St. Marcus Lutheran School

What St. Marcus Lutheran School does

St. Marcus Lutheran School, legally operated under St. Marcus Ministries, is a private non-profit Christian elementary and middle school organization founded in 1872 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school operates three physical campuses (North Avenue, Center Street, and Karl J. Schlueter/Harambee) serving approximately 1,230 students across K3 through 8th grade, with a Christ-centered, college-preparatory "No Excuses" curriculum. It holds exemplary accreditation from WELSSA and NCPSA, a 5-star rating from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and reports a 97% high school graduation rate for alumni.

The organization delivers education through conventional edtech infrastructure — iPads, SMART Boards, Chromebooks, Skyward for student information, and Renaissance adaptive reading/math programs — with no proprietary AI or ML systems. Core products are the K3-K8 Academic Program, Early Childhood (K3-K5), Primary School (Grades 1-4), Middle School (Grades 5-8), Special Education Services, School Counseling & Mental Health Services, and ancillary offerings (Summer School, Summer Camps, Discover America experiential travel, Before & After Care, K3 Childcare).

Revenue is generated primarily through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) state voucher covering 96% of students, with diversification via K3 childcare ($7/hour), private tuition for non-Choice families, the Special Needs Scholarship Program, an annual Benefit Gala (raising $1,940,220 in 2025), adopt-a-classroom donations, and a Benevolent Fund. Distribution is direct through campus enrollment; channels include the stmarcus.org website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and the eConnect and Catalyst donor newsletters. The organization's competitive position rests on regulatory access to vouchers, 150+ years of brand history, and exclusive operational partnerships (CfUT for teacher pipeline, Christian Family Solutions for counseling, Schools That Can Milwaukee for benchmarking).

Name

St. Marcus Lutheran School

Legal name

St. Marcus Ministries

Website

https://stmarcus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St. Marcus Lutheran School (St. Marcus Ministries) is a Milwaukee-based non-profit Christian elementary and middle school operating three K3-8th grade campuses serving ~1,230 students, funded primarily (96%) through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program state voucher and accredited with exemplary status by WELSSA and NCPSA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Private Christian education
• K-8 elementary school
• Early childhood programs
• Special education services
• Lutheran school tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP): State-funded voucher program that provides funding for Milwaukee families to attend private schools regardless of income. 96% of St. Marcus students attend through this program.
2. K3 Childcare Program Fees: Rate-based childcare program charging $7/hour for K3 services. Accepts Wisconsin Shares Childcare Subsidy.
3. Tuition Payments: Families not using Choice program pay tuition through payment plans. The school offers tuition-based enrollment options.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Annual benefit gala (Gala 2025 raised $1,940,220), adopt-a-classroom programs, and general donations support school operations and programs.
5. Benevolent Fund: Church-established fund to assist families in need with one-time grants for emergency situations affecting school and church members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

St. Marcus Lutheran School delivers Christ-centered K3 through 8th-grade education across three Milwaukee campuses (North Avenue, Center Street, and Karl J. Schlueter), serving approximately 1,230 students. Its core offering is a college-preparatory academic program grounded in a 'No Excuses' philosophy, complemented by early childhood, primary, and middle school tracks, special education, faith-based counseling, before/after care, summer school, and the Discover America experiential travel program.

Product overview

St. Marcus Lutheran School is a comprehensive Christian education organization operating three K3-8th grade campuses (North Avenue, Center Street, and Karl J. Schlueter) serving approximately 1,230 students. The core educational offering consists of the K3-K8 Academic Program with differentiated programming for Early Childhood (K3-K5), Primary School (Grades 1-4), and Middle School (Grades 5-8), all built on a 'No Excuses' philosophy and Biblical discipleship. Supplementary programs include Special Education Services, Counseling & Mental Health Services, Before & After Care, K3 Childcare, Summer School, Summer Camps, and the Discover America experiential travel program. The school operates under a unified mission to disciple children for Christ while delivering rigorous academic preparation for high school and post-secondary success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K3-K8 Academic Program Comprehensive Christian elementary and middle school education program for K3 through 8th grade students across three Milwaukee campuses, offering rigorous college-preparatory academics with a 'No Excuses' philosophy and Biblical discipleship.
• Early Childhood Program (K3-K5)

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% high school graduation rate for St. Marcus alumni
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• School Choice WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that shares a commitment to educational excellence and school choice advocacy in Wisconsin. St. Marcus collaborates with this organization to support parental choice in education.
• Schools That Can MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on urban education excellence. St. Marcus participates in their assessment programs including benchmark testing (fall, winter, spring) for grades 1-8.
• Center for Urban Teaching (CfUT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides pipeline of high-quality urban education teacher candidates. CfUT runs St. Marcus summer school program, combining teacher training with safe learning environment for children.
• First Stage TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership brings experience-based learning outside the classroom through theatrical programming and field trips.
• Urban Ecology CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides experiential learning opportunities and environmental education through field trips and classroom partnerships for primary and middle school students.
• YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides experience-based learning opportunities and community programming for St. Marcus students.
• Wisconsin Lutheran High School Music DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allows St. Marcus scholars to take band lessons and compete at Solo and Ensemble competitions through the high school's music department.
• Christian Family SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides professional, faith-based mental health support through three licensed therapists offering individual therapy services to students during the school day. Addresses social-emotional development, anxiety, behavioral challenges, and family transitions.
• Discovery WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides experience-based science and technology learning opportunities through summer camps and field trip programs.
• Milwaukee Parental Choice ProgramcoreOthersState-funded voucher program enabling Milwaukee families to attend St. Marcus regardless of income. 96% of students participate in this program.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cristo Rey Network: National network of Catholic urban K-12 schools serving low-income families with college-prep curriculum, comparable in faith-based urban education model and scale.
• KIPP Schools: National urban charter school network operating K-12 programs with a college-preparatory focus in underserved communities, comparable in mission and demographic reach though secular in orientation.

Direct peers

• St. Anthony School of Milwaukee: Catholic K-8 school in Milwaukee participating in the MPCP, offering faith-based urban education with comparable tuition-funded and voucher-funded student mix.
• Notre Dame School of Milwaukee: Catholic K-8 school in Milwaukee that also participates in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, targeting similar urban families through a faith-based lens with comparable per-pupil funding model.
• Milwaukee College Prep: Charter school network operating multiple campuses in Milwaukee serving urban K-12 students, competing directly for the same family demographic and participating in school choice programs.
• Hope Christian Schools: Faith-based K-12 school in Milwaukee participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, serving urban families with a similar college-preparatory mission and student demographic overlap.
• Blessed Savior Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in Milwaukee participating in the MPCP, directly competing for the same urban Milwaukee families seeking faith-based private education with voucher funding.

Emerging players

• Veritas Academy: Classical Christian K-12 school in the Milwaukee area, comparable in faith-based educational philosophy and family demographic, though smaller in scale.

Regional players

• Hmong American Peace Academy: Urban K-12 charter school in Milwaukee serving a similar demographic of Milwaukee families through school choice programs with comparable per-pupil funding dynamics.

Others

• Wisconsin Lutheran High School: WELS-affiliated high school in Milwaukee that serves as the primary high school destination for St. Marcus 8th-grade graduates, making it a critical feeder/continuation partner in the Lutheran education pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzlRKdXjm7i2XAjftK3qJCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/stmarcuschurch
• Instagraminstagram.com/stmarcuschurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stmarcusschool

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 St. Marcus Lutheran School