OPEN CLASSROOM THE

What OPEN CLASSROOM THE does

Open Classroom is a public K-8 charter school located at 134 D Street in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah, operating under the governance of the Salt Lake City School District. Founded in 1977 by Carolyn Turkanis as a cooperative learning community, the school serves approximately 400 students across 18 classrooms with 19 teachers, operating on a whole-child educational philosophy that integrates social, emotional, creative, cognitive, and physical development. The school's defining feature is its co-op model requiring active weekly parent participation in classrooms, committee governance (Steering Committee, School Community Council, Publicity Committee, PFOE), and mandatory admissions engagement through school tours or Prospective Parent Information Nights prior to lottery enrollment.

The school delivers its core educational program through Pre-K (full-day preschool for ages 3+, $550/month), K-8 curriculum, and enrichment offerings in art, music, PE, theater, dance, and a garden program. The technology stack comprises standard K-12 administrative tools — ParentSquare for communications, Canvas LMS, PowerSchool SIS, Microsoft 365, and SchoolCafe for meal management — with no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities. Revenue is derived from per-pupil state allocations through the district, supplemented by tuition for preschool and aftercare services ($250/month subscription or $30/day drop-in), parent fundraising through the Parents for Open Education (PFOE), and passive income from a Smith's Rewards affiliate program. Title I designation covers 35% of students eligible for free lunch.

As a district-authorized charter, Open Classroom faces a charter renewal application due in May 2027 and is currently in its 50th anniversary celebration year (2026-2027). The school has been recognized as runner-up for Utah Association of Public Charter Schools' Charter School of the Year, with Principal Craig Pitts named Administrator of the Year in 2026. Operation is geographically bounded to a single campus serving the Salt Lake City community, with no expansion into additional locations, geographies, or grade levels evidenced.

Name

OPEN CLASSROOM THE

Legal name

Open Classroom

Website

https://ocslc.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Classroom is a public K-8 charter school in Salt Lake City, Utah, serving approximately 400 students through a parent-cooperative educational model within the Salt Lake City School District. It delivers Pre-K through 8th grade instruction with enrichment in art, music, PE, and theater.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• K-8 education
• Cooperative education
• Preschool programs
• After care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. After Care Program Fees: Monthly flat fee for aftercare services plus drop-in daily rates for student supervision beyond school hours
2. Preschool Tuition: Monthly tuition for full-day preschool program for children ages 3+
3. Public School Funding: Per-pupil state funding through Salt Lake City School District as a public charter school
4. PFOE Donations: Parent Fundraising Organization (Parents for Open Education) raising funds for classroom supplies, field trips, art supplies, music, sports, and activities
5. Smith's Rewards Program: Passive income through community reward card program where school earns percentage of qualifying purchases

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Open Classroom is a Pre-K through 8th grade public charter school in Salt Lake City, Utah, delivering cooperative education in which parents actively participate in classrooms on a weekly basis. The school delivers core academics alongside enrichment programs (theater, music, art, dance, PE, library, and garden) and ancillary fee-based services including a full-day preschool program (ages 3+) and an after-school care program (3:05 PM–5:30 PM). All operations are governed by the Salt Lake City School District as a district-authorized charter.

Product overview

Open Classroom is a single, unified K-8 public charter school offering comprehensive educational services. The core offering is the Pre-K through 8th grade co-op education program, which operates as a parent-participatory learning community. Supporting programs include a Preschool Program (full-day for ages 3+), After Care Program, and enrichment activities in Theater, Music, Art, and Physical Education. The school operates on a whole-child philosophy, integrating academic, social, emotional, creative, cognitive, and physical development. All programs are provided through the Salt Lake City School District charter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Classroom K-8 Education Program A Pre-K through 8th grade cooperative public charter school in Salt Lake City, Utah, offering comprehensive elementary and middle school education with a holistic, whole-child approach integrating social, emotional, creative, cognitive, and physical development, with mandatory weekly parent co-op participation.
• Preschool Program A full-day preschool program for children 3 years and older, operating Monday through Friday from 8:40 AM to 3:05 PM, utilizing N.A.E.Y.C. guidelines alongside the OC philosophy to provide educational, social, and emotional experiences. Tuition is $550/month with August prorated at $285.
• After Care Program After-school care service running from 3:05 PM to 5:30 PM on school days and 1:35 PM to 5:30 PM on early release days, offering age-appropriate activities including sports and theater. Flat monthly fee of $250 for regular aftercare; drop-in rate of $30/day per student for occasional use.
• Theater Program Theatrical performances featuring both licensed plays and original student creations, with student participation in directing, set design, costuming, make-up, lighting, sound, choreography, and advertising.
• Music Program Music education program as part of the comprehensive curriculum, with PFOE donations supporting instrument replacement and upgrades.
• Art Program Weekly art education in every class supported by PFOE donations that keep the supply closet well stocked, culminating in the annual Art Stroll celebration.
• Physical Education (PE) Physical education program with after-school sports offerings supported by parent involvement and PFOE funding. PE teacher Penny was recognized for excellent teaching by the Utah Board of Education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% of students eligible for free lunch demonstrating Title I school status
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationParentSquare is the primary communication platform used by Open Classroom for school-wide announcements, updates, and community engagement with families.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Mana Academy Charter School: A Utah public charter school serving K-8 in the greater Salt Lake City area with a culturally responsive, community-driven educational model. Comparable to Open Classroom as a Utah K-8 charter competing for the same Salt Lake City-area parent pool.
• Ascent Academies of Utah: A Utah public charter network operating multiple K-9 campuses in the Wasatch Front region. Comparable to Open Classroom as a Utah charter K-8 competitor drawing from the same regional family-choice market.
• Spectrum Academy: A Utah public charter school network serving K-12 with a STEM focus. Comparable to Open Classroom as a Utah charter K-8 competitor for parent-choice families in the broader Salt Lake City metropolitan region.
• American Preparatory Academy: The largest multi-campus charter school network in Utah, operating direct-funded charters serving K-12. Comparable to Open Classroom as a Utah charter competitor for parent-choice families, though substantially larger in scale.
• C.S. Lewis Academy: A Utah public charter school serving K-8 with a classical, community-centered approach. Comparable to Open Classroom as a Utah charter K-8 school targeting families seeking alternative educational philosophies.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Public Schools: The largest U.S. charter school network operating college-preparatory public charter schools. Comparable to Open Classroom as a charter peer in mission and family-choice positioning, though operating at significantly larger multi-site scale nationally.
• BASIS Charter Schools: A national network of high-performing public charter schools known for rigorous academics. Comparable to Open Classroom as a charter school peer in family-choice enrollment, though serving a broader and more academically accelerated niche.

Direct peers

• Waldorf School of Salt Lake City: An independent alternative K-8 school in Salt Lake City offering Waldorf/Steiner-inspired whole-child education. Comparable to Open Classroom in philosophy (whole-child, arts-integrated, community-based) though operating as a private rather than public charter institution.
• Canyon Rim Academy: A public charter K-8 school in the Salt Lake City area offering an alternative, parent-involved educational model. Comparable to Open Classroom as a Utah K-8 charter serving similar families with a community-oriented pedagogy.
• Salt Lake Center for Science Education: The only other district-authorized charter school operating under the Salt Lake City School District alongside Open Classroom. Directly comparable as a same-district charter peer competing for the same parent-choice families in Salt Lake City.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenClassroomAlumni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-classroom-the

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 OPEN CLASSROOM THE