Star International Academy

What Star International Academy does

Star International Academy (SIA) is a tuition-free public school academy (charter school) operating under the Michigan Core Curriculum for grades PreK through 12, headquartered in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. The school is authorized by Bay Mills Community College and operated as a private non-profit under the Educational Service Provider Hamadeh Educational Services (HES), which delivers comprehensive backbone functions including curriculum development, staff recruitment, finance, HR, compliance, legal guidance, and grant writing. SIA serves primarily Michigan residents and foreign exchange students, with a student body drawn from more than two dozen countries in the Greater Detroit area, and employs a lottery system when applications exceed capacity. The institution offers a college preparatory academic core augmented by Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment, an Arabic language curriculum K-12 plus French in grades 9-12, an ESL program via the Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol (SIOP), and Special Education services. Beyond academics, SIA fields 15-20+ athletic teams, operates Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) preschool, Career Technical Education (CTE) for grades 11-12, an Achievement Campers tutoring program, the National Honor Society, Student Government, and student media including the SIA Podcast (Spotify) and The Nest Radio (Live365). The technology stack is commodity: smart boards with handheld devices and document readers in all classrooms, wireless laptops for grade 6+, Google Classroom and Schoology for online learning, and administrative systems including PowerSchool SIS, Rubicon Atlas, MiStar, NWEA, Follett Destiny, and ParentSquare. Revenue is generated primarily through per-pupil state funding from Michigan, supplemented by Title I federal funding, ESSER/COVID-19 relief funds, and other federal grants. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via in-person or online enrollment applications at four campuses: SIA-Hass (Grades 3-12, 124,000 sq ft), SIA-George (PreK-2), SIA-Canton (PreK-8), and the CTE Center (Grades 11-12).

Name

Star International Academy

Legal name

Star International Academy

Website

https://starpsa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Star International Academy is a Michigan public school academy operating four campuses in Dearborn Heights and Canton, delivering tuition-free K-12 college preparatory education, Arabic language instruction, ESL, Special Education, CTE, and athletics to a multicultural student body from the Greater Detroit area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• K-12 education
• Charter school
• College preparatory
• Public school academy
• ESL programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dearborn Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public school academy, SIA receives per-pupil funding from the state of Michigan based on student enrollment. This is the primary revenue source for operational expenses including staff salaries, facilities, and educational programs.
2. Federal Grants and Programs: SIA participates in federal education programs including Title I funding, COVID-19 relief funds (ESSER), and other federal education grants for eligible students and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Star International Academy operates as a tuition-free K-12 public school academy offering college preparatory education grounded in the Michigan Core Curriculum with an emphasis on international cultures and Arabic language instruction. The school delivers full-day kindergarten through grade 12 education across four campuses (SIA-Hass, SIA-George, SIA-Canton, and the CTE Center), supported by Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, ESL, special education, athletics, and after-school programs.

Product overview

Star International Academy operates as a K-12 public school academy offering a comprehensive college preparatory education with multiple campus locations. The core offering is the K-12 College Preparatory Education program based on Michigan Core Curriculum, supported by specialized programs including Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) for preschool, Career Technical Education (CTE) for grades 11-12, Arabic Language Program (K-12), ESL services, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment, Achievement Campers Program (after-school tutoring), Special Education services, Athletics (15+ teams), National Honor Society, and Student Government. The institution also provides auxiliary services including The Nest Radio and SIA Podcast for media experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 College Preparatory Education Core educational program offering college preparatory curriculum aligned with Michigan Core Curriculum standards for grades PreK through 12, including full-day kindergarten and pre-kindergarten options across four campus locations.
• Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) Michigan state-funded preschool program for four-year-old children at risk of educational failure, using the High Scope Curriculum. Free for eligible families and located at SIA-George and SIA-Canton campuses.
• Career Technical Education (CTE) Vocational and career-focused educational programs for grades 11-12, delivered at the SIA-CTE Center in Dearborn Heights with regular community engagement meetings.
• Arabic Language Program Arabic language instruction taught across grades K-12, including an after-school Arabic Enrichment Program using interactive technologies such as smart boards, handheld devices, project-based learning, and cultural events.
• English as Second Language (ESL) Program Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol (SIOP) program that incorporates practices and strategies to serve the ESL student population through specialized teaching methods.
• Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment College credit programs that allow students to gain in-depth subject knowledge and earn college credit, including dual enrollment enabling simultaneous high school and college course enrollment.
• Achievement Campers Program (ACP) After-school tutoring program open to all students in grades K-12 with ACP-certified teachers providing personal instruction in math, English, and language arts, including a summer school component.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education services including certified Special Education teachers, language pathologist, psychologist, and social worker supporting students with special needs in mainstream classrooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate for graduates
• +2 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

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bay Mills Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Mills Community College serves as the authorizing body for Star International Academy. As the authorizer, BMCC provides oversight, ensures compliance with charter requirements, and grants the school its authority to operate as a public school academy in Michigan.
• Hamadeh Educational Services (HES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHES serves as the Educational Service Provider for SIA, providing comprehensive backbone services including program development and oversight, staff recruitment and development, curriculum development, facility maintenance, administrative functions (finance, accounting, HR), compliance monitoring, legal guidance, policy development, grant writing, and public relations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National charter school network operating 200+ schools focused on college-preparatory education for underserved students. Comparable as a scaled K-12 charter operator with similar mission-driven positioning and college-readiness outcomes.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National network of charter and independent schools known for rigorous college-prep curriculum and top-tier academic outcomes. Comparable as a high-performance charter operator demonstrating similar outcome-driven positioning.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based charter network with a strong track record on academic outcomes and high-performing school rankings. Comparable as a high-achieving charter operator with similar outcome-driven branding.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Multi-state charter management organization operating public charter schools focused on college readiness. Comparable as a scaled K-12 charter operator with similar college-preparatory mission.
• Charter Schools USA: One of the largest charter management organizations in the U.S., operating schools across multiple states. Comparable as a scaled charter management peer with a similar school-operator business model.

Emerging players

• Uncommon Schools: Northeast-focused charter network operating college-preparatory public schools with strong academic outcomes. Comparable as a high-performance charter operator with a similar outcomes-driven charter model.
• Aspire Public Schools: California-based charter management organization operating public charter schools with college-prep focus. Comparable as a charter operator serving similar student demographics with similar college-readiness outcomes.

Direct peers

• National Heritage Academies: Grand Rapids, MI-headquartered charter management organization operating a large network of public charter schools across multiple states, including Michigan. Closest direct comparable to SIA given overlapping Michigan footprint, charter model, and K-12 college-prep focus.
• University Prep Schools: Detroit-area charter school network serving K-12 with a college-preparatory focus. Comparable as a Michigan-based charter operator competing for similar student demographics in the Greater Detroit market.
• Hamadeh Educational Services (HES): SIA's parent Educational Service Provider, operating additional academies under a shared management, curriculum, and compliance platform. The most directly comparable operator since it shares identical back-office functions and governance patterns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starintacademy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/starinternationalacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/starintacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/star-international-academy-76
• Instagraminstagram.com/starintacademy/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Star International Academy