Russell Unified School District 407

What Russell Unified School District 407 does

Russell Unified School District 407 is a public K-12 school district organized under Kansas law, operating four facilities in Russell, Kansas — Simpson Elementary School, Bickerdyke Elementary School, Russell Junior-Senior High School (grades 7-12), and the District Administration Office at 400 N Elm St. The district serves students and families residing in Russell County, Kansas, with out-of-district (non-resident) students accepted via online application. Core offerings span kindergarten through grade 12 academics, a 4-year-old preschool program, Career and Technical Education pathways delivered through the Smoky Hill Education Center consortium, special education services (with the West Central Kansas Special Education Coop), and developmental screenings for ages birth-to-five delivered in partnership with KidLink and Russell Regional Hospital. Auxiliary programs include a USDA Summer Food Service Program, school-day food service, transportation via bus and suburban routes, an on-site driver education course ($214 total), athletics, and extracurriculars (FFA, Forensics, Science Olympiad, JAG-K dropout prevention).

The district's operating stack is a composite of commodity K-12 ed-tech: Thrillshare (Apptegy) powers the public website and mobile applications on iOS and Android, PowerSchool serves as the Student Information System for grades, attendance, and enrollment, and additional platforms — Clever (SSO), Xello (career readiness), Follett Destiny (library), Master Teacher and Southwest Plains PDC (professional development), WebKIDSS (state reporting), Red Rover (enrollment management), Remind (messaging), and eFunds for Schools (fee/meal payment) — handle specific functions. No proprietary technology, mobile app code, or developer API is owned or maintained by the district; all software is third-party SaaS procured under standard district licensing. There is no disclosed API surface, no AI/ML capabilities, and no patents or trademarks.

USD 407's revenue is government-funded: Kansas state aid (Base Aid for Student Excellence plus categorical aid), local property tax levies vetted at public hearings, and federal programs including Title I, IDEA special education, and USDA child nutrition (free/reduced meals). Modest fee-based revenue is generated by the $214 driver education course, athletic participation fees, facility rentals, and adult meal purchases at $9/day during summer. Employment is the only quasi-commercial line item, with published salary schedules for licensed (collective bargaining agreement), classified (hourly starting $16-$18), and coaching/supplemental assignments. The superintendent for the district's recent newsletters is Jordan Perez, and the Board of Education comprises seven elected members serving staggered terms. Two-month (June-July 2025) operational data shows 14,357 meals served to 7,178 students through USDA summer feeding; 54 students' negative meal balances were cleared via the Angel Fund donor program; $300,000 in RCACF scholarships is available to graduating seniors.

Name

Russell Unified School District 407

Legal name

Russell County USD 407

Website

https://usd407.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Russell Unified School District 407 is a public K-12 school district in Russell, Kansas, operating four facilities (two elementary, one junior-senior high, one administrative office) to deliver kindergarten through twelfth-grade education, CTE pathways, special education, and food and transportation services to families across Russell County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Career technical education
• Special education services
• School nutrition programs
• Early childhood preschool

Headquarters

HQ city

Russell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

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: USD 407 is funded through Kansas state aid, local property tax levies, and federal funding (including Title programs, IDEA special education funds, and USDA child nutrition programs). Revenue is governed by annual budgets reviewed at public hearings.
2. Child Nutrition / Meal Programs: The district operates the National School Lunch Program and Breakfast Program, offering free and reduced-price meals to qualifying students. Adults can purchase meals at $9.00 per day under the Summer Food Service Program. The Angel Fund (donor-supported) helps cover negative meal balances for families in need.
3. Tuition Reimbursement & Scholarships (Employee-Facing): The district offers tuition reimbursement and scholarship programs (RCACF Scholarships, Patterson Grant) to assist employees in meeting endorsement requirements. This is an employee benefit rather than a revenue stream.
4. Fee-Based Services: Driver Education course ($210 + $4 processing fee), athletic participation fees, and facility rental fees generate modest revenue. Out-of-district enrollment applications are accepted with potential tuition arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Russell Unified School District 407 operates public K-12 education through three schools (Simpson Elementary, Bickerdyke Elementary, and Russell Jr-Sr High School) in Russell County, Kansas. The district delivers core academic instruction, career and technical education (CTE) pathways, special education, food services, transportation, and a 4-year-old preschool program, funded primarily through Kansas state aid, local property tax levies, and federal funding.

Product overview

Russell County USD 407 is a public school district serving Russell, Kansas with three schools: Simpson Elementary School (K-6 with preschool), Bickerdyke Elementary School (K-6), and Russell Junior-Senior High School (7-12). The district operates as a unified K-12 educational institution offering core academic programs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways through the Smoky Hill Education Center consortium, special education services, food services including a summer meal program, transportation, and early childhood programs including a 4-year-old preschool. District operations are supported by online enrollment through PowerSchool, employment application systems, and various third-party educational technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Simpson Elementary School Elementary school within USD 407 serving students in Russell, Kansas. Offers developmental screenings, 4-year-old preschool program, and kindergarten through grade 6 education. Also houses the USDA Summer Food Service Program and CAPS Elementary Summer School.
• Bickerdyke Elementary School Elementary school within USD 407 serving younger students with various educational programs and elementary activities.
• Russell Junior-Senior High School Combined junior and senior high school serving grades 7-12 in USD 407. Offers academic programs, athletics, career and technical education pathways, and extracurricular activities including FFA, Forensics, and Science Olympiad.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs Career-focused educational pathways part of the Smoky Hill Education Center consortium, preparing students for various career clusters and technical fields through hands-on training and career guidance.
• Food Services District food service program providing breakfast and lunch to students during the school year, including the USDA Summer Food Service Program offering free meals to children aged 1-18 during summer months.
• Transportation Services School bus and transportation services for students, including regular routes, activity trips, and special transportation needs with certified drivers.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education programs including services for students with disabilities, developmental screenings, special education teaching, paraeducator support, and related services such as occupational therapy, psychology, and speech therapy.
• 4-Year-Old Preschool Program Pre-kindergarten program at Simpson Elementary for children who are 4 years old by August 31, offering both AM and PM sessions five days a week with transportation provided.
• Driver Education Course Driver education offered at Russell High School with classroom portion in June and driving portion in June-July. Total fee of $214 ($210 course + $4 processing). Open to students 14+ by June 1.
• Parents As Teachers Program Family education program supporting parents of young children with developmental guidance, screenings, and parenting resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,357 meals served to 7,178 students during Summer Food Program (June-July period)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Smoky Hill Education Center ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSD 407 is a member of the Smoky Hill Education Center consortium for Career and Technical Education (CTE). This consortium provides shared CTE curricula, career pathway frameworks, and aggregated performance data across member districts. Russell CTE data is reported through the Smoky Hill consortium in the Kansas CTE data system.
• KidLinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKidLink partners with USD 407 to conduct developmental screenings for children ages birth to 5 years, providing parents with information about hearing, vision, emotional, academic, self-help, and physical milestones. These screenings are a prerequisite for 4-year-old preschool enrollment.
• Russell Regional Hospital (RRH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRussell Regional Hospital partners with USD 407 and KidLink to host developmental screenings for children ages birth to 5. RRH also hosts free annual sports physicals for students attending any school in Russell County, held at RRH facilities with registration required.
• Russell County Regional Medical FoundationminorOthersRussell County Regional Medical Foundation supports the Angel Fund which clears negative meal balances for students, helping families in need and ensuring no child goes without a nutritious school meal.
• West Central Kansas Special Education Coop (WCKSEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCKSEC partners with USD 407 to provide special education services and developmental screenings throughout the school year for children ages 0-5, supplementing the district's special education programming.
• Barton Community CollegemoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerBarton Community College representatives visit Russell Jr-Sr High School for Fall Enrollment sessions to assist families in completing college enrollment and FAFSA applications. This partnership supports student transitions from high school to higher education.
• Community for ClassroomsmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity for Classrooms partners with the USD 407 Board of Education and local businesses to recognize two staff members monthly — one educator and one support staff — who go above and beyond. Community members and families can submit nominations.
• Local Businesses (Russell County)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Russell County businesses co-sponsor the monthly staff recognition program with Community for Classrooms and the Board of Education, providing tangible recognition (breakfast, gifts) for honorees.
• JAG-K (Jobs for America's Graduates - Kansas)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerJAG-K is a dropout prevention and career readiness program operating at Russell Jr-Sr High School. The program employs a Career Specialist and partners with the Food Service Department for holiday meal events, providing career development support for at-risk students.
• Russell County CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Russell County Commission holds joint meetings with the USD 407 Board of Education to discuss community-wide issues including potential bond elections, facility needs, and shared community resources.
• Russell City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Russell City Council participates in joint meetings with the USD 407 Board of Education to address community development, school facility needs, and shared infrastructure concerns.
• Southwind BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthwind Bank provides a charter bus to away athletic events, prioritizing grandparents of players, demonstrating community financial support for school athletics.
• Deines Cultural CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Deines Cultural Center in Russell hosts the annual USD 407 Student Art Show, with an opening reception open to the public, showcasing student artwork from across all district schools.
• ESSDACKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESSDACK (Educational Services for the Western Arkansas-Kansas region) provides professional development facilitation for USD 407 staff, as evidenced by their involvement in shared vision-setting sessions for instructional improvement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Apptegy: Apptegy is a K-12 communication and website platform vendor that powers USD 407's website and mobile app under the Thrillshare brand. As a direct technology supplier to Russell USD 407 and many peer Kansas districts, Apptegy is an enabling ecosystem participant adjacent to district communications and enrollment operations.

Direct peers

• Garden City USD 457: Garden City USD 457 is a Kansas public unified school district serving western Kansas with K-12 programs and CTE pathways, comparable in scope and offering similarly broad community-supported programming including meal and family services.
• Beloit USD 273: Beloit USD 273 is a Kansas public unified school district operating K-12 campuses in north-central Kansas (Mitchell County), comparable in rural scale, public funding model, and community-driven programming to Russell USD 407.
• Great Bend USD 428: Great Bend USD 428 is a Kansas public school district operating K-12 programs in central Kansas, comparable to Russell USD 407 in governance structure, public funding model, rural/community context, and CTE participation through the Smoky Hill Education Center consortium.
• El Dorado USD 490: El Dorado USD 490 is a Kansas public unified school district operating elementary, middle, and high school campuses in Butler County, comparable to Russell USD 407 in program breadth, public K-12 service delivery, and rural/small-city community context.
• Salina USD 305: Salina USD 305 is a Kansas public unified school district operating preschool through grade 12 across multiple buildings, serving as a comparable K-12 district within central Kansas with similar funding structure, transportation model, and program breadth.
• Ellsworth USD 327: Ellsworth USD 327 is a small Kansas public school district serving Ellsworth County, providing K-12 education with rural scale, public funding structure, and community partnership approach closely aligned to Russell USD 407's operational profile.
• Hays USD 489: Hays USD 489 is a Kansas public unified school district operating multiple K-12 schools in Hays, comparable in scale and scope to Russell USD 407 with similar governance, public funding model, and western-Kansas service area. Both districts operate CTE programs through regional consortia and accept out-of-district students.

Broad incumbents

• PowerSchool: PowerSchool is the leading K-12 Student Information System and broader edtech platform in North America, serving thousands of districts. Russell USD 407 is a PowerSchool customer; PowerSchool's broader education-platform ambitions intersect with district operations even though it is a vendor rather than a district peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjfDBNcat0VhwRc_DAjlx_g
• Facebookfacebook.com/RussellUSD407
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/russell-unified-school-district-407

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Russell Unified School District 407