The SEED School of Los Angeles County

What The SEED School of Los Angeles County does

The SEED School of Los Angeles County (SEED LA) is a public charter boarding high school operating at 8400 S. Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California, and is the first public boarding high school in California and Los Angeles County's only college-prep boarding school. Authorized as a charter by the Los Angeles County Office of Education on July 7, 2020, and opened to its founding cohort of 125 ninth graders in August 2022, the school serves students residing in Los Angeles County in grades 9 through 12 and is on a planned trajectory to reach full four-grade operation by the 2025–26 school year, with its first graduating class scheduled for spring 2026. The core offering integrates a college-preparatory academic curriculum (including AP courses in STEM, humanities, and English) with a five-day residential boarding program running Sunday through Friday, structured around the HALLS (Habits for Achieving Life-Long Success) curriculum and organized into college houses. Students receive a 24-hour learning environment with individualized instruction, athletics, extracurriculars (robotics, dance, music), experiential learning including international service trips and internships, and post-graduation College Transition & Success services delivered through the national SEED Foundation network. The school is differentiated by a workforce development focus on transportation infrastructure careers anchored in a partnership with LA Metro, and the 147,000-square-foot campus includes 20 classrooms, science labs, a maker space, gymnasium, commercial kitchen, and outdoor recreation areas.

SEED LA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation and is funded through two streams: per-pupil state and local public funding allocated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education based on enrollment, and philanthropic donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. There is no tuition charged to students or families. Admissions are managed through a lottery-based system using the PowerSchool enrollment platform, with applications opening November 1 and the lottery held in February each year, currently targeting 175 incoming ninth graders per cohort. The school is governed by a board that includes senior figures from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Abode Communities, the Coalition for Responsible Community Development, and The Children's Collective, among others. Back-office operations including financial management are supported by ExED as an implementation partner.

Name

The SEED School of Los Angeles County

Legal name

The SEED School of Los Angeles County

Website

https://seedschoolla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The SEED School of Los Angeles County is a free public charter boarding high school and California's first public boarding high school, serving Los Angeles County students in grades 9–12 with a college-preparatory curriculum and five-day residential boarding program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a public charter school authorized by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, SEED LA receives state and local per-pupil funding based on enrollment. This public funding covers basic expenses of academic and boarding programs.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The school relies on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners to fund critical initiatives including educational and arts programs, boarding and student life activities, parent and community outreach, and the library collection. The school is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The SEED School of Los Angeles County operates as California's first public boarding high school, delivering a tuition-free, college-preparatory education for grades 9-12. Students live on campus five days a week (Sunday-Friday) in a 24-hour learning environment that combines rigorous academics, the HALLS life-skills curriculum, athletics, and post-graduation college transition services, with specialized focus on transportation infrastructure, STEM, and humanities career readiness.

Product overview

The SEED School of Los Angeles County is a public charter boarding school offering a unified educational program centered on its college-preparatory academic curriculum (grades 9-12) supplemented by a five-day boarding component. The core offering integrates rigorous academics with the Student Life Program featuring the HALLS (Habits for Achieving Life-Long Success) curriculum, alongside athletics, experiential learning opportunities, and college transition services. Students receive a holistic 24-hour learning environment focused on transportation infrastructure, STEM, and humanities preparation for college and career success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College-Preparatory Academic Program
• Five-Day Boarding Program
• Student Life Program

Quantifiable outcome

• First graduating class will complete in spring 2026

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

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LA MetrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2020LA Metro partnered with the County of Los Angeles and The SEED Foundation to develop the SEED School. The school focuses on career readiness in transportation infrastructure, aligning with Metro's workforce development goals. Metro broke ground on the Vermont Manchester Transit Priority Project where SEED LA is located.
• Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)coreOthersAuthorizing body for SEED LA's charter. The charter was authorized by LACOE on July 7, 2020. LACOE provides oversight and regulatory oversight for the public charter school.
• Trifiletti ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTwo board members (Monique Earl and Karly Katona) are associated with Trifiletti Consulting, which provides public sector advisory services including infrastructure delivery and workforce development.
• The SEED FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that developed the SEED school model. Provides College Transition & Success services to SEED graduates, including financial aid advising, career advising, and university outreach to ensure college graduation.
• Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark Wilson, President and CEO of CRCD, serves on SEED LA's Board of Directors. CRCD works to improve neighborhood conditions that impact young people in South Los Angeles.
• The Children's Collective, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jackie Kimbrough, Founding Director of The Children's Collective, serves on SEED LA's Board. The organization serves more than 13,000 children, youth and adults in child development, youth development, family support and health programs, located adjacent to the SEED LA site.
• Make Good, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuth Stalford, Founder and Executive Director of Make Good, Inc., serves as Board Chair. Her organization has given away over 85,000 books and operates a shop for transition-age foster youth.
• CASA of Los AngelesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamuel Herod, who serves on SEED LA's Board, is a board member of CASA of Los Angeles, which advocates for youth in care communities.
• Ripple EffectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSophia Echavarria, SEED DC alumna and Board Treasurer, works at Ripple Effects which provides personalized software for social-emotional behavioral supports and training for students and staff.
• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRod Hamilton, Board member, previously served as New School Construction Development Manager with LAUSD from 2000-2010, responsible for building new schools in the district.
• AccentureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonique Earl, Board member, previously worked at Accenture advising public sector clients on large-scale transformation and infrastructure investment.
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonique Earl, Board member, previously served as Senior Assistant General Manager and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at LADWP.
• Abode CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbode Communities partnered with The SEED Foundation and ExED to bring the charter boarding school to South L.A.
• ExEDcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducational management organization that provides back-office services including financial management. Mail for donations is sent c/o ExED.
• Los Angeles Urban LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonique Earl, Board member, serves on the board of the Los Angeles Urban League which provides workforce development and community services.
• Coro CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKarly Katona, Board member, serves on the Coro California board which provides leadership development programs.
• Los Angeles Neighborhood InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonique Earl, Board member, serves on the board of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative.
• Los Angeles Educational PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRod Hamilton, Board member, is a long-time board member of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership.
• MLK Health and Wellness Community Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKarly Katona, Board member, serves as Chair of the MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation.
• NBC4 Los AngelesminorOthersLocal television station that covered SEED LA's opening in 2022 and community events.
• Telemundo52minorOthersSpanish-language television station that covered SEED LA's boarding school model.
• KCRWminorOthersPublic radio station that featured SEED LA in a news segment about public boarding schools in South LA.
• Eno Center for TransportationminorOthersTransportation policy think tank that referenced SEED LA in an article about transportation infrastructure workforce.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SEED School of Maryland: The original SEED boarding public school, founded in 1996. Operates the same 24-hour college-prep boarding model under the SEED Foundation, with grade 6-12 boarding. This is the closest operational and programmatic peer to SEED LA.
• SEED School of Washington DC: SEED Foundation's DC campus, opened in 1998, serving grades 9-12 with the same public boarding college-prep model. Provides direct comparison for SEED LA's programming, college-transition outcomes, and funding approach.
• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: One of the largest charter networks in Los Angeles, operating 25+ college-prep charter schools. Serves the same LA student population seeking college-prep alternatives and competes for the same lottery-pool families.
• KIPP LA Schools: Major LA charter network focused on college-prep outcomes for underserved students. Operates multiple middle and high schools in LA County serving the same target demographic of families seeking high-quality public school alternatives.
• Green Dot Public Schools: LA-headquartered charter network operating numerous Ánimo and other college-prep charter high schools across LA County. Directly competes with SEED LA for the same college-prep-oriented families in South LA.
• Aspire Public Schools: California-based charter network with multiple campuses in the LA region, focused on college readiness for underserved students. Comparable in mission, regulatory environment, and target population.
• BrightStar Schools: LA charter network operating multiple college-prep campuses in South LA and surrounding communities, including high schools serving grades 9-12. Direct competitor for the same families seeking college-prep charter options.
• PUC Schools: LA charter network operating multiple charter schools including high schools in Northeast San Fernando Valley and other LA communities. Similar mission of college preparation for first-generation students.
• Equitas Academy Charter Schools: LA charter network serving grades 5-8 with a college-prep focus, located in neighborhoods overlapping with SEED LA's target demographics. Comparable in mission to prepare underserved students for college success.
• ICEf Public Schools: LA charter network operating multiple college-prep high schools in South LA, directly competing with SEED LA for the same target population of families seeking rigorous college-prep public school options.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The SEED School of Los Angeles County