National Heritage Academies

What National Heritage Academies does

National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based nonprofit charter school management organization that operates 103 tuition-free public charter schools across nine U.S. states (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, and Wisconsin), serving more than 65,000 K-12 students. Founded in 1995, NHA runs a consistent educational model centered on a research-based curriculum, the proprietary Moral Focus™ character education program, and structured learning environments intended to differentiate from traditional public school districts. The network includes brick-and-mortar K-8 schools, high schools, and K-12 campuses, supplemented by two fully online K-12 schools — PrepNet Virtual Academy in Michigan and National Heritage Online Academy in North Carolina — offering live-online and self-paced learning formats.

The operating model is built on public per-pupil funding from state governments rather than tuition charged to families, generating recurring revenue tied to enrollment. NHA markets directly to families through a national school finder tool on its website and individual school websites, with each campus managing its own application intake; a Parent Portal supports post-enrollment communication. Outcome metrics emphasized by the organization — Stanford-validated academic gains of 3.5 additional months of learning per year, three out of four schools outperforming their local districts on state proficiency tests, and 100% college acceptance for high school graduates — function as the primary competitive positioning and parent acquisition signals.

The company maintains no disclosed parent company, no external institutional investors, and no disclosed funding rounds in the source material. Technology infrastructure is described as data-driven instructional tools and supporting online learning platforms; no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, SDKs, or proprietary AI features are referenced in available data. Day-to-day school operations are staffed at the campus level (not reflected in the 47-employee headcount figure, which appears to capture headquarters and service-center staff), while NHA corporate provides the curriculum, training, and operating playbook across the network.

Name

National Heritage Academies

Legal name

National Heritage Academies

Website

https://prepnetschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Heritage Academies is a nonprofit charter school operator running 103 tuition-free public K-12 schools across nine U.S. states, serving 65,000+ students with a research-based curriculum and its proprietary Moral Focus™ character education program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual/Online Charter Schools (EDAJACAD), Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 public education
• Character education programs
• Virtual K-12 learning
• Tuition-free charter schools

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Per-Pupil Funding: As tuition-free public charter schools, NHA schools receive per-pupil funding from state governments based on student enrollment. This is the primary revenue stream supporting school operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

National Heritage Academies operates a network of 103 tuition-free public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in grades K-12. Core offerings include in-person K-8 and high school education with the proprietary Moral Focus™ character education program, supplemented by two fully online K-12 schools (PrepNet Virtual Academy in Michigan and National Heritage Online Academy in North Carolina) offering live-online and self-paced learning models.

Product overview

National Heritage Academies operates a network of 103 tuition-free public charter schools across nine states, serving K-12 students. The core offering consists of physical school campuses (K-8 and high schools, with some K-12 campuses) supplemented by two online schools: PrepNet Virtual Academy in Michigan and National Heritage Online Academy in North Carolina. All schools incorporate the proprietary Moral Focus™ character education program alongside rigorous academics, with Stanford University research showing students gain 3.5 more months of learning annually. Additional digital tools include a School Finder for locating nearby schools and a Parent Portal for monitoring student progress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Moral Focus™: Character education program teaching virtues like respect, gratitude, and courage, woven into daily learning for students.

Products and services

• NHA Schools (K-12 Charter Education Network) Tuition-free public charter schools serving grades K-8 and high schools (with some K-12 campuses) across nine states, providing college-preparatory academics combined with the Moral Focus™ character education program to families seeking high-quality public school alternatives.
• Moral Focus™ Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain 3.5 more months of learning each year compared to public school peers (Stanford University study)
• +4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Partner Schools (103 Charter Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHA operates a network of 103 tuition-free public charter schools across 9 states. Each school operates under a charter agreement and follows NHA's consistent educational model built on high academic expectations, moral character development, and a culture of support. Schools partner with local families and communities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Accel Schools: Charter management organization operating a large network of tuition-free public charter schools and online academies across multiple states. Directly comparable to NHA on multi-site CMO operations, public per-pupil funding, and inclusion of online/virtual academy offerings alongside brick-and-mortar campuses.
• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter management organization running tuition-free public K-12 charter schools with a college-prep mission and strong outcomes focus. Comparable to NHA in operating model, regional concentration in the Northeast/Midwest, and public per-pupil funding structure.
• KIPP Foundation: Largest U.S. charter management organization operating tuition-free public K-12 charter schools with a college-prep mission across multiple states. Directly comparable to NHA on network scale, public-per-pupil funding model, college-acceptance emphasis, and multi-state authorizer footprint.
• Charter Schools USA: For-profit charter school management organization running tuition-free public charter schools across several states with a centralized service-center operating model. Directly comparable to NHA in CMO structure, per-pupil revenue model, and multi-state school network.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of tuition-free public charter schools nationally recognized for rigorous college-prep academics. Comparable to NHA on charter funding model, K-12 grade span, and outcome-driven positioning (top college placement rates).
• Green Dot Public Schools: Charter management organization operating a network of tuition-free public charter schools across multiple U.S. states. Directly comparable to NHA on public charter funding model, multi-site operations, and focus on transforming outcomes for underserved students.
• IDEA Public Schools: Multi-state charter network operating tuition-free public K-12 schools with a strong college-prep identity and a published track record of college acceptance. Comparable to NHA in funding model, charter-authorizer dependency, and outcome-driven marketing to families.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large charter school network known for top-tier academic outcomes and 100% college acceptance. Comparable to NHA on tuition-free public charter model, college-prep emphasis, and outcome-focused family acquisition.
• Mosaica Education: Charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable to NHA on centralized CMO service-center model, public per-pupil funding, and K-12 charter operations.

Broad incumbents

• EdisonLearning: Established education management provider offering charter school management, online learning, and direct services to districts. Comparable to NHA as an incumbent CMO competitor with broader portfolio (district partnerships, online programs) versus NHA's focused charter-network model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prepnet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 National Heritage Academies