Tulsa Classical Academy

What Tulsa Classical Academy does

Tulsa Classical Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, operating as a Hillsdale College Member School and licensed to deliver the Hillsdale K-12 classical curriculum. Founded in 2023 as Oklahoma's first classical charter school, TCA serves grades K-10 in the 2025-26 academic year with plans to reach full K-12 by 2028. The curriculum emphasizes explicit phonics, Singapore Math, Core Knowledge Science, four years of Latin study beginning in sixth grade, and character formation through cardinal, academic, and civic virtues. The school operates from a 50,000-square-foot facility at 9815 S. Sheridan Rd. in the Jenks School District, with a Phase 2 expansion of 30,000 additional square feet planned to support a total enrollment of 1,064 students. Average classroom size is 25 students, and the school employs 22 staff members led by Dr. Jones as Acting Head of School.

The business model is structured around three revenue streams: (1) Oklahoma state per-pupil funding supplemented by federal funds (with the school operating at approximately 35% less funding than equivalent district schools due to exclusion from local ad valorem taxes), (2) private donations and foundation grants managed through the affiliated Classically Formed Foundation, and (3) ancillary fee-based services including LionHeart Academy after-school care ($100-$240/month), extracurricular clubs (chess, jiu jitsu, piano/voice), and LionHeart Sports athletics. Enrollment is conducted via SchoolMint's lottery platform (with preference for Jenks School District residents per Oklahoma charter law), followed by registration through the WenGAGE student information system. Applications run November through January with the lottery held in February.

The school is governed by Classically Formed Inc. as its nonprofit parent entity and is undertaking a $5 million Roar Forward capital campaign through 2027 to fund campus expansion. Go-to-market is community-driven, leveraging school tours, Coffee with the Head of School events, Parent Discussion Nights, a Parent Self-Study Course, and active social media presence. The school's customer base is geographically concentrated in the Tulsa/Jenks area, serving families seeking classical liberal arts education as a tuition-free public school alternative.

Name

Tulsa Classical Academy

Legal name

Classically Formed Inc.

Website

https://tulsaclassical.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tulsa Classical Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, serving K-10 students (building to K-12 by 2028) with a Hillsdale College-licensed classical liberal arts curriculum. It is funded through state per-pupil aid, federal funds, and private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Classical Education K–12 Schools (EDAJABAF)

Keywords

• Classical charter school
• K-12 classical education
• Liberal arts curriculum
• Public charter school
• Character formation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Per-Pupil Funding: As an authorized Oklahoma public charter school, Tulsa Classical Academy receives state aid in the form of per-pupil funding. It also receives some federal funds. It does not receive local ad valorem taxes, operating with approximately 35% less funding than equivalent district schools.
2. Donations and Foundation Grants: The school relies on the generosity of supporters, donors, and foundations to fill its funding gap. The Classically Formed Foundation manages capital campaigns (such as the Roar Forward campaign) and receives donations for capital expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tulsa Classical Academy operates as a tuition-free public charter school delivering classical liberal arts and sciences education for grades K-12 using the Hillsdale College K-12 Curriculum. Instruction spans explicit phonics, Singapore Math, Core Knowledge Science, cursive handwriting, Greek and Latin roots beginning in fourth grade, and four years of Latin starting in sixth grade. The school is Oklahoma's first classical charter school and a Hillsdale College Member School.

Product overview

Tulsa Classical Academy is a single unified offering: a tuition-free public charter school providing classical liberal arts and sciences education for grades K-12. The school is a Hillsdale College Member School and operates under their licensed K-12 curriculum. The institution offers multiple supporting services including LionHeart Academy after school care, extracurricular clubs (piano/voice, chess, jiu jitsu, theatre), and LionHeart Sports athletic programs. Administrative services are facilitated through SchoolMint for enrollment and WenGAGE for parent portal and student information management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LionHeart Academy: After school care program offered by the school for Kindergarten-9th Grade students from 3:00-5:30 p.m.
• LionHeart Sports

Products and services

• K-12 Classical Education Program A tuition-free, classical liberal arts and sciences K-12 education program for students, built on the Hillsdale College K-12 Curriculum. The program includes explicit phonics, Singapore Math, Core Knowledge Science, cursive instruction, Greek and Latin roots beginning in fourth grade, and four years of Latin starting in sixth grade, with an average classroom size of 25 students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates prepared for college, career, and life through classical liberal arts education
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hillsdale CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTulsa Classical Academy is a Hillsdale College Member School. TCA licenses and implements the Hillsdale College K-12 Curriculum — a comprehensive classical liberal arts and sciences curriculum. The affiliation provides brand credibility, curriculum support, teacher training alignment, and access to Hillsdale's pedagogical vision. Hillsdale also provides the Parent Self-Study Course and online content resources (podcasts, video lectures) used by the school community.
• LionHeart Academy LLCminorOthersLionHeart Academy LLC provides after school care for TCA students from 3:00-5:30pm, Monday-Friday, serving Kindergarten through 9th grade. The program costs $240/month full-time, $144/month for 3 days/week, and $100/month for 2 days/week. Lions are supervised by TCA teachers as group leaders and participate in activities including puzzles, reading, manipulatives, outside activities, arts and crafts, and homework help. A snack is provided daily. Payment is made to Lionheart Academy LLC.
• Imagine ChildminorOthersImagine Child is listed as an alternative after school care partner for TCA families. They offer before-school only, after-school only, and combined before-and-after-school programs in 5, 3, and 2 day options. Their campuses operate Mon-Fri, 6:00am-6:30pm. They offer a 10% sibling discount for families with more than one child enrolled full-time.
• MVP Sports BixbyminorOthersMVP Sports Bixby is listed as an alternative after school care partner for TCA families, offering sports-based after school programming. Contact: (833) 742-4453.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): One of the largest U.S. public charter networks operating tuition-free K-12 schools. Overlaps with TCA on charter structure, public funding, and college-prep mission, though KIPP's pedagogical model differs.
• ACCEL Schools: A national charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable as a multi-state charter operator with similar public-funding economics.
• National Heritage Academies: A for-profit charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable as a scaled charter operator, though not classical-curriculum focused.
• Charter Schools USA: One of the largest for-profit charter management companies in the U.S., running tuition-free public charter schools. Comparable in charter operating model and funding mechanics.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large New York-based public charter school network with rigorous K-12 academics. Comparable as a high-performing public charter operator, though its urban focus and curriculum differ from TCA's classical model.

Direct peers

• Seton Education Partners: Operates a portfolio of classical charter and classical Catholic schools nationally with a K-12 classical liberal arts focus. Closely comparable in classical pedagogical model and public-funding structure.
• Thales Academy: A classical K-12 school network with a tuition-based but mission-aligned model emphasizing the Great Books and traditional liberal arts. Comparable curriculum philosophy and grade configuration.
• BASIS Charter Schools: A national K-12 public charter network known for rigorous, content-rich college-prep academics. Same public charter funding model and similar mission of delivering high-quality tuition-free K-12 education at scale.
• Great Hearts Academies: A multi-state network of tuition-free classical charter schools serving K-12 with a liberal arts curriculum. Operates the same classical-education-with-public-funding model as TCA and is the most direct strategic comparable.

Others

• Hillsdale College: The curriculum licensor and Member School network operator for TCA. Comparable as the upstream supplier/brand partner whose K-12 classical curriculum TCA implements, and a useful reference for the broader Hillsdale Member School network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Tulsa-Classical-Academy
• Facebookfacebook.com/tulsaclassical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tulsa-classical
• Instagraminstagram.com/tulsaclassical

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Tulsa Classical Academy