What Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143 does

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143 (WEM ISD #2143) is a public PreK-12 school district operating under Minnesota state law and governed by an elected seven-member school board. It serves students from the communities of Waterville, Elysian, and Morristown, plus surrounding areas, through three school buildings: WEM Elementary School (PreK-5) and WEM High School (9-12) in Waterville, and WEM Middle School (5-8) in Morristown. The district supplements core academic programming with wraparound services, including Little Bucs Preschool, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), School Age Child Care (SACC), Special Education, Title I support, Drivers' Education, and a broader Community Education portfolio. Concurrent enrollment partnerships with Southwest Minnesota State University and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities allow high school students to earn transferable college credit.

The district's technology stack is built on commodity K-12 SaaS platforms rather than proprietary systems: JMC for student information and parent portal, Schoology for learning management, Google Workspace for Education for collaboration, Renaissance Learning for reading assessment, and a 1:1 Chromebook device program supported by a Mojo Helpdesk ticketing system. Communication and program operations are delivered through ArbiterSports (athletics), rSchoolToday (payments), Catchon (content filtering), and Frontline AppliTrack (HR), with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter used for community engagement. The district is recognized as a 2022 Sustaining Exemplar PBIS District under the Minnesota PBIS framework.

WEM's revenue model is fundamentally governmental. Core funding is derived from local property taxes (including voter-approved operating and building bond referendums), per-pupil state aid and categorical funding from the Minnesota Department of Education, and federal grants (Title I, Title IV, IDEA Part B, food service reimbursements, and ESSER). Ancillary transactional revenue comes from food service (adult meals at $2.50 breakfast / $5.25 lunch, a la carte sales for grades 9-12 adults), community education class fees, Drivers' Education tuition, and SACC program fees. All PreK-12 student meals are provided free of charge. The district operates as an Achievement and Integration District, accepting open enrollment applications year-round.

Name

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143

Legal name

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143

Website

https://wem.k12.mn.us

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143 is a public Minnesota Independent School District operating PreK-12 schools across Waterville, Elysian, and Morristown, plus community education, special education, and child care services funded by property taxes, state aid, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic/School-Readiness Preschools (EDACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Intervention Academic Readiness (Pre-K–Early Elementary) (EDAKADAG), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Early childhood education
• Community education programs
• Special education services
• School age child care

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Local property taxes levied on residential and commercial properties within the district boundaries to fund school operations, capital improvements, and voter-approved referendums including Operating Referendums and Building Bond Referendums.
2. State Education Funding: Per-pupil state aid and categorical funding from the Minnesota Department of Education based on enrollment and demographic factors.
3. Federal Grants: Federal grants including Title I, Title IV, Special Education (IDEA Part B), Food Service benefits (Free & Reduced meal reimbursements), and COVID-related ESSER grants.
4. Food Service Revenue: Revenue from student meals (breakfast and lunch), adult meals, and a la carte food sales. Students receive free meals; adults pay $2.50 breakfast and $5.25 lunch.
5. Community Education Programs: Fees collected for community education classes, driver's education, preschool programs, and School Age Child Care (SACC) services.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143 is a public school district that operates PreK-12 education across three school buildings (WEM Elementary in Waterville, WEM Middle School in Morristown, and WEM High School in Waterville). It supplements core academics with School Age Child Care (SACC), Little Bucs Preschool, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), Community Education (including Drivers' Education), Special Education, and Title I support services for residents of Waterville, Elysian, Morristown, and surrounding Minnesota communities.

Product overview

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143 operates as a unified public school district providing comprehensive K-12 education through three distinct school buildings: WEM Elementary School (PreK-5) in Waterville, WEM Middle School (grades 5-8) in Morristown, and WEM High School (grades 9-12) in Waterville. The district supplements its core academic programs with wraparound services including School Age Child Care (SACC) for before/after school care, Little Bucs Preschool for early learners, and Community Education featuring Drivers' Education. Special populations are served through Title I intervention programs and Special Education services. The district operates a 1:1 Chromebook initiative and utilizes JMC for student information management, Schoology for learning management, and Renaissance Learning for reading assessment. The portfolio is characterized by a traditional educational service delivery model rather than a technology platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WEM Elementary School Public elementary school serving students in grades PreK-5, located at 500 East Paquin Street in Waterville, MN. Offers Title I support, special education services, media center, and counseling.
• WEM Middle School Middle school serving grades 5-8 at the Morristown building. Fifth and sixth grades are elementary classrooms; seventh and eighth grades comprise W-E-M Junior High School. Features PBIS framework (BUCS PRIDE) and counseling services.
• WEM High School Public high school serving students in grades 9-12 at 500 East Paquin Street, Waterville. Offers concurrent enrollment (College NOW), PSEO options, fine arts programs (band, choir), athletics, clubs (FFA, FCCLA, Knowledge Bowl), and comprehensive counseling.
• School Age Child Care (SACC) Certified before/after school and summer child care program for children entering kindergarten through age 12. Located at Waterville Elementary, offering enrichment activities, homework support, and social development aligned with BUCS PRIDE values.
• Little Bucs Preschool Preschool program (formerly Kindergarten Connection) for children 3-5 years old, taught by Alyssa Gavin and Karen Marzahn. Features 4-day afternoon classes for 4-5 year olds and 3-day morning classes for 3-4 year olds, focusing on kindergarten readiness and social development.
• Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) Early childhood education classes for children ages 2-5 and their parents. Held weekly in Waterville preschool classroom, providing hands-on activities and parent engagement in child development.
• Community Education Community education program offering Drivers' Education, preschool coordination, and various adult/continuing education courses. Includes driver safety courses and recreational programs.
• Special Education Services Specialized instruction and related services for students with disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, developmental cognitive disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, and speech/language impairments. Services include OT, PT, speech, and DAPE.
• Drivers' Education Classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education for students age 15+. Includes classroom instruction via rSchoolToday registration and summer driving sessions with minimum 12 students per class.
• Title I Program Federal supplemental education program providing extra instructional services for educationally at-risk students, primarily in math and English/language arts. Serves elementary and secondary students who need additional academic support.
• 1:1 Chromebook Program One-to-one device initiative providing Chromebooks to students. Includes acceptable use policy, protection plan options, and technology support via Mojo Helpdesk.
• School Food Service Program Food service program providing free breakfast and lunch to all students grades PreK-12. Adult meals available at $2.50 breakfast and $5.25 lunch. A la carte items available only to grades 9-12 and adults, ranging from $0.75 to $3.50.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict partners with SMSU through the CollegeNOW concurrent enrollment program. High school students can take college-level courses at WEM and earn both high school and college credit upon successful completion. SMSU processes transcript requests for college credit.
• University of Minnesota – Twin CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict partners with U of M through the College in the Schools (CIS) concurrent enrollment program. Students earn college credit from the University of Minnesota for courses taught at WEM by WEM teachers.
• Waterville Lions ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterville Lions Club supports the Foreign Exchange Club (FEC) by paying for transportation and tickets to the Festival of Nations event for active FEC members.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Waseca Public Schools: Small-city south-central Minnesota K-12 district that competes with WEM for open-enrollment transfers. Comparable programming model with broader elective offerings that represent a competitive threat.
• Le Sueur-Henderson Public Schools: Nearby rural Minnesota K-12 district with similar demographics and small-town community structure. Operates comparable community education, ECFE, and SACC programs in the same regional competitive pool.
• United South Central Public Schools: Consolidated south-central Minnesota K-12 district serving multiple small towns. Comparable in enrollment scale, governance structure, and dependence on cooperative agreements for expanded course offerings.
• St. Peter Public Schools: Small-city south-central Minnesota K-12 district with comparable scale and wraparound service model (ECFE, SACC, community education). Directly comparable on operational structure and regional competitive dynamics.
• Blue Earth Area Public Schools: Rural south-central Minnesota K-12 district serving a small town and surrounding agricultural area. Directly comparable in scale, governance, and reliance on state aid and referendums.
• Tri-City United Public Schools: Tri-community consolidated rural Minnesota district with a similar three-town name pattern to WEM. Comparable scale, grade-band structure, and community-education programming.
• Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Public Schools (JWP): Small rural south-central Minnesota K-12 public district serving a comparable footprint of small communities. Operates similar PreK-12 model with community education and open enrollment exposure, making it a directly comparable peer for benchmarking.
• Maple River Public Schools: Consolidated rural Minnesota K-12 district serving several small communities in the same south-central region. Comparable enrollment scale, district structure (multiple attendance sites), and reliance on agricultural-community property tax base.

Regional players

• Faribault Public Schools: Larger south-central Minnesota K-12 district that competes with WEM under open-enrollment. Operates similar K-12 + community education model with a wider elective/program footprint, representing a primary competitive alternative for families.

Broad incumbents

• Mankato Area Public Schools: Regional hub district in south-central Minnesota with substantially broader programming, athletics, and concurrent-enrollment options. Represents the primary larger-district competitor for open-enrollment transfers out of WEM's footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WEMSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/WEMSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/wem2143
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wembucs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown School District #2143