STEM Preparatory Schools

What STEM Preparatory Schools does

STEM Preparatory Schools, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charter school network operating in South Los Angeles. Founded in 2015 through the merger of two highly successful schools, the network runs three campuses: STEM Prep Elementary (TK-5) at 1374 W 35th St., Crown Preparatory Academy (6-8) at 2055 W 24th St., and Math & Science College Prep (9-12) at 3202 W Adams Blvd. The organization is authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District and serves approximately 81 employees across its sites. Its stated mission is to build a TK-12 STEM pipeline that closes socio-economic, ethnic, and gender gaps in STEM fields, with a deliberate focus on minorities and women who are historically underrepresented in STEM.

The network delivers free public education, funded primarily through California per-pupil apportionment, supplemented by 501(c)(3) donations directed to a General Fund and Scholarship Fund. Enrollment is open to all students in the Jefferson Park and West Adams neighborhoods through an online application process. The core product is a vertically articulated STEM curriculum (TK through 12), with operational support from a partnership with Think Together for expanded learning programming. Career exposure is delivered through a portfolio of corporate and university partnerships (Northrop Grumman, USC Biomechanics Lab, LA Metro, T.Y. Lin International, Gensler, City of LA Sanitation, LA Promise Fund's The Intern Project, Value Schools).

STEM Preparatory Schools reports that 99% of recent high school graduates are accepted into at least one 4-year university. Marketing is community-driven: social media, a website with active enrollment CTAs, email newsletter, community partnerships, and recurring events (Family STEM Night, Annual STEM Competition, Computer Science Week). The organization is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors chaired by Carmen Vazquez, with CEO Janette Rodriguez-Pack leading operations. No external funding rounds, acquisitions, AI/ML deployments, or proprietary technology products are disclosed in the source material; audited financial figures are referenced but not surfaced in the scraped content.

Name

STEM Preparatory Schools

Legal name

STEM Preparatory Schools, Inc.

Website

https://stem-prep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

STEM Preparatory Schools is a 501(c)(3) public charter network operating three TK-12 STEM-focused campuses in South Los Angeles, serving minority and female students in Jefferson Park and West Adams with free tuition funded by California per-pupil apportionment and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter STEM/STEAM-Focused Schools (EDAJACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• STEM K-12 education
• Charter school network
• College preparatory education
• TK-12 education pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: STEM Prep's schools are publicly funded through per-pupil apportionment from the state of California, which covers essential operational costs. As charter public schools under LAUSD oversight, they receive government education funding based on average daily attendance.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations help fund new initiatives, facility improvements, high-quality programs, and educational experiences beyond what public funding covers. Donors can contribute to a General Fund or Scholarship Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STEM Preparatory Schools operates a free, public charter school network providing STEM-focused education from Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade. The network consists of three schools — STEM Prep Elementary (TK-5), Crown Preparatory Academy (6-8), and Math & Science College Prep (9-12) — serving students in the Jefferson Park and West Adams neighborhoods of South Los Angeles, with an explicit mission to close socio-economic, ethnic, and gender gaps in STEM fields.

Product overview

STEM Preparatory Schools operates a network of free public charter schools forming a TK-12 pipeline focused on STEM education. The network comprises three schools: STEM Prep Elementary (TK-5), Crown Preparatory Academy (6-8), and Math & Science College Prep (9-12). Together, these schools serve the Jefferson Park and West Adams neighborhoods of South Los Angeles, providing a continuous STEM-focused educational pathway from early childhood through high school graduation. The schools are committed to disrupting inequitable access to high-quality STEM pathways for women and minorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STEM Prep Elementary: Elementary school serving Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade, building foundational understanding of STEM concepts and giving students early exposure to problem solving.
• Crown Preparatory Academy
• Math & Science College Prep

Products and services

• STEM Prep Elementary Free public charter elementary school for Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 5, building foundational understanding of STEM concepts and providing students early exposure to problem solving. Located at 1374 W 35th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007.
• Crown Preparatory Academy Free public charter middle school for Grades 6-8, aimed at developing skills and strategic thinking to succeed in STEM pathways in college prep. Located at 2055 W 24th St. on a shared campus with LAUSD's 24th Street Elementary School.
• Math & Science College Prep Free public charter high school for Grades 9-12, providing students opportunities to apply STEM concepts to solving real-world problems and preparing students to thrive in STEM careers. Located at 3202 W Adams Blvd.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of graduates accepted to 4-year universities

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Think TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for expanded learning programs including summer, intersession, before school and after school enrichment programs. Think Together provides staffing and programming for the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) serving transitional kindergarten through sixth grade students.
• Northrop GrummanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany tour host for student field trips, providing students exposure to aerospace and defense industry careers.
• USC Biomechanics LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides company tours and internship opportunities for high school students to gain hands-on research experience.
• LA Promise Fund's The Intern ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship partner providing high school students with professional work experience opportunities.
• City of Los Angeles – Sanitation & EnvironmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides internship opportunities for high school students in municipal government careers.
• T.Y. Lin InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering services firm that hosts student tours, exposing students to civil engineering careers.
• GenslerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture, design, planning and consulting firm hosting student company tours.
• LA MetrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic transportation authority hosting student tours showcasing transportation engineering and planning careers.
• Value SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational organization. Board Chair Carmen Vazquez serves as Chief Academic Officer at Value Schools, and Board Member Guillermo Lopez serves as TK-12 Math Director at Value Schools.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KIPP SoCal Public Schools: KIPP SoCal operates a network of public charter schools across Los Angeles focused on college readiness for students in underserved communities. Comparable in charter model, target demographics, and college-prep outcomes focus.
• Value Schools: Value Schools is a Los Angeles-area public charter school network with a college-prep mission. Direct comparable: STEM Prep's Board Chair Carmen Vazquez serves as Chief Academic Officer at Value Schools, indicating operational proximity and shared LA charter ecosystem.
• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: Alliance is one of the largest charter networks in Los Angeles, operating 25+ schools serving predominantly low-income students of color with a college-prep mission. Comparable in geography, mission, and student demographics; significantly larger scale.
• Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC): CWC operates public charter schools in Los Angeles and other cities, serving diverse student populations with a social-emotional and academic excellence focus. Comparable in being a non-profit LA charter network with similar student demographics.
• Magnolia Public Schools: Magnolia operates STEM-focused public charter schools across California, including in Los Angeles. Highly comparable: shares STEM-centric curriculum focus, charter authorization model, and target demographic of underrepresented minority students in STEM.
• Para Los Niños: Para Los Niños is a Los Angeles nonprofit operating charter schools and social services focused on underserved, predominantly Latino children and families. Comparable in target demographic, family-centered model, and LA geography.
• BrightStar Schools: BrightStar is a non-profit charter management organization operating TK-12 schools in the greater Los Angeles area, with a focus on social-emotional learning and college prep. Comparable in scale (multi-campus), target geography, and college-prep mission.
• Inner City Education Foundation (ICEF) Public Schools: ICEF operates multiple public charter schools in South Los Angeles targeting low-income minority students with a college-prep focus. Direct geographic and demographic comparable to STEM Prep's Jefferson Park/West Adams footprint.
• Da Vinci Schools: Da Vinci Schools operates charter schools in the LA area with a focus on project-based learning and STEM/college-prep pathways. Comparable in STEM focus, project-based curriculum, and LA charter ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Green Dot Public Schools: Green Dot is one of the largest charter management organizations in LA, operating 20+ schools with a focus on college readiness for underserved students. Broader incumbent with greater scale and similar college-prep mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stemprepelem
• Facebookfacebook.com/STEMPrepSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/stemprepschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stemprep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 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 STEM Preparatory Schools