VALDEZ CITY SCHOOLS

What VALDEZ CITY SCHOOLS does

Valdez City Schools (VCS) is a public K-12 school district operating three schools — Hermon Hutchens Elementary School (Pre-K through 5th grade), Gilson Middle School (6th through 8th grade), and Valdez High School (9th through 12th grade) — in the remote coastal community of Valdez, Alaska. The district serves approximately 400 students across all grade levels with intentionally small class sizes (averaging 12-20 students), and is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Education under Superintendent Jason Weber. VCS delivers comprehensive educational programming including core academics, career and technology education (culinary arts, woodshop, welding, vo-tech, T3 Makerspace), special education services, Title I federal programs, nutrition services, and contracted bus transportation through First Student.

The district's technology stack relies entirely on third-party vendor platforms: PowerSchool for student information and enrollment, SchoolMessenger for parent communications, LINQ Connect for meal payments, Clever for single sign-on, NWEA MAP and AK STAR for assessments, Frontline for absence management, and BoardBook for board governance. Curriculum resources include McGraw Hill Wonders, Savvas Envision, Mystery Science, Lexia Core 5, and ALEKS. No proprietary technology is developed in-house.

VCS is funded as a government state entity through three primary streams: Alaska state education funding, City of Valdez local fiscal support, and federal ESSA grants (Title I-A, I-C, II-A, III, IV-A, VI-A). Supplemental revenue comes from USDA National School Lunch/Breakfast Program meal charges ($2.75-$7.00 per meal) and a la carte sales. The district holds Cognia System-Wide Accreditation valid through May 2027 and is currently undertaking a high school remodel in partnership with the City of Valdez and Wolfe Architecture for the 2026-2027 school year.

Name

VALDEZ CITY SCHOOLS

Legal name

Valdez City Schools

Website

https://www.valdezcityschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Valdez City Schools is a public K-12 school district operating three schools (elementary, middle, high) in Valdez, Alaska, serving Pre-K through 12th grade students across an approximately 4,000-resident remote community with state, federal, and local funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Public Student Support & Related Services (Counseling, SEL, Health, Safety) (EDAJAAAK), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

Keywords

• Public k-12 education
• School nutrition programs
• Student transportation services
• Special education services
• Federal education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Valdez

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding (State & Local): VCS is funded primarily through Alaska state education funding and local city fiscal support. The district's budget encompasses governmental fund budgets including general fund, building fund, child nutrition fund, community fund, and reserve fund. City fiscal support is noted as instrumental in technology investment, learning resources, and facility improvements.
2. Federal Programs (ESSA Grants): VCS receives and administers federal grants under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) including Title I-A (Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged), Title I-C (Migrant Education), Title II-A (Teacher Training), Title III (English Learners), Title IV-A (Student Support), and Title VI-A (Indian Education). These grants are supplemental funds targeting specific student populations.
3. School Nutrition Services (National School Lunch/Breakfast Program): VCS Nutrition Services operates under the USDA National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The district charges meal prices to students and adults, and receives federal reimbursement for qualifying free and reduced-price meals. Additional revenue comes from a la carte milk and food item sales.
4. Facilities Rental & Community Use: VCS facilities are owned by the City of Valdez and are available for community event reservations. The district manages a community event reservation calendar and facility rental billing through its Business Services office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Valdez City Schools operates a public K-12 school district in Valdez, Alaska, serving Pre-K through 12th grade students across three schools: Hermon Hutchens Elementary (PK-5), Gilson Middle School (6-8), and Valdez High School (9-12). The district delivers core academic instruction, special education services, federal program support (Title I, Title III, Title VI, McKinney-Vento), USDA-compliant school nutrition, student transportation, and district-wide assessments aligned to Alaska state standards. The district also administers board-approved curriculum, professional development, and federal program funding to support at-risk student populations.

Product overview

Valdez City Schools operates as a unified school district with three schools serving approximately 400 students in Valdez, Alaska: Hermon Hutchens Elementary School (PK-5), Gilson Middle School (6-8), and Valdez High School (9-12). The district provides comprehensive educational services including board-approved curriculum aligned to state standards, state-mandated assessments (AK STAR, Alaska Science Assessment, DIBELS mCLASS), special education services (speech, OT, PT, assistive technology), federal programs (Title I, Title VI, McKinney-Vento, Migrant Education), nutrition services, and student transportation. The district utilizes third-party platforms including PowerSchool for student information, SchoolMessenger for communications, LINQ Connect for meal payments, and BoardBook for governance. Technology support is provided through the Technology Department with Clever for single sign-on access to digital learning tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• VHS senior Erik Vincent selected as one of two Alaska students in the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First Student (School Bus Transportation)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2004Since July 2004, VCS has contracted First Student to provide busing for the district. First Student handles all student transportation within Valdez up to the 11.7 Mile Avalanche Gates turnaround. First Student is currently hiring with a $1,000 sign-on bonus and paid CDL training.
• Prince William Sound College (PWSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPWSC is a higher education institution in Valdez offering associate-level degrees, certificates, and continuing education opportunities. VCS partners with PWSC for student field trips (annual 2nd grade trip to the Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum at PWSC) and educational programming.
• City of ValdezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Valdez is a major partner and co-owner of school facilities. VCS buildings are owned by the City and used for community events. The City provides fiscal support for technology, facilities, and infrastructure. City of Valdez recently completed a major remodel of HHES front office and is converting the former District Office building into a daycare facility. The City and VCS are collaborating on high school remodeling with Wolfe Architecture.
• University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCS partners with UAF through the T3 Makerspace course, providing students with hands-on STEM learning opportunities. The partnership connects VCS students with university-level resources and programming.
• Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSA highlighted Superintendent Jason Weber and the strong partnership between VCS and the Valdez community. ACSA promotes educational leadership and collaboration across Alaska schools.
• Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFDA partners with HHES for salmon fry-raising projects, providing students with hands-on learning about salmon and environmental stewardship. Annual program engaging students in aquaculture education.
• Local Community Organizations (McKinney-Vento Support)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCS homeless liaison collaborates with local organizations including the domestic violence community shelter, Valdez Counseling Center, Valdez Infant Learning Program, Valdez food bank, and employment service center to meet diverse needs of homeless students and ensure academic success.
• Office of Children Services (Alaska)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVCS has an MOU with the Alaska Office of Children Services for Foster Care coordination, enabling immediate enrollment and transportation support for students in foster care.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Anchorage School District: Largest public K-12 district in Alaska (~47,000 students). Provides broad-even comparability on Alaska funding mechanics, federal program participation, and statewide assessment performance benchmarking.
• Kenai Peninsula Borough School District: Public K-12 district serving the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Comparable rural-community mix and fishing/tourism economy with federal Title program emphasis, but at ~8,000 students scale.
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District: Public K-12 district in southcentral Alaska. Comparable on Alaska state funding and federal program categories but serves a rapidly growing suburban-rural mix of ~19,000 students.
• Juneau School District: Public K-12 district serving Alaska's state capital. Operates in the same Alaska funding and regulatory framework but at materially larger scale (~4,000 students), offering useful comparison for governance, accreditation, and program breadth at a still-statewide scale.
• Fairbanks North Star Borough School District: Public K-12 district serving the Fairbanks, Alaska region. Similar interior-Alaska and Title I/Title VI program profile but at ~14,000 students scale, useful for intergenerational benchmarking and shared statewide advocacy.

Direct peers

• Cordova City School District: Public K-12 district serving Cordova, Alaska, a similarly small and geographically remote Alaskan community. Closest comparable to VCS in enrollment scale (~200-300 students), funding profile, and reliance on fishing-related local economy.
• Kodiak Island Borough School District: Public K-12 district serving Kodiak Island, Alaska. Similar small-district operation (~2,400 students) with heavy reliance on fishing industry community, federal Title programs, and remote service delivery.
• Petersburg City Schools: Public K-12 district serving Petersburg, Alaska, a small isolated community of ~3,000 residents. Comparable enrollment scale (~400 students), single-district community structure, and reliance on Alaska state funding and federal grants.
• Nome Public Schools: Public K-12 district serving Nome, Alaska, a remote Bering Sea community. Similar small-Alaska district profile with federal program reliance (Title I, Title VI/Native Education) and challenges of recruiting and retaining certified staff in remote locations.
• Sitka School District: Public K-12 district serving Sitka, Alaska. Comparable small Southeast Alaska district with similar funding mix, Title I-A and Title VI/Indian Education program presence, and Cognia-accredited peer positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VCSStreamTeam
• Facebookfacebook.com/valdezcityschools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries3 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 VALDEZ CITY SCHOOLS