What Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District does

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District is a public K-12 school district operating as a political subdivision of the State of Iowa, founded in 1991 and headquartered at 1502 C Avenue, Vinton, Iowa. The district operates four schools — Tilford Elementary (PK-4) and Shellsburg Elementary (PK-5), a Middle School (grades 6-8), and a High School (grades 9-12) — serving approximately 1,000+ students across the communities of Vinton, Shellsburg, Garrison, Mount Auburn, and Brandon in Benton County. It employs between 101 and 250 staff members and is led by Superintendent Kyle Koeppen. The district's core offering is a comprehensive PK-12 education program supplemented by athletics, fine arts, career-technical education (Agriculture Education, Family Consumer Science, Industrial Tech, Business), a 1:1 MacBook Air initiative for grades 6-12, free student meals, and a transportation system with GPS tracking. Technology infrastructure is built on an integrated vendor stack: Canvas LMS for learning management, Alma as the unified student information system, ParentSquare for family communication (fully rolling out in 2026-2027), Crosswalk K-12 for transportation management, InTouch and Meal Magic for payments and nutrition funds, Nutrislice for menu publication, and Follett Destiny for library catalogs. Additional offerings include driver education through ABC Driver Education LLC ($375 per course) and the Farm to School program (since 2015) emphasizing locally sourced produce via Chartwells Schools food service partnership. The district's revenue model is fundamentally non-commercial: it is funded through Iowa state foundation aid, local property taxes, federal program funds (including Title programs and the Summer Food Service Program), and a small ancillary fee stream (preschool tuition at $75/month, textbook/technology fees of $55-$70 by grade level, optional activity tickets, and driver education). Recent capital activity includes LED lighting retrofits, HVAC upgrades, a solar array at the high school, and a new preschool/childcare wing at Tilford Elementary. The original 2007 high school bond was paid off in 2024, and a 40-person community facilities committee formed in 2024-2025 is evaluating further facility investment and grade-alignment changes.

Name

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District

Legal name

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District

Website

https://vscsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District is a public K-12 school district in Benton County, Iowa, operating two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school that serve roughly 1,000+ students across Vinton, Shellsburg, Garrison, Mount Auburn, and Brandon. It delivers PK-12 education, free meals, transportation, and career-technical programs funded primarily by Iowa state aid and local property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE), Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Elementary and secondary schools
• School transportation services
• School nutrition programs
• Driver education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Vinton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District is a public PK-12 school system that delivers classroom education, special programs, transportation, school nutrition, and driver education to students in Vinton, Shellsburg, Garrison, Mount Auburn, and Brandon, Iowa. Services are delivered across two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, supported by a 1:1 MacBook Air program for grades 6-12 and integrated digital platforms for communication, payments, and bus tracking.

Product overview

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District operates as a unified educational platform combining traditional K-12 schooling with integrated digital systems. The district's core offerings include elementary education (PK-5 at Tilford and Shellsburg Elementary), middle school (6-8), and high school (9-12), supported by the Alma Student Information System for administration and Canvas LMS for grades 6-12 online learning. The district portal serves as the central hub connecting families to ParentSquare communications, InTouch payments, Meal Magic nutrition funds, and Crosswalk K-12 transportation tracking. Additional programs include school nutrition services through Chartwells Schools and driver education via ABC Driver Education LLC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Education Programs (PK-12) Comprehensive public education programs delivered across Tilford Elementary (PK-4), Shellsburg Elementary (PK-5), the district Middle School (6-8), and the High School (9-12), including career-technical education pathways in Agriculture Education, Family Consumer Science, Industrial Tech, and Business.
• Home School Services Home school program and support for students in the Vinton-Shellsburg service area, reachable at (319) 436-4728 ext. 5650.
• Student Transportation Services District-operated bus transportation for students with GPS tracking, automated ridership monitoring, intelligent route planning, and a parent app for real-time bus location, directed by Transportation Director Garrett Wittmer.
• School Nutrition Services Breakfast and lunch programs delivered in partnership with Chartwells Schools, with free meals for all students in 2025-2026, Farm to School sourcing of local produce (since 2015), and menus published via Nutrislice. Directed by Food Service Director Karen Ackman.
• Summer Food Service Program 2026 Free summer meals for all children at multiple locations including Tilford Elementary, Shellsburg Elementary, Garrison Public Library, and V-S High School from June 8 - August 7, 2026.
• Driver Education Course Driver education services delivered in partnership with ABC Driver Education LLC, serving Vinton-Shellsburg CSD, Alburnett CSD, Center Point, LaPorte City, and surrounding areas. Course cost is $375, payable by VENMO, check, or cash. Instructors include Brad Jacobs, Mark Nall, Matt Kingsbury, Eric Rauch, and Jeff Sabin.
• Preschool Program (3-Year-Old) Tuition-based preschool for 3-year-olds at $75/month plus a $20 regular kit or $35 kit with optional items; capacity expanded via a new wing added to Tilford Elementary.
• 1:1 Computer Initiative (Grades 6-12) District-provided MacBook Air laptops to every student in grades 6-12 to support digital learning and integration with the Canvas LMS.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vinton-Shellsburg Farm to School ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Organized in 2015 to increase use of locally grown fresh produce in school menus. Works with community volunteers to provide food samples, gather feedback, and incorporate new recipes emphasizing locally grown foods.
• Chartwells SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood service partner providing nutrition services for breakfast and lunch programs across all district schools. Chartwells Schools is the district's primary food service management company.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationFamily communication platform used for district-wide announcements, newsletters, and two-way communication. Starting 2026-2027 school year, all district communications will be distributed through ParentSquare app.
• AlmacoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System (SIS) that integrates school administration, student information, and learning management. Each building has its own login page through getalma.com domains.
• Canvas (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationLearning Management System (LMS) used by students and staff for coursework, assignments, and grade management at vscsd.instructure.com
• Crosswalk K-12coreTechnology or IntegrationTransportation management platform providing GPS tracking, real-time bus location, automated student ridership monitoring, turn-by-turn directions, and parent app for monitoring children.
• ABC Driver Education LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDriver education provider serving Vinton-Shellsburg CSD, Alburnett CSD, Center Point, LaPorte City, and surrounding areas. Course cost $375. Instructors include Brad Jacobs, Mark Nall, Matt Kingsbury, Eric Rauch, and Jeff Sabin.
• Vinton-Shellsburg FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit 501(c)(3) charitable corporation dedicated to improving education for students. Operated by independent board of volunteers. Supports student enrichment grants and senior scholarships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alburnett Community School District: Small Iowa K-12 public district that partners with VSCSD on driver education. Similar rural/small-town profile and PK-12 structure make it a directly comparable peer.
• Union Community School District (LaPorte City): Benton/Black Hawk County-area Iowa district that also participates in the ABC Driver Education program with VSCSD. Directly comparable in scale and rural Iowa operating context.
• Center Point-Urbana Community School District: Neighboring Benton County-area Iowa district. Already commercially linked via the ABC Driver Education partnership, sharing infrastructure and regional demand for K-12 services.
• Benton Community School District: Another Iowa public K-12 district headquartered in Benton County (same county as VSCSD). Comparable in size, rural profile, and PK-12 governance structure, making it the most directly comparable district peer.

Regional players

• Independence Community School District: Northeast Iowa public K-12 district of comparable enrollment scale and rural setting; a useful regional peer for benchmarking operating budgets and program breadth.
• North Linn Community School District: Small east-central Iowa public K-12 district; comparable rural profile and PK-12 governance for benchmarking against VSCSD.
• Mount Vernon Community School District: Eastern Iowa public K-12 district of similar small-community character; useful comparable for rural Iowa PK-12 operating economics and facility planning, though it sits outside VSCSD's direct service area.
• Belle Plaine Community School District: Small east-central Iowa public K-12 district with similar enrollment scale and rural community footprint, providing another Iowa benchmark for small-district operating economics.

Broad incumbents

• Cedar Falls Community School District: Larger Iowa public K-12 district operating in a similar statewide policy and funding environment; useful as a broader incumbent comparable for evaluating what scale unlocks in Iowa K-12 operations.
• Marshalltown Community School District: Mid-sized Iowa public K-12 district operating under the same state funding formula and regulatory framework; serves as a broader incumbent benchmark for facility, program, and EdTech investment at Iowa K-12 scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VintonShellsburgSchools
• Xx.com/VSCSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vinton-shellsburg-community-school-district

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District