The Woods Charter School
Tuition-free K-12 public charter school founded in 1998 in Chapel Hill, NC, serving approximately 512 students through lottery-based admissions with a blended Core Knowledge (K-8) and AP (9-12) curriculum delivered in small class sizes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersChapel Hill, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Woods Charter School does
The Woods Charter School is a tuition-free, K-12 public charter school founded in 1998 and located on an 18-acre campus at 160 Woodland Grove Lane in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school serves approximately 512 students through a lottery-based admissions process open to all North Carolina school-age residents, with a separate Economic Diversity Lottery reserving slots for students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Its academic program blends three pillars: the NC Standard Course of Study (K-12), the Core Knowledge Program (K-8), and the Advanced Placement Program (9-12), delivered in small class sizes of 16-20 students with long-term teacher-student advisory relationships and a 50-hour community service graduation requirement.
The school's technology footprint is conventional and primarily consumer-grade: a Finalsite-powered website (woodscharter.org), NCSIS for student records, LotteryEase for the admissions lottery, Google Classroom for instruction, PowerSchool for student IDs, and woodslunch.org for lunch pre-ordering. It operates a 68,000 sq. ft. main building (built 2008) and a 276kW DC rooftop solar array with 864 panels (installed 2020) that produces approximately 336,911 kWh annually and saves roughly $27,151 per year.
Woods' business model combines per-pupil state and local funding (its primary revenue source) with fundraising through the parent-founded 501(c)(3) Woods Charter School Foundation, which runs an Annual Fund with a $545,000 goal. Last year's Foundation dollars supported $290,418 for faculty salary supplements, $51,952 for curricular materials, $20,554 for professional development, and $79,037 in designated expenses. Additional revenue comes from ancillary programs including a catered lunch program (woodslunch.org), a gift card fundraising program (~$10,000+ last year), and event-based fundraisers (Annual Fund Week, Into the Woods 5K, McIntyre's Books Shop-In Day, Book Fair, Annual Benefit Auction). The school is governed by an independent Board of Directors and operated by a leadership team of approximately 65-70 faculty and staff, including Principal Cotton Bryan (22+ years tenure), Assistant Principal/K-8 Director Cindy Sperry, High School Director Liz Andrews, Director of Advancement Jessica Oliver, EC Director Kathleen St. Lawrence (15 years tenure), and Business Manager Kimberly Rossi (15 years tenure). The school has historically earned A and B grades on NC School Report Cards, most recently a Grade A with a score of 86 in 2024-25.
The Woods Charter School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Woods Charter School
- Legal name
- Woods Charter School
- Website
- https://woodscharter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Tuition-free K-12 public charter school founded in 1998 in Chapel Hill, NC, serving approximately 512 students through lottery-based admissions with a blended Core Knowledge (K-8) and AP (9-12) curriculum delivered in small class sizes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Woods Charter School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Public Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ), Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)
Keywords
Where The Woods Charter School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chapel Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Woods Charter School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Per-Pupil State and Local Funding: As a public charter school in North Carolina, Woods receives per-pupil state and local funding based on average daily membership. This is the primary operational funding source. Being a charter school, the school receives no funding for capital expenses, which is why the Foundation raises money to bridge capital budget gaps.
- Woods Charter School Foundation Annual Fund: The parent-founded 501(c)(3) foundation runs an annual fundraising campaign to bridge the gap between public funding and the school's operational needs. Last year, donated dollars supported $290,418 for Faculty Supplement, $51,952 in curricular materials, $20,554 in professional development, and $79,037 in designated expenses. The annual fund goal is $545,000, with suggested per-student contribution of $1,065.
- Gift Card Program: The school operates a gift card fundraising program through which families purchase gift cards for retailers (Amazon, Lowes Foods, Food Lion, Starbucks, BP, Shell) and the school receives a percentage back — typically 10% from most retailers and 5% from Food Lion. The program raised more than $10,000 last year at zero cost to participants.
- Lunch Program Revenue: The school operates a lunch program with pre-ordered catered meals from local restaurants and a la carte items. Revenue is generated through parent payments for catered lunch orders and a la carte purchases. The program also relies on parent volunteers to operate.
- Event-Based Fundraisers: The Foundation organizes multiple fundraising events throughout the year including the Annual Fund Week (October), Into the Woods 5K (December), McIntyre's Books Shop-In Day (December), McIntyre's Book Fair (March), and an Annual Benefit Auction (April).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | No-cost enrollment for all NC students via public funding |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Woods Charter School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Woods Charter School is a K-12 public charter school providing tuition-free, college-preparatory education to approximately 512 North Carolina students. Its curriculum uniquely blends the NC Standard Course of Study (K-12), the Core Knowledge Program (K-8), and the Advanced Placement Program (9-12), supported by small class sizes (16-20 students), Exceptional Children's services, arts, athletics, and a community-driven volunteer model.
Product overview
The Woods Charter School is a K-12 public charter school offering a unified educational program built on three academic pillars: the NC Standard Course of Study, the Core Knowledge Program (K-8), and the Advanced Placement Program (9-12). The school provides core academic instruction alongside supporting programs including an Exceptional Children's Program for special education services, a Lunch Program with catered meals and a la carte options, College Planning Services with AP courses and individualized counseling, and Athletics and Arts programs. Additional offerings include the After-School Program (FWS Wonders), Summer Wonders summer program, and Diversity & Inclusion initiatives including an economic diversity lottery. The school serves approximately 512 students with small class sizes averaging 16-20 students, operates on an 18-acre campus in Chapel Hill, NC, and maintains partnerships with external systems including NCSIS for student records, LotteryEase for admissions, and woodslunch.org for meal management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- K-12 Academic Program
- Lunch Program
- Exceptional Children's Program
- College Planning Services
- After-School Program (FWS Wonders)
- Summer Wonders Program
- Arts Program
- Athletics Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Grade A (Score: 86) on 2024-25 NC School Report Card
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Woods Charter School
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Woods Charter School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature1 record
The Woods Charter School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Eagle Solar and LightcoreWoods partnered with Eagle Solar and Light for the installation and ongoing management of the school's 276kW DC rooftop solar array. The system includes 864 panels and was installed in 2020. Eagle Solar and Light managed the full installation and continues to provide operational support for the array.
- Local Restaurants (Catered Lunch Program)minorThe school partners with local restaurants to provide nutritious and appealing catered lunch options. The school orders from local establishments, providing a recurring revenue stream for those partners while offering students diverse meal options. Parents pre-order via woodslunch.org.
- McIntyre's BooksminorMcIntyre's Books, a local independent bookstore, partners with the school for two annual fundraising events: a Shop-In Day in December (20% of all purchases donated to the Annual Fund) and a Book Fair held at the school in March. These events generate donations to the school's Annual Fund while promoting literacy.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Woods Charter School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KIPP: National network of college-preparatory public charter schools. Comparable as a scaled, lottery-based public charter operator serving K-12 with a similar tuition-free, state-funded operational model.
- Great Hearts Academies: Multi-state charter network centered on a classical liberal arts curriculum and Core Knowledge-style content sequence. Comparable on the Core Knowledge/classical curriculum blend and college-prep academic philosophy.
- BASIS Charter Schools: National network of college-prep charter schools known for AP-heavy curriculum and high academic outcomes. Comparable as a classical/college-prep charter brand operating at much greater scale across multiple states.
- Success Academy: Large NYC-based charter network with K-12 programming and consistently top-tier academic outcomes. Comparable as a high-performing independent charter operator with rigorous college-prep curriculum.
Direct peers
- Carolina International School: NC public charter school in the Triangle area with an international/global focus and K-12 programming. Comparable as a tuition-free independent charter with lottery admissions and college-prep orientation.
- Eno River Academy: K-12 public charter school in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. Comparable as a tuition-free independent charter serving college-prep-oriented families in the same geographic market.
- Chatham Charter: Single-site K-12 public charter school also located in Chatham County, NC. Comparable on size, single-site independent charter structure, public funding model, and rural/suburban North Carolina service area.
- Magellan Charter School: K-8 public charter school in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. Comparable on tuition-free charter structure, single-site operations, and lottery-based admissions for NC families.
- Triangle Math and Science Academy: NC public charter school serving K-12 students with a STEM- and college-prep-oriented curriculum in the Research Triangle area. Comparable on charter structure, academic focus, and regional market.
- Research Triangle High School: NC public charter secondary school in the Research Triangle focused on college preparation and STEM. Comparable as a tuition-free charter with rigorous college-prep orientation and similar NC funding model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Woods Charter School social profiles
Digital presenceThe Woods Charter School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Woods Charter School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
The Woods Charter School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Woods Charter School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Woods Charter School
What does The Woods Charter School do?
Woods Charter School is a K-12 public charter school providing tuition-free, college-preparatory education to approximately 512 North Carolina students. Its curriculum uniquely blends the NC Standard Course of Study (K-12), the Core Knowledge Program (K-8), and the Advanced Placement Program (9-12), supported by small class sizes (16-20 students), Exceptional Children's services, arts, athletics, and a community-driven volunteer model.
Is The Woods Charter School a public or private company?
The Woods Charter School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Woods Charter School founded?
The Woods Charter School was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Woods Charter School based?
The Woods Charter School is headquartered in Chapel Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Woods Charter School make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Per-Pupil State and Local Funding is the primary driver. The others are woods Charter School Foundation Annual Fund, gift Card Program, lunch Program Revenue and event-Based Fundraisers.
Who are The Woods Charter School's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KIPP, Great Hearts Academies, BASIS Charter Schools and Success Academy. Direct peers are Carolina International School, Eno River Academy, Chatham Charter, Magellan Charter School, Triangle Math and Science Academy and Research Triangle High School.
Does The Woods Charter School have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Woods Charter School.
What industry is The Woods Charter School in?
The Woods Charter School's product category is K-12 Public Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAB, Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site), with a secondary code of EDAJACAJ, Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.