Waconda USD 272

What Waconda USD 272 does

Waconda USD 272 is a public K-12 school district operating under the Kansas state education system and headquartered at 708 Locust Street, Cawker City, Kansas (Mitchell County). The district serves resident K-12 students in north-central Kansas, operating Lakeside Jr/Sr High School (mascot: Lakeside Knights) with a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and a food service program that participates in the USDA Summer Food Service Program. Non-resident students may apply through an open enrollment process.

The district's digital infrastructure is built on standard K-12 SaaS platforms rather than proprietary technology. The public-facing website (usd272.org) is powered by SchoolBlocks with SchoolFeed handling news and event content; student information, grades, and attendance are delivered through the Go.Edustar portal (Harris Computer); meal payments run through EZ School Pay; and board meetings and athletic events are streamed via Google Meet, Zoom, and a dedicated YouTube channel (USD272Lakeside). Accountability and CTE reporting are submitted to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) through KSDE Data Central and the KS Report Card system.

As a government entity, USD 272 does not generate revenue through commercial pricing. It is funded through Kansas school funding formulas, local property tax revenues, and federal sources including ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) grants. Governance is provided by an elected Board of Education; leadership includes Superintendent Eric Hoops, Treasurer Pat Downing, Director of IT Matthew Chrispen, and Board Clerk Vienna Janis. The visible staff listing comprises approximately 20 named individuals across administration, board, and instructional roles.

Name

Waconda USD 272

Legal name

Waconda School District 272

Website

https://usd272.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Waconda USD 272 is a Kansas public K-12 school district serving resident students in Mitchell County through Lakeside Jr/Sr High School, including CTE programs, food service, and online enrollment. It is funded by state aid, local property taxes, and federal grants, and governed by an elected Board of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cawker City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: Government-funded public education through state and local tax revenues. District operates under Kansas school funding formulas with additional federal funding sources including ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Waconda USD 272 is a public K-12 school district that provides tuition-free educational services to students in and around Mitchell County, Kansas. The district offers standards-aligned academic instruction, Career and Technical Education (CTE) career pathways, food and nutrition services, athletics, and extracurricular programs through its schools, including Lakeside Jr/Sr High School. Operations are supported by student information, payment, and communication platforms accessible to families and the community.

Product overview

Waconda USD 272 operates as a Kansas school district website ecosystem built on SchoolBlocks and SchoolFeed platforms. The core offering is the district website providing public information, news, and resources. Additional products include online enrollment, employment opportunities, food service management, student surveys, and board governance information. The Go.Edustar portal (by Harris Computer) provides the student information system for parents and staff. CTE Data Central connects students to career and technical education resources through Kansas State Department of Education platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education Tuition-free public school instruction for students in grades K-12 residing within the district attendance area.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career-focused academic pathways that prepare high school students for post-secondary opportunities and workforce entry.
• School Food and Nutrition Services Breakfast and lunch programs for students, with cafeteria account management supported by the SchoolFeed platform.
• Student Athletics and Extracurriculars Athletic and extracurricular activity programs offered to enrolled students, with membership supported through EZ School Pay.
• Online Student Enrollment Web-based student enrollment and registration service accessed via the Go.Edustar student information system.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SchoolBlockscoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the district's official website (usd272.org). SchoolBlocks provides the website infrastructure, design templates, and content management for district communications and information delivery.
• SchoolFeedcoreTechnology or IntegrationContent management system powering the district's news and events center. SchoolFeed provides the school news feed and event management functionality integrated into the district website.
• Harris Computer (Go.Edustar)coreTechnology or IntegrationStudent information system provider for district. Go.Edustar portal provides login access for parents and staff to student records, grades, attendance, and district resources.
• Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState regulatory body overseeing K-12 education. District participates in state accountability systems, CTE Data Central reporting, state assessments, and compliance with Kansas education standards and regulations.
• USDA (Food and Nutrition Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing food service program oversight and compliance. District participates in Summer Food Service Program and complies with USDA civil rights requirements and nutritional standards.
• Wellness CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict wellness committee open to community participation. Contacts Pat Downing at district office for committee membership and annual wellness policy meetings.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Beloit USD 273: Neighboring Kansas public school district headquartered in Beloit, KS, within Mitchell County. Directly comparable in scale, rural operating context, and Kansas school funding formula exposure.
• Smith Center USD 237: Small rural Kansas public school district in north-central Kansas serving Smith Center. Comparable size, demographics, and rural operating environment.
• Phillipsburg USD 325: Small rural Kansas public school district serving Phillips County in north-central Kansas. Comparable scale and rural demographic profile.
• Russell County USD 407: Rural Kansas public school district in central Kansas serving Russell County. Comparable scale and rural operating environment with similar state-aid dependence.
• Concordia USD 333: Neighboring Kansas public school district in adjacent Cloud County serving Concordia. Comparable small rural Kansas K-12 district operating under the same state funding formulas and demographic pressures.

Others

• Harris Computer (Go.Edustar): Vendor providing the Go.Edustar student information system used by USD 272. Listed as a core technology partner in the data; relevant as the upstream technology supplier rather than a competitor.
• Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE): State regulatory and funding oversight body governing all Kansas K-12 districts including USD 272. Provides the CTE Data Central platform, accountability reporting, and state assessment framework — a key counterparty rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Hays USD 489: Larger Kansas public school district in Ellis County serving Hays and surrounding areas. Operates under the same Kansas funding formulas but at materially larger scale, providing a benchmark for what scaled-up rural Kansas districts can achieve.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/USD272Lakeside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Waconda USD 272