Sierra Unified School District

What Sierra Unified School District does

Sierra Unified School District is a public K-12 district headquartered at 29143 Auberry Road in Prather, California, serving approximately 1,270 students across four school sites in the Sierra foothills of Fresno County over a 2,100-square-mile service area. The district operates Foothill Elementary School (Prather), Sierra Junior High School (Tollhouse), Sierra High School (Tollhouse), and an Alternative Education Center offering Sierra@Home online learning, supported by 31 school buses that transport over 1,000 students daily across roughly 300,000 miles per year. Core academic and co-curricular programming includes 25 interscholastic sports, a 200-acre school farm, college and career readiness counseling, special education services (RSP, SDC, DIS), mental health services through the statewide CYBHI initiative, and a Native American Education Program partnered with three local rancherias.\n\nThe district's technology stack is composed entirely of standard K-12 SaaS platforms rather than proprietary systems, including Aeries for the Student Information System and online enrollment, ParentSquare for district-family communications, Follett Destiny for library management, EZSchoolPay (Harris School Nutrition Solutions) for meal and fee payments, Facilitron for facility rentals, Infofinder/TransFinder for bus routing, EDJOIN for employment postings, ReadySub for substitute management, and IMAGO plus Britannica and ProQuest for student wellness and research content. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary models, or data assets are documented.\n\nSierra Unified is funded through California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), local property taxes, federal child nutrition programs (NSLP/SBP under California's Universal Meals Program), developer fees activated June 1, 2025 ($5.17/sq ft residential; $0.84/sq ft commercial), and community facility rentals. In November 2024, voters approved Measure U, a $24 million general obligation bond that received an A+ S&P rating and closed April 2, 2025 with $15 million deposited into the Building Fund, financing a multi-year modernization of Sierra High School with Mark Wilson Construction as general contractor and Darden Architects as designer. The district is governed by an elected Board of Trustees under Superintendent Dr. Lori Grace and overseen by a Citizens Bond Oversight Committee seated February 10, 2025.

Name

Sierra Unified School District

Legal name

Sierra Unified School District

Website

https://sierrausd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sierra Unified School District is a public K-12 district serving approximately 1,270 students across four school sites in the Sierra foothills of Fresno County, California, funded primarily through California's LCFF state aid and local property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Student transportation services
• Special education programs
• School nutrition services
• Facility modernization

Headquarters

HQ city

Prather

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding (LCFF): Local Control Funding Formula provides primary state funding based on attendance and student demographics.
2. Property Taxes: Local property tax revenue supports district operations. Measure U bond passed in 2024 with 66.85% support generating approximately $24 million for facilities improvements.
3. Federal Child Nutrition Programs: National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) providing meals to all students under California's Universal Meals Program at no cost to families.
4. Facility Rental and Community Use: Community use of facilities including summer pool, catering services, and facility rentals through Facilitron platform.
5. Developer Fees: Residential construction $5.17/sq ft, commercial construction $0.84/sq ft as of June 1, 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sierra Unified School District is a public K-12 school district serving approximately 1,270 students across four school sites in the Sierra foothills of Fresno County, California. The district provides comprehensive educational programs through Foothill Elementary School, Sierra Junior High School, Sierra High School, and the Alternative Education Center, supplemented by transportation, nutritional services, special education, mental health support, and college and career readiness services.

Product overview

Sierra Unified School District operates as a public school district serving approximately 1,270 students across four school sites in the Sierra foothills of Central California. The district offers a comprehensive K-12 educational program through Foothill Elementary School (K-5), Sierra Junior High School (6-8), Sierra High School (9-12), and the Alternative Education Center. Supporting services include special education, transportation (serving 1,000+ students via 31 buses), nutritional services (universal meals program), mental health services (CYBHI), and the Native American Education Program. The district is currently undergoing significant modernization through Measure U bond projects totaling approximately $24 million for facility improvements including HVAC systems and library upgrades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foothill Elementary School Elementary school serving K-5 students in the Sierra Unified district, located in Prather, CA, providing foundational education with smaller class sizes and personalized teacher attention.
• Sierra Junior High School Junior high school serving middle school students with academic and co-curricular programs at the Tollhouse campus.
• Sierra High School High school providing comprehensive academics, athletics, arts, and college/career readiness programs. Home to a public swimming pool serving the community.
• Alternative Education Center Alternative education program offering non-traditional educational pathways and Sierra@Home online learning option for students at the Tollhouse campus.
• Transportation Services School bus transportation managing routes for over 1,000 students daily across 31 buses, covering approximately 300,000 miles per year across the 2,100 square mile service area.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education program offering Resource Specialist Program (RSP), Special Day Classes (SDC), and Designated Instruction Services (DIS) including speech, occupational therapy, and assistive technology.
• Nutritional Services / Universal Meals Program School meal program providing nutritious breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost through California's Universal Meals Program (National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program).
• Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Statewide mental and behavioral health program providing on-campus services including screenings, therapy, counseling, and care coordination at no cost to families through insurance reimbursement.
• Native American Education Program Program supporting American Indian and Alaskan Native students with cultural resources, academic support, parent committee coordination, and tribal community connections through Title VI and Johnson O'Malley programs.
• Summer Public Pool Public swimming pool offering public swim, water aerobics, and swim lessons (Mommy & Me, Beginners, Intermediate) to community members during summer hours.
• Catering Services Cafeteria catering services available at Sierra Junior/Senior High School and Foothill Elementary School cafeterias for community events and programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% graduation rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Darden ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Architectural firm contracted for Sierra High School Modernization Project funded by Measure U bonds.
• Mark Wilson Construction (MWC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024General contractor selected for Sierra High School Modernization Project with construction estimate of $18,949,500.
• California Division of the State Architect (DSA)coreOthers · 1 January 2024State agency reviewing and approving school construction plans for compliance with building codes.
• Table Mountain RancheriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative American tribal organization partnering with district for Native American Education Program serving American Indian and Alaskan Native students.
• Big Sandy RancheriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative American tribal organization partnering with district for Native American Education Program.
• Cold Springs RancheriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative American tribal organization partnering with district for Native American Education Program.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCommunication platform used as primary district-wide communication system for announcements, newsletters, and parent engagement.
• AeriescoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System used for enrollment, grade management, and parent/student portal.
• California Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide program allowing district to receive insurance reimbursement for mental health services provided on campus, expanding student support services at no cost to families.
• Smith System (Tangram Interiors)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFurniture manufacturer donating library furniture for Sierra High School library remodel as pilot program.
• Mowhak CarpetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCarpet supplier donating half of carpet for library remodel.
• UC/CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity and Learning (CA DIVERSE LEARNING)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for bullying prevention resources for neurodivergent students.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yosemite Unified School District: Rural California unified district serving mountain communities in Madera and Mariposa counties. Similar small enrollment, large geographic service area, and dependence on state funding and local property taxes.
• Mammoth Unified School District: Small California unified school district serving a mountain/resort community in the Eastern Sierra. Comparable in scale, rural geography, and reliance on LCFF, property taxes, and resort-area revenue dynamics.

Regional players

• Pine Ridge Elementary School District: Neighboring small elementary district explicitly cited in Sierra Unified's developer-fee schedule. Shares the Sierra foothills geography and small-scale operating profile.
• Bass Lake Joint Union Elementary School District: Small Sierra foothills K-8 district near Oakhurst, CA, sharing regional mountain-community demographics and overlapping with Sierra Unified's feeder geography in Madera/Fresno County.
• Twain Harte-Long Barn Union Elementary School District: Small K-8 mountain district in Tuolumne County. Similar enrollment scale, Sierra Nevada geography, and funding mix centered on LCFF and local property taxes.
• Fowler Unified School District: Small Central Valley unified district comparable in student count and LCFF dependency, useful as a non-mountain benchmark for similar-sized California unified districts.
• Minarets High School District (Chawanakee Unified): Small foothill/mountain unified district in Madera County serving rural mountain communities. Comparable in enrollment scale, rural service area, and California LCFF funding model.
• Pollock Pines Elementary School District: Small Sierra Nevada foothill district in El Dorado County serving a similar mountain residential community. Comparable in size, rural service area, and reliance on LCFF and developer fees.
• Big Creek Elementary School District: Tiny neighboring elementary district explicitly referenced in Sierra Unified's developer-fee boundary. Demonstrably comparable in geographic setting and student-population scale.

Others

• Aeries Software (Eagle Software): Vendor of the student information system Sierra Unified uses for enrollment, grades, and parent portal. Indirect ecosystem participant; comparable only as a technology enabler to peer California districts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sierra-unified-school-district

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Sierra Unified School District