Ewen-Trout Creek Consolidated Schools: Very small Upper Peninsula K-12 district, similar in scale and rural operating environment to OASD.
• Ironwood Area Schools: Small Upper Peninsula public school district near the Wisconsin border facing similar rural demographic and funding pressures.

Others

• PowerSchool: Student information system provider used by OASD for grades, attendance, and parent portals; key K-12 technology ecosystem partner for districts of this size.
• Imagine Learning: Digital curriculum provider (Edgenuity) used by OASD for supplemental and personalized instruction; widely adopted by small rural districts to extend course offerings.
• Khan Academy: Free online learning platform integrated into OASD's student resources; commonly used by K-12 districts to expand supplemental offerings at no cost.

Regional players

• Marquette Area Public Schools: Larger Upper Peninsula public school district serving the regional hub of Marquette; provides regional reference point for staffing, programming, and funding benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontonagon-area-school-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ontonagon Area School District