Rapid River Public school

What Rapid River Public school does

Rapid River Schools is a rural public K-12 school district located in Delta County, Michigan, at the junction of US 2 and US 41. The district operates a single-campus program serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade, offering core academics, special education and intervention services, athletics (basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, hockey, figure skating, strength & conditioning), student clubs (Forestry Club, Indian Education, Key Club, National Honor Society, Science Olympiad, Student Council), and CTE/career preparation opportunities. It employs approximately 23 staff including a superintendent (Dr. Jay Kulbertis), principal (Rachal Gustafson), business manager (Lisa Boudreau), and athletic director (Kathryn Frisk).

The district's technology stack is built entirely on third-party education platforms rather than proprietary systems: PowerSchool serves as the student information system with parent/student portal access; SchoolMessenger delivers text-based emergency and event communications; Google Login provides single sign-on; and Curriculum Crafter and DataDirector support curriculum and data management for staff. Accelerated Reader is used for literacy development, and Red Rover handles substitute teacher requests.

As a public school district, Rapid River is funded primarily through Michigan state per-pupil foundation allowance, local property taxes, and federal grants, with no tuition charged to in-district families. The district is governed by an elected school board and supplemented by the Rapid River Schools Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit established in 2020 to fund educational programs through community contributions. The district maintains partnerships with DSISD for mental health services, The Center for Youth Health & Wellness for free sports physicals, MHSAA for athletic governance, and Michigan Tech Recreation for summer sports camps. Its go-to-market is purely community-led: enrollment is determined by residential address within district boundaries, with outreach conducted via the district website, Facebook, SchoolMessenger alerts, and the PowerSchool parent portal.

Name

Rapid River Public school

Legal name

Rapid River Schools

Website

https://rapidriver.k12.mi.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rapid River Schools is a rural K-12 public school district in Delta County, Michigan, serving kindergarten through 12th-grade students residing within its district boundaries with academic, athletic, CTE, and student support services funded by state per-pupil aid, local property taxes, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Rural school district
• Student athletics programs
• Special education services
• Before after school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapid River

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a public K-12 school district in Michigan, Rapid River Schools is funded primarily through state per-pupil funding, local property taxes, and federal grants. Additional revenue streams include food service programs and athletics fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rapid River Schools is a rural public K-12 school district in Delta County, Michigan that provides comprehensive education from kindergarten through 12th grade. Its offerings include core academic instruction, athletics, student clubs and organizations, Career and Technical Education programs, mental health and nursing support, special education, food service, and transportation/busing for enrolled students.

Product overview

Rapid River Schools is a rural K-12 public school district located in Delta County, Michigan. The district offers a comprehensive educational program serving elementary (kindergarten through 5th grade), middle school (grades 6-8), and high school (grades 9-12) students. The school's core offerings include academic instruction, athletics programs, CTE programs, student clubs and organizations, and support services including mental health therapy, nursing, and special education. The district utilizes PowerSchool for student information management, SchoolMessenger for parent communications, and provides access to Google-based educational tools and Accelerated Reader for literacy development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Education Programs
• Athletics Programs
• Student Clubs and Organizations
• CTE Programs
• Student Support Services
• Food Service Program
• School Transportation (Busing)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Center for Youth Health & WellnessminorOthersThe Center for Youth Health & Wellness provides free sports physicals for student athletes through appointments scheduled by contacting the center directly at 906-786-1672.
• Michigan Tech RecreationminorOthersMichigan Tech Recreation offers summer sports camps including basketball, figure skating, football, hockey, volleyball, soccer, and strength & conditioning programs available to Rapid River students and community youth.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool provides the student information system used by the district for parent/student portal access to schedules, grades, lunch accounts, and other student data.
• SchoolMessengercoreTechnology or IntegrationSchoolMessenger is the communication platform used by the district to deliver text messages, school closing alerts, safety notifications, and event information directly to parent phones.
• Rapid River Schools FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. The Foundation supports students by funding educational programs and projects, encouraging alumni and community contributions to provide special benefits to students.
• DSISD (Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSISD provides mental health therapy services through Pam Cloutier, a mental health therapist serving Rapid River students as part of the intermediate school district's support services.
• MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association)coreOthersMHSAA governs athletic eligibility, physical forms, and return-to-play requirements for high school sports participation in Michigan.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• North Central Area Schools: Public K-12 district in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Operates in a similar rural geography with comparable funding model, athletics, and small-staff operating structure.
• Bark River-Harris School District: Small rural public K-12 district in Delta County, Michigan. Comparable in enrollment size, rural geography, athletics offerings, and reliance on state and local property tax funding.
• Mid Peninsula School District: Small public K-12 school district in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Similar in scale, rural context, and reliance on government per-pupil funding for a small, tight-knit community.
• Big Bay de Noc School District: Small public K-12 district in Delta County serving a rural Upper Peninsula community. Direct comparable in enrollment size, funding dynamics, and community-based operating model.
• Superior Central School District: Small rural K-12 public school district in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Comparable in student demographics, funding model, and the small-scale community engagement approach.
• Escanaba Area Public Schools: Another Delta County public K-12 district slightly larger than Rapid River. Comparable in funding model (Michigan per-pupil), student demographics, and athletics/community programming structure.
• Gladstone Area Schools: Neighboring public K-12 school district in Delta County, Michigan, serving a similar small-town/rural Upper Peninsula community. Directly comparable in size, funding model, and student demographics, making it the most direct operational peer.

Regional players

• Forest Area Community Schools: A small rural K-12 public school district in northern lower Michigan. Operates in a similar rural geography with comparable curricular and extracurricular programming, though in a different regional county from Rapid River.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan Department of Education: State-level authority that administers per-pupil funding, accreditation, and accountability frameworks governing all Michigan public K-12 districts including Rapid River. Not a competitor but an enabling/regulatory counterpart that shapes the operating environment.

Emerging players

• Michigan Virtual University: State-supported online learning provider that offers supplemental courses and remote instruction to Michigan K-12 students. Represents an emerging alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar rural districts for course access and credit recovery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rapidriverschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/rapid-river-public-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Rapid River Public school