USD 480

What USD 480 does

Liberal USD 480 is a public unified school district organized under Kansas state law and headquartered at 7 Parkway Blvd in Liberal, Kansas. The district operates nine schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade: Liberal High School, two middle schools (Eisenhower Middle School and Seymour Rogers Middle School), five elementary schools (Cottonwood, MacArthur, Meadowlark, Prairie View, and Sunflower), the Bright Start Pre-K Center, and a Newcomer Registration Center for student enrollment and orientation. The service area covers Liberal, Kansas and surrounding Seward County in southwest Kansas, with student assignment determined by residential zoning within district boundaries.

The district delivers a comprehensive K-12 educational pathway including a college preparatory curriculum, career and technical education (CTE) programs in areas such as Animal Science and Health Sciences, special education services, English language learner support through the Newcomer Center, and a wide range of extracurricular activities spanning athletics, band, choir, and theater. USD 480 maintains a 1:1 Chromebook-based technology program with district-provided devices. Underlying technology infrastructure includes the Apptegy content management platform powering the district website and mobile applications (iOS and Android), Thrillshare for communications, Titan K12 for cafeteria payments, SchoolSpring and TEDK12 for employment and hiring workflows, and SchoolNutritionAndFitness.com for cafeteria menus. Eisenhower Middle School became the first middle school in Kansas to earn the Leader in Me Lighthouse School designation from FranklinCovey Education in November 2025.

USD 480 operates on a non-commercial, government-funded revenue model comprising three streams: Kansas state education funding formulas tied to student enrollment and attendance, local property taxes collected within district boundaries, and federal categorical grants including Title I and IDEA. No tuition or fees are charged for core educational services. The district communicates with families through a multi-channel approach including usd480.net, mobile applications, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram. The district is governed by an elected Board of Education, has no parent company or private ownership, and is classified as a government state entity under Kansas jurisdiction.

Name

USD 480

Legal name

Liberal USD 480

Website

https://usd480.net

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Liberal USD 480 is a public Kansas unified school district operating nine pre-K through 12th-grade schools in Liberal and Seward County, funded by state education formulas, local property taxes, and federal grants, with a 1:1 Chromebook program and CTE pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Public school district
• Pre-K programs
• Career technical education
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Liberal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. State Funding: Primary funding from Kansas state education funding formulas based on student enrollment and attendance
2. Local Property Taxes: Local property tax revenues collected within the USD 480 district boundaries to support school operations
3. Federal Grants and Programs: Federal funding through programs such as Title I, IDEA (special education), and other categorical grants

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Liberal USD 480 (Unified School District 480) is a public school district headquartered in Liberal, Kansas that operates Pre-K through 12th grade education across nine schools: one high school (Liberal High School), two middle schools (Eisenhower and Seymour Rogers), five elementary schools, a Pre-K Center (Bright Start), and a Newcomer Registration Center. The district delivers free public education, career and technical education (CTE) pathways, special education, English language learner support, athletics, and performing arts programs funded through state aid, local property taxes, and federal grants.

Product overview

Liberal USD 480 is a public school district consisting of one high school (Liberal High School), two middle schools (Eisenhower Middle School and Seymour Rogers Middle School), five elementary schools (Cottonwood, MacArthur, Meadowlark, Prairie View, Sunflower), one Pre-K Center (Bright Start), and a Newcomer Registration Center. The district uses the Apptegy platform for its website and communications. Key programs include CTE (Career and Technical Education) pathways, and the district maintains various third-party integrations for cafeteria management, nutrition, employment, and communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liberal High School

Quantifiable outcome

• Eisenhower Middle School became the first middle school in Kansas to achieve Leader in Me Lighthouse School designation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southwest Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with Southwest Medical Center to provide FREE sports physicals for the 2026-2027 school year for incoming freshmen and current 9th-11th grade student-athletes, supporting student health and athletic participation
• Southern Pioneer Electric CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsorship of the Walk for Watt 5K for Kidney Disease Awareness event; student selected to represent the cooperative's service area (spanning 10 counties) on Youth Tour in Washington, D.C.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wichita Public Schools (USD 259): Another unified Kansas public school district (USD) operating multiple K-12 schools with state formula funding; directly comparable as a Kansas public school district offering similar Pre-K through 12 programming and CTE pathways, though at significantly larger scale.
• Dodge City USD 443: Southwest Kansas public school district with comparable demographic profile, significant English language learner population, and similar reliance on state funding and local property taxes for K-12 operations.
• Garden City USD 457: Neighboring southwest Kansas public school district with a similarly diverse ELL population and similar rural regional economy; directly comparable in mission, funding model, and student demographics to USD 480.
• Hays USD 489: Mid-sized Kansas public school district operating multiple K-12 schools with comparable CTE programming and state-aid-driven funding structure; useful comparator for academic outcomes and operational scale.
• Emporia USD 253: Mid-sized Kansas public school district with similar K-12 scope, CTE programming, and reliance on state funding formulas; closely comparable in scale and mission to USD 480.

Regional players

• Olathe Public Schools USD 233: Large, high-performing Kansas public school district operating under the same state funding framework; comparable governance model and K-12 structure, though serving a substantially different suburban demographic.
• Shawnee Mission School District (USD 512): Large Kansas public school district operating numerous K-12 schools under the same state funding framework; comparable in operational complexity and program offerings but serving a suburban Kansas City area demographic.
• Topeka USD 501: Larger Kansas public school district serving a different region (northeast Kansas) with similar K-12 public education mission but operating in a more urban environment; comparable in governance and funding model but distinct in scale and demographics.
• Lawrence USD 497: Kansas public school district with comparable K-12 programming and state funding structure, serving a university-town community; useful peer for assessing program breadth and academic outcomes.
• Kansas City, Kansas USD 500: Large urban Kansas public school district with similar funding mechanisms (state aid, local taxes, federal grants) and K-12 mission; provides comparison for an urban-suburban district in the same state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/USD480
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@USD480
• Facebookfacebook.com/LiberalPublicSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/liberal_usd480

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 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 USD 480