What Philadelphia Academy CS does

Philadelphia Academy Charter School (PACS) is a public K-12 charter school operating two campuses in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: a Grade School (K-8) at 11000 Roosevelt Blvd and a High School (9-12) at 1700 Tomlinson Road. The school was founded in 1999, with the high school division added in 2003, and is governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees that includes three elected parent representatives. PACS is structured as an independent nonprofit organization authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and operates under Pennsylvania charter school law.

The school's core offering is a college-preparatory and career-ready curriculum aligned with Pennsylvania State Standards, including Advanced Placement courses in US History, US Government, Calculus, and Literature and Composition, alongside diverse electives in Robotics, Anatomy, Music, Art, Culinary, Ecology, Photography, and Graphic Arts. Educational technology includes a 1:1 Chromebook program for every student, a state-of-the-art Bio-Tech STEM Lab with aquaponics tanks and a green wall, and the Infinite Campus student information system with mobile app and parent portal. The high school division serves approximately 450 students annually, with the broader K-12 program encompassing 10 varsity sports in the Philadelphia Public League and PIAA, a 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program, and college/career advising services. University partnerships with UPenn, Temple, and Rutgers feed post-secondary pathways.

The business model is government-funded: as a public charter school, PACS charges no tuition and receives revenue from state per-pupil funding, federal grants (including ESSR and 21st Century funds), and minor supplemental sources such as the Ellis Trust Fund scholarship. The school reports outcomes of 100% of students leaving with an immediate post-graduation path and approximately 85% pursuing college degrees. Total reported headcount is approximately 32 employees, which appears low relative to enrollment scale and may reflect a data capture limitation. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Philadelphia Academy CS

Legal name

Philadelphia Academy Charter School

Website

https://philadelphiaacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Philadelphia Academy Charter School is a public, nonprofit K-12 charter school in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, operating two campuses (K-8 and 9-12) serving approximately 450 high school students with a college-preparatory curriculum funded by state and federal sources, with no tuition charged to families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• K-12 education
• Charter school
• College preparatory
• STEM education
• Public education

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school, PACS receives funding from public sources including state education funding, federal grants, and local contributions. No tuition is charged to students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Philadelphia Academy Charter School provides tuition-free K-12 public charter education across two Philadelphia campuses: a Grade School (K-8) and a High School (9-12) founded in 2003 serving approximately 450 students annually. The school delivers a Pennsylvania State Standards-aligned college-preparatory and career-ready curriculum with Advanced Placement courses, a 1:1 Chromebook program, a Bio-Tech STEM Lab with aquaponics, ten PIAA varsity sports, and College & Career Services supporting roughly 85% of graduates into college.

Product overview

Philadelphia Academy Charter School operates as a K-12 public charter school system comprising two distinct campuses: Grade School (K-8) at 11000 Roosevelt Blvd and High School (9-12, founded 2003) at 1700 Tomlinson Road, both in Philadelphia PA 19116. The school offers a college-preparatory and career-ready curriculum aligned with Pennsylvania State Standards, featuring 1:1 technology, a Bio-Tech STEM Lab with aquaponics, and Advanced Placement courses. The portfolio includes core educational programs, athletics (10 varsity sports in PIAA/Public League), College & Career Services, Food & Nutrition Services, Health Services, a 21st Century Afterschool Program, and Technology Department support. The school leverages integrated platforms including Infinite Campus (SIS portal), School Cafe (meal payments), Family ID (athletics registration), and Nutrislice (menus) to deliver services to approximately 450 high school students and the broader K-12 community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grade School (K-8) K-8 educational program at the Grade School campus (11000 Roosevelt Blvd, Philadelphia PA 19116) offering academic programs, extracurricular activities, PSSA/PASA testing, virtual tours, and athletics for elementary and middle school students.
• High School (9-12) 9-12 college-preparatory high school program at 1700 Tomlinson Road, Philadelphia PA 19116, serving approximately 450 students annually with AP courses, career-ready education, 1:1 technology, and a Bio-Tech STEM Lab.
• College & Career Services Guidance resources including college preparation, scholarship information, career exploration, NCAA eligibility support, and workforce readiness programs for students and families.
• 21st Century Afterschool Program After-school programming including Chess, United Nations, Mock Trial, Art, Music, Personal Finance, French, Community Service, Yearbook, E-Gaming, and student-designed clubs.
• Athletics Program Ten varsity sports competing in the Philadelphia Public League and PIAA, including men's and women's basketball, soccer, bowling, golf, baseball, and softball, with Grade School Sports and High School Sports (PACHS/PACS Chargers).
• Food & Nutrition Services School meal program with free/reduced applications, online payment via School Cafe (transitioning from PrimeroEdge), P-EBT support, and wellness policies.
• Technology Department Services Technology support including password resets, helpdesk requests, Chromebook/iPad/Macbook support, educational resources, and an IT resource page.
• Health Services Student health services including health room/screening, immunization requirements, concussion information, medication policies, and health forms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of graduating students pursue college degrees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PrimeroEdgecoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimeroEdge provides the online meal payment system (School Cafe) for student lunch accounts. Families use this platform to manage meal payments and view balances.
• Infinite CampuscoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent information system providing Parent & Family Portal, mobile app access to grades, attendance, assignments, announcements, and schedule information for all students.
• University of PennsylvaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPenn Summer Mentorship Program - Free 4-week summer program for incoming 11th grade students to explore campus and careers in fields including dental, engineering, law, medicine, and nursing.
• Temple UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTemple University Tyler School of Art offers weekend workshop programs for high school students in photography, graphic design, architecture, oil painting, and more for 6 Saturdays at $300 tuition.
• Rutgers UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRutgers University offers week-long summer engineering program for students ages 16-18 introducing aerospace, biomedical, forensic, mechanical engineering areas.
• Ellis Trust FundminorOthersScholarship program for high school girls with high grades receiving free or reduced lunch. Funds cover extracurricular programs including art classes, college programs, and school supplies.
• PA Department of EducationcoreOthersOversight and funding agency for Pennsylvania charter schools. Implements special education policies and academic standards including PSSA/PASA testing.
• Philadelphia Public LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic conference for Philadelphia high schools. PACS competes in PIAA and Philadelphia Public League across 10 varsity sports.
• 21st Century Community Learning CentersminorOthersFederal afterschool program providing expanded academic and enrichment activities including Chess, Model UN, Mock Trial, Robotics, and community service programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ASPIRA Charter Schools: ASPIRA operates charter schools in Philadelphia serving K-12 students, with a college-prep mission and similar reliance on Pennsylvania per-pupil funding.
• KIPP Philadelphia Schools: KIPP Philadelphia is a multi-campus public charter school network serving K-12 students in Philadelphia, operating under the same Pennsylvania charter framework and competing for the same families in the same neighborhoods.
• Universal Companies: Universal Companies is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit operating multiple charter schools K-12, competing directly with PACS for families and per-pupil dollars in the same metropolitan area.
• Mastery Charter Schools: Mastery Charter is one of the largest Philadelphia-area charter networks operating multiple K-12 campuses with a college-preparatory focus and similar public charter funding model as PACS.
• Green Woods Charter School: Green Woods is a K-8 Philadelphia charter school with an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning — comparable in instructional approach (e.g., STEM/outdoor learning) to PACS's K-8 grade school campus.
• Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School: Boys' Latin is a Philadelphia public charter high school (grades 6-12) with a college-preparatory focus, competing for the same Philadelphia families seeking rigorous secondary education.

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: BASIS is a national charter network known for STEM-heavy, AP-saturated college-prep curriculum — a structural analog to PACS's college-prep and STEM-lab positioning.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Success Academy is a large, well-known urban charter network with a rigorous college-prep focus. While NYC-based, it serves as a benchmark for high-performing urban charter operators PACS compares against nationally.
• Achievement First: Achievement First is a multi-state charter network with a college-preparatory mission and similar public charter funding model; serves as a national benchmark for charter operators like PACS.

Others

• Innova Education Group: Innova is a charter school management/CMO partner that supports K-12 charter operators with back-office, operational, and academic services — an enabling/ecosystem peer that could be relevant as PACS considers operational partnerships or expansions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PhilaAcademyCS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/philadelphia-academy-cs

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 Philadelphia Academy CS