Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School

What Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School does

Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School (RAPCS) is a public charter school chartered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and located at 2601 S 58th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in September 2001 by Dr. Benjamin Smallwood and Rev. Joseph D. Patterson with a founding cohort of 180 students, the school serves approximately 370 students exclusively in grades 5-8 in the SW Philadelphia area. Its mission is to deliver rigorous middle school instruction across Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies, supplemented by social-emotional learning, wellness programming, art, environmental science, and after-school clubs. The school is led by founding CEO Lawrence F. Jones, Jr., with Dr. Ryen Jackson serving as Principal.

The school's product portfolio is a unified educational platform anchored by core academics and extended through modular add-ons: a Bartram's Garden environmental science partnership, a SOLER-based school counseling department, special education/IEP services, after-school and summer programming, and a National School Lunch Program delivered via Maschio's Food Services. Technology infrastructure includes 1:1 Chromebooks, SMART boards in every classroom, PowerSchool SIS for attendance and grading, i-Ready for ELA/Math benchmarking, HMH Ed for science and social studies, Kiddom and Eureka Math for mathematics, Freckle for adaptive practice, Amplify for curriculum delivery, and LiveSchool for PBIS behavioral tracking. The Edlio-powered website serves as the family's primary information portal.

RAPCS operates a nonprofit educational business model funded almost entirely by per-pupil allocations from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, supplemented by federal ARP-ESSER emergency relief. There is no tuition; the only direct student charge is a $24.99 yearbook fee. Enrollment is conducted through the city-wide Apply Philly Charter Portal and direct in-person re-enrollment at the main office. The school is governed by a Board of Trustees (up to 15 members) and holds no parent company, private equity ownership, or subsidiaries.

Name

Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School

Legal name

Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School

Website

https://rapcs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School is a publicly funded, nonprofit middle school (grades 5-8) in SW Philadelphia serving approximately 370 students with a per-pupil state funding model and no tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

Keywords

• Middle school education
• Charter school instruction
• Public charter education
• Student counseling services
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Funding: Public charter school funded by taxpayer dollars through per-pupil allocation from Pennsylvania Department of Education. As a charter school LEA, RAPCS receives public funding based on enrollment.
2. Federal Emergency Funding (ARP-ESSER): Received American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds for learning loss, after school support, and summer program support to address coronavirus pandemic impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School is a public charter middle school (grades 5-8) in Philadelphia that provides core academic instruction in Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies, along with supplemental programs such as wellness, social-emotional learning, art, environmental science, school counseling, and special education services. Educational services are delivered at no tuition to families through a publicly funded per-pupil model and supported by SMART Boards, 1:1 Chromebooks, PowerSchool SIS, and other instructional platforms.

Product overview

Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School (RAPCS) is a public charter school serving students in grades 5-8. The school operates as a unified educational platform consisting of a core middle school academic program with integrated specialized services. The product portfolio includes: the foundational middle school curriculum (Math, ELA, Science, Social Studies) delivered through SMART board-equipped classrooms with 1:1 Chromebooks; supplemental programs including environmental science with Bartram's Garden partnership, wellness education, social emotional learning, and art; support services including after-school programming, school counseling with SOLER-based interventions, specialized education (IEP services), and the National School Lunch Program; and summer learning programs funded through ARP ESSER grants. All components are coordinated through the school's Edlio-powered website and integrated educational technology platforms including PowerSchool SIS, i-Ready, HMH Ed, and Kiddom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Education (Grades 5-8)
• Core Academic Curriculum
• Environmental Science Program
• Wellness Program
• Social Emotional Learning
• Art Program
• After-School Program
• School Counseling Services
• Specialized Services (IEP) Special education services including academic push-in/pull-out small group instruction, modifications, accommodations, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, and behavioral accommodations for students with IEPs.
• National School Lunch Program Food service program provided by Maschio's, supporting Farm to School meals with local farm partnerships, vegan options, and nutrition classes for students.
• Summer Learning Programs Extended School Year (ESY) program and summer programming supported by ARP-ESSER funding for learning recovery and enrichment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exceeds academic growth in all content areas for four consecutive years

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

Integration10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bartram's GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bartram's Garden for outdoor learning opportunities. Collaboration on environmental science curriculum to help students understand the physical environment and develop appreciation for the natural world.
• Maschio's Food ServicescoreOthersNational School Lunch Program service provider supporting over 460 school cafeterias. Collaborates with local farms for Farm to School meals, provides vegan food options and nutrition classes for students.
• Philadelphia High Schools NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local Philadelphia high schools including CAPA, Central High School, Imhotep Institute Charter High School, Boys' Latin of Philadelphia, Motivation High School, Philadelphia Academy at Palumbo, Philadelphia High School For Girls, and Parkway Center City Middle College for student transition and preparation.
• Apply Philly Charter PortalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity-wide charter school application portal operated by the School District of Philadelphia for centralized enrollment in Philadelphia charter schools.
• Pennsylvania Department of EducationcoreOthersAs a charter school LEA, RAPCS receives funding and regulatory oversight from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, including ARP-ESSER federal emergency relief funds.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PA Cyber Charter School: Pennsylvania statewide cyber charter school funded by the same per-pupil mechanism as RAPCS. Comparable in charter funding mechanics and Pennsylvania regulatory framework, though competing in a different delivery model (online vs. brick-and-mortar).
• Mastery Charter Schools: Largest Philadelphia charter management organization operating multiple K-12 campuses across the city. Comparable public per-pupil funding model and middle school offerings, but materially larger and broader in scope than RAPCS.

Direct peers

• Universal Companies (Universal Audenried Charter School): Philadelphia-based charter operator running multiple schools serving middle-grade students in the city. Comparable in single-city footprint, public funding model, and middle school curriculum delivery.
• Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School: Philadelphia K-12 charter school serving similar demographics with comparable public funding and instructional model. Overlaps with RAPCS on grade band, location, and per-pupil revenue structure.
• Global Leadership Academy Charter School: Philadelphia K-8 charter school serving a similar urban demographic with comparable per-pupil funding and middle school program structure.
• Esperanza Academy Charter School: Philadelphia charter school serving middle and high school grades with a culturally-rooted mission. Directly comparable as a Philadelphia single-network charter serving similar grades and demographics.
• Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School: Philadelphia charter school serving middle and high school grades in the same southwest/near-west corridor. Directly comparable in grade band, urban charter model, per-pupil public funding, and reliance on Philadelphia's charter enrollment ecosystem.
• String Theory Schools: Philadelphia-based charter operator running schools including middle grade levels. Comparable in single-city charter footprint, STEM/arts-integration curriculum approach, and public funding model.
• Imhotep Institute Charter High School: Philadelphia charter school with STEM focus serving grades 7-12. Comparable as a Philadelphia-based charter with similar demographics and public per-pupil funding, with overlapping high school transition pipeline referenced in RAPCS materials.
• KIPP Philadelphia Charter School: Philadelphia-based KIPP charter network operating multiple campuses including middle school grades. Comparable in single-city charter footprint, college-prep mission, and per-pupil funding model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/richardallenpcs
• Facebookfacebook.com/Richard-Allen-Preparatory-Charter-School-Inc-155988087777191
• Instagraminstagram.com/richardallenpcs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-allen-preparatory-charter-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School