River Mill Academy

What River Mill Academy does

River Mill Academy is a North Carolina public charter school, chartered on May 21, 1998 and operating continuously since opening day on August 18, 1998. The school is governed by a parent-elected Board of Directors and currently serves approximately 800 students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade from a single campus at 235 Cheeks Lane, Graham, NC. It was originally founded as River Mill Charter School in Saxapahaw, renamed in 2001, relocated to Graham in 2003, and obtained ownership of its charter in 2004. The curriculum is college-preparatory and demands high academic standards, with a particular emphasis on STEM education supported by a seven-year consecutive General Dynamics grant that funds robotics, Arduino programming, 3D printing, and computer science electives across all grade levels.

The core offering is the unified K-12 academic program, supplemented by extracurricular clubs and honor societies (NEHS, NJHS, NHS, Battle of the Books, FCA, Student Government, Underwater Robotics Club), a tuition-based Extended Day Program for K-8 students, Driver's Education through the Alamance-Burlington School System, and an inclement-weather Remote Learning Plan. The technology stack is built on standard K-12 SaaS platforms: Infinite Campus for the statewide student information system and parent portal, Lotterease for lottery-based admissions, MealManage for lunch pre-ordering and payments, LineLeader for before/after care billing, and Finalsite for the school's web presence; instructional technology includes Code.org, Minecraft Education Edition, TinkerCAD, Ozobots, Gravitrax, SnapCircuits, Engino Kits, and Ender 3D printers.

Revenue is primarily per-pupil state funding tied to average daily membership, supplemented by fee-based ancillary services: $4.50 school lunches with per-transaction online deposit convenience fees, $3 transcript fees beyond the first free copy, monthly-tuition Extended Day Program fees (specific tiers not publicly disclosed), and Polar Engraving-handled commemorative brick sales. Enrollment is open to all North Carolina students via an annual public lottery with sibling priority, and waitlists do not carry over between years. Marketing is conducted through the school's website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube (Jaguar News), and the spirit store; transportation is delivered via four park-and-ride bus routes. Operational accountability is measured by the North Carolina School Performance Grade system, where the school earned a B grade with a score of 74 in 2024-2025 (compared to 77 in 2023-2024, 70 in 2022-2023, and 73 in 2021-2022), and was previously designated a Targeted Support and Improvement Additional Target School (TSI-AT) in 2019-2020.

Name

River Mill Academy

Legal name

River Mill Academy

Website

https://rivermill-academy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

River Mill Academy is a North Carolina public charter school in Graham, NC serving approximately 800 K-12 students with a college-preparatory, STEM-focused curriculum, funded primarily by per-pupil state allocations and ancillary fee-based services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE)

Keywords

• K-12 charter school
• STEM education
• College preparatory
• Public education
• School enrollment

Headquarters

HQ city

Graham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a North Carolina public charter school, River Mill Academy receives per-pupil state funding based on average daily membership (ADM) of approximately 800 students in grades K-12.
2. School Lunch Program: Lunch is priced at $4.50 per student across all grade levels. Pre-ordering is managed through MealManage platform with per-transaction convenience fees.
3. Transcript Fees: Graduating seniors receive two transcripts at no cost; additional transcripts cost $3.00 each. Students who have graduated or withdrawn receive one free transcript.
4. Before and After School Care: Extended Day Program for elementary and middle school students (K-8), staffed by RMA teachers and teacher assistants, with tuition managed through LineLeader platform.
5. Commemorative Brick Sales: Personalized engraved commemorative bricks sold through Polar Engraving for placement along the walk outside the school cafeteria, generating revenue for the school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

River Mill Academy is a North Carolina public charter school delivering college-preparatory K-12 education to approximately 800 students at a single Graham, NC campus. The core offering combines a rigorous academic curriculum with a STEM program funded by a seven-year General Dynamics grant, plus extracurricular clubs, athletics, before/after school care, school lunch, and bus transportation services.

Product overview

River Mill Academy is a North Carolina public charter school offering a unified K-12 college-preparatory educational program. The core academic program is supported by the STEM Program (for hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math learning), Clubs and Organizations (including honor societies, Battle of the Books, and Underwater Robotics), and the Extended Day Program (before/after school care). Additional offerings include Driver's Education and a Remote Learning Plan for inclement weather days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Academic Program Comprehensive college-preparatory education program serving approximately 800 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with a challenging and demanding curriculum focused on analytical thinking skills, virtuous character, and a solid foundation of knowledge.
• STEM Program Hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math program offering elementary, middle, and high school students access to current technologies including 3D modeling, robotics, Arduino circuits, and computer science education.
• Extended Day Program (Before/After School Care) Before and after school care program staffed by RMA teachers and teacher assistants, offering homework time, enrichment opportunities, and recreational activities. Available for students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade.
• Clubs and Organizations Extracurricular activities and honor societies including National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS), National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), National Honor Society (NHS), Battle of the Books, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Student Government, and Underwater Robotics Club.
• Driver's Education Driver education classes offered through the Alamance-Burlington School System, open to students who attend charter schools in Alamance County and meet age requirements (14.5 years old).
• School Lunch Program On-campus lunch program serving all grade levels with meals priced at $4.50 per student, ordered through MealManage before 11:30 pm Thursday for the following week.
• Bus Transportation Park-and-ride bus transportation service with four designated routes and pickup/drop-off locations. Bus sign-up required.

Quantifiable outcome

• School Performance Grade B with score of 74 (2024-2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LottereasecoreTechnology or IntegrationLotterease is the online enrollment application system used by River Mill Academy for lottery-based admissions. Parents must submit applications through Lotterease during the annual registration period (January 5 - February 5) to be entered into the public lottery drawing.
• Infinite Campus (North Carolina State Information System)coreTechnology or IntegrationInfinite Campus is the official statewide student information system used by North Carolina public and charter schools, providing parent portal access to grades, assignments, and attendance. River Mill Academy uses it for school forms and student data management.
• Sandy Hook PromiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiver Mill Academy partners with Sandy Hook Promise to offer the See Something Say Something anonymous safety reporting program, providing training to staff and students and enabling anonymous tips to be reported to help at-risk individuals.
• Alamance-Burlington School SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDriver Education classes are offered throughout the school year and summer months through the Alamance-Burlington School System, open to students attending charter schools, private schools, or registered homeschool programs in Alamance County who are 14.5 years old.
• Polar EngravingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPolar Engraving handles the production and fulfillment of personalized commemorative bricks for the River Mill Academy Brick Campaign, engraving custom messages for placement along the walkway outside the school cafeteria.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: A network of STEM-focused tuition-free public charter schools offering rigorous K-12 academics. Directly comparable to RMA's STEM-centric identity and college-preparatory charter model, with stronger nationally-recognized STEM branding.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Highly-rated NYC K-12 charter school network with rigorous academics and lottery-based enrollment. Comparable to RMA as a lottery-enrolled, high-performing charter school with selective parent demand, though primarily NYC-based.
• Academica: Charter school management organization operating numerous K-12 charter schools, with significant presence in Florida and other states. Comparable to RMA as a charter school service provider with concentrated operations across multiple schools.

Broad incumbents

• Imagine Schools: National charter school operator managing K-12 public charter schools. Comparable to RMA as a charter school operator with similar per-pupil funding model and emphasis on character development, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Charter Schools USA: A large charter school management organization operating K-12 charter schools across multiple states. Comparable to RMA as a charter school operator with centralized management, lottery-based enrollment, and per-pupil funding model, but at significantly larger scale.
• IDEA Public Schools: One of the largest U.S. charter school networks operating K-12 public charter schools with a college-prep focus. Comparable to RMA as a charter operator serving similar demographics with extended-day and STEM programming, though at multi-state scale.
• Aspire Public Schools: Operates K-12 public charter schools focused on college preparation in California and other states. Comparable to RMA as a charter school operator with college-prep mission and lottery-based enrollment, though larger scale and regional focus.
• National Heritage Academies: Operates publicly-funded charter schools with a focus on moral focus and academic excellence. Comparable to RMA as a charter management organization serving K-12 students with structured curricula and partner-driven service models.
• KIPP Foundation: One of the largest U.S. charter school networks operating tuition-free K-12 public charter schools. KIPP is comparable to River Mill Academy as a charter school operator focused on underserved students with extended day models and college-prep curricula, though KIPP operates at a national scale.

Regional players

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: Operates K-12 charter schools in Southern California focused on college readiness. Comparable to RMA as a charter school operator with lottery enrollment and college-prep curriculum, though serving a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JaguarNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/River-Mill-Academy-61555869210620
• Instagraminstagram.com/rmajaguars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/river-mill-academy

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 River Mill Academy