Tucker Maxon School

What Tucker Maxon School does

Tucker Maxon School is an independent nonprofit private school founded in 1947 and located at 2860 SE Holgate Blvd in Portland, Oregon. It serves approximately 100-107 students from birth through 5th grade, with 15-35% of students in any given year being deaf or hard of hearing and the balance being hearing peers co-enrolled in the same classrooms. The school's core product is a communication-focused curriculum built on the Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) methodology, supplemented by on-site audiology (cochlear implant and hearing aid programming, ABR testing), speech-language pathology, Teachers of the Deaf, early intervention, and tele-intervention services. The institution is one of only four schools in the United States to meet or exceed OPTION Schools Standards of Excellence in LSL education.

The business model blends tuition (not publicly disclosed, with need-based financial aid) with substantial fundraising, which the school states comprises "almost half" of its operating budget and totals approximately $800,000 in contributed income annually across major gifts, individual giving, foundation grants, events, and corporate sponsorships. The school manages a roughly $2.4 million annual budget, runs a separate summer revenue line through Tucker Arts Camp ($399-$439/week), holds an endowment at the Oregon Community Foundation established in 2018, and added a new public-payor channel via Multnomah County's Preschool for All initiative in September 2024. There is no state funding for the school.

Customer acquisition is event-driven and community-led: open houses, campus tours, and a deep bench of parent testimonials, supplemented by referrals from national parent-resource organizations (AG Bell, Hearing First, Hands and Voices, Oregon EHDI) and local service clubs (Rotary, Scottish Rite, Lions, Kiwanis). The school markets through its website, Constant Contact email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Nextdoor. Governance is by a Board of Directors with Glen Gilbert serving as Executive Director. The institution has been repeatedly named one of Oregon's 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For and operates with a small specialized staff of 29-35 across clinical, teaching, and development functions.

Name

Tucker Maxon School

Legal name

Tucker Maxon School

Website

https://tuckermaxon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tucker Maxon School is a 1947-founded Portland, Oregon nonprofit private school serving roughly 100 preschool through 5th grade students, of whom 15-35% are deaf or hard of hearing. It delivers a Listening and Spoken Language curriculum with on-site audiology, speech therapy, and Teachers of the Deaf, and is one of only four U.S. schools meeting OPTION Schools Standards of Excellence in LSL.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG), Specialized Intervention & Skill-Building Programs (Speech/OT Support Materials, Social Skills) (EDACAJAJ), Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI)

Keywords

• Private deaf education
• Listening spoken language
• Preschool elementary school
• Early intervention services
• Speech language pathology

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Private tuition payments from families for preschool through 5th grade education. The school offers financial aid based on need and partners with FACTS Tuition Management System for billing.
2. Annual Fundraising: Almost half of Tucker Maxon's operating budget comes from fundraising efforts. Includes annual raffles (Fall raffle with prizes like Hawaii trips), spring gala auctions, and year-round donation campaigns.
3. Major Donor Giving: Total contributed income approximately $800,000 annually from major gifts, annual individual giving campaigns, foundation grants, events, and corporate sponsorships.
4. Tucker Arts Camp Fees: Summer camp program revenue from weekly registration fees ($399-$439 per week) plus optional aftercare ($150/week).
5. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations supporting education and deaf services programs.
6. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for events like the annual gala, providing tax-deductible contributions with event visibility benefits.
7. Planned Giving and Endowments: Charitable bequests, IRA beneficiary designations, life insurance policies, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities. The Tucker Maxon Endowment Fund at Oregon Community Foundation was established in 2018.
8. Preschool for All Partnership: As of September 2024, partner in Multnomah County's Preschool for All initiative, providing publicly-funded preschool slots.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Tucker Maxon School is an independent nonprofit private school providing preschool through 5th grade education to approximately 100 students on its SE Portland campus, with 15-20% of students being deaf or hard of hearing. The core offering centers on a Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) curriculum where deaf and hearing children learn together, integrated with on-site audiology, speech-language pathology, teachers of the deaf, early intervention (including tele-intervention), and diagnostic services. The school also operates Tucker Arts Camp, an eight-week summer arts program for children ages 4 through entering 5th grade.

Product overview

Tucker Maxon School operates as a unified educational institution offering a core preschool through 5th grade academic program integrated with specialized services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. The school combines its main communication-focused curriculum with complementary programs including Early Intervention, Tele-Intervention, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, Teachers of the Deaf, and Diagnostic Services—all provided on-site. The institution also runs Tucker Arts Camp as a seasonal extension focused on creative arts education. Programs operate from a single SE Portland campus serving approximately 100 students with a staff of 30-35.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tucker Arts Camp: Summer arts camp program for children ages 4+ through 5th grade, featuring storytelling through crafts, music, and visual arts over eight weeks.

Products and services

• Tucker Maxon School (Preschool through 5th Grade Academic Program)
• Tucker Arts Camp
• Early Intervention Services
• Tele-Intervention
• Audiology Services
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Teachers of the Deaf
• Diagnostic Services
• Explorers Afterschool Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Deaf children develop spoken language and are mainstreamed into regular schools with support
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Multnomah County Preschool for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024As of September 2024, Tucker Maxon is a proud partner in Multnomah County's Preschool for All initiative, providing publicly-funded preschool slots to eligible families. This partnership allows the school to serve additional families through government-funded programs.
• Oregon Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Oregon Community Foundation manages Tucker Maxon School's Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities. The school established its Endowment Fund at Oregon Community Foundation in 2018, providing perpetual funding stream.
• Service Clubs (Rotary, Scottish Rite, Lions, Kiwanis)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTucker Maxon maintains relationships with local service organizations for community outreach and donor cultivation, attending meetings and building relationships with potential supporters.
• MECP/Columbia Regional ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with MECP/Columbia Regional Program on shared students in the Preschool for All program, for coordinated evaluation and care of children with hearing loss.
• Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTucker Maxon staff must be enrolled in the DELC Central Background Registry and comply with Oregon childcare regulations for preschool and extended care programs.
• Parent Resource OrganizationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchool recommends and partners with organizations including AG Bell, Hearing First, LENA Grow, 3Ts, Hands and Voices, National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, Oregon EHDI, and CID Professional Resources to support families.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children's Hearing Institute / Auditory-Verbal Center of Atlanta: Auditory-Verbal Center of Atlanta provides Listening and Spoken Language therapy, audiology, and family support for deaf and hard of hearing children. Comparable LSL methodology and integrated clinical-educational service model, though more therapy-focused than school-based.
• Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children: Sunshine Cottage in San Antonio is a nonprofit LSL school serving infants through elementary-age deaf and hard of hearing children, with on-site audiology, speech, and listening services. Direct functional peer with overlapping age range and service portfolio.
• John Tracy Center: John Tracy Center in Los Angeles is a nonprofit offering parent-centered early intervention and preschool services for deaf and hard of hearing children, with a strong national/global tele-intervention program. Closely comparable in LSL methodology and in the birth-to-5 age band.
• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech: Clarke is the most directly comparable peer — a nonprofit LSL-focused school serving deaf and hard of hearing children from birth through elementary. Also meets OPTION Schools Standards of Excellence, offers early intervention, audiology, and speech services, and operates a multi-site model (Massachusetts and New York). Closest functional analog to Tucker Maxon.
• St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf: St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (St. Louis) provides Listening and Spoken Language education and audiology services to deaf and hard of hearing children from infancy through 8th grade. Operates campuses in Missouri and Indiana with similar program design and donor-funded revenue model.
• Listen and Talk: Listen and Talk in Seattle is a Pacific Northwest LSL program serving deaf and hard of hearing children birth to elementary with audiology, speech, and family support — the closest geographic peer to Tucker Maxon. Comparable size, age range, and LSL methodology.
• CID - Central Institute for the Deaf: CID in St. Louis is a long-standing LSL and oral-education institution serving deaf and hard of hearing students from early childhood through high school. Comparable mission, comparable integrated service model (audiology, SLPs, teachers of the deaf), and similar tuition-and-donation revenue structure.

Others

• Hands & Voices: Hands & Voices is a parent-driven national organization supporting families of deaf and hard of hearing children, regardless of communication modality. Functions as a referral source and ecosystem participant for schools like Tucker Maxon, though not a direct competitor.
• AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: AG Bell is the leading national advocacy and parent-resource organization promoting Listening and Spoken Language for deaf and hard of hearing children. Not a school, but a critical ecosystem partner that drives family referrals to LSL schools like Tucker Maxon.

Regional players

• Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children: Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children is a regional peer in the broader Pacific Northwest, providing K-8 education with bilingual (ASL/English) and oral options. Overlaps geographically with Tucker Maxon but differs in instructional philosophy, providing useful competitive context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tuckermaxon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tuckermaxonschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Tucker Maxon School