Show Me Kc Schools

What Show Me Kc Schools does

Show Me KC Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Tricia Johnson and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The organization provides tools, guidance, and events to help families navigate and compare K-12 school options within the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) district boundaries and surrounding metro area. Core offerings include an online school directory of 89+ K-12 schools and 29 preschools, the SchoolAppKC common application platform (serving 16-20+ charter schools), one-on-one navigator support delivered in-person, by phone, or video conference, an annual City School Fair, School Saturday open house events, a podcast, a video library, and a printed School Guide KC distributed at libraries and community centers. All services are provided free of charge to families.

The underlying technology consists of a web-based platform with a searchable school directory, supplemental content modules (podcast, video library, micro-surveys), and the SchoolAppKC common application system that streamlines charter school admissions. In 2024 the board voted to expand services statewide to Missouri under the Show Me MO Schools brand, with active launch in St. Louis (February 2025) and exploration in Boone County. The organization is led by Executive Director Leslie Kohlmeyer and staffed by 7 employees (4 full-time, 3 part-time).

The business model is donation-based: services to families are free, and the organization is funded through individual donations (e.g., $10/month recurring support) and foundation grants, including historical fiscal sponsorship from the Kauffman Foundation for SchoolSmartKC research. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, with awareness driven by the website, community partnerships (libraries, SchoolSmart, RevED, Parent Leadership Training Institute, Turn the Page KC), events, and content marketing. The primary customer segment is families with school-aged children in the KC metro area, with a secondary segment focused on pre-K and early childhood education seekers.

Name

Show Me Kc Schools

Legal name

Show Me KC Schools

Website

https://showmekcschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Show Me KC Schools is a Kansas City nonprofit that provides free school-search tools, one-on-one navigation, events, and the SchoolAppKC common application to help families compare K-12 and pre-K options across the KC metro and, as of 2024, statewide Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 school choice navigation and family advisory services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• School choice navigation
• K-12 school search
• Education nonprofit services
• Common school application
• Family school advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

North Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit mission. The organization states that $10 a month allows them to connect with caregivers from over 20 families and provide support as they search for schools.
2. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including the Kauffman Foundation (fiscal sponsor for SchoolSmartKC collaboration), and other funders supporting educational equity initiatives in Kansas City.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Show Me KC Schools provides a comprehensive school choice navigation platform serving Kansas City-area families with K-12 and preschool options. Its core offering is an online school directory and search tool that allows families to research, compare, and apply to public district, public charter, private, and faith-based schools within KCPS boundaries. The platform is paired with one-on-one navigator support, a common charter school application (SchoolAppKC), and annual events including the City School Fair and School Saturday open house, all provided free of charge to families.

Product overview

Show Me KC Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates a comprehensive school choice navigation platform serving the Kansas City Metro area. The core offering consists of an online School Search Tool that enables families to research and compare schools within KCPS boundaries. This platform is augmented by complementary services including SchoolAppKC (a common charter school application system), One-on-One Navigation support, the City School Fair, School Saturday events, a Podcast series, Video Library, and the School Guide KC publication. Additional resources include Virtual Tours, Micro Surveys for family feedback, and the Show Me Spirit merchandise platform. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem guiding families through the complete school search, research, experience, and application process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SchoolAppKC: A special project of Show Me KC Schools in partnership with local Kansas City organizations, designed to streamline the charter school application process for families in KCPS boundaries. It brings together 16 charter schools with one common application.
• ShowMeSpirit

Products and services

• School Search Tool Online school directory enabling families to search and compare 89+ K-12 schools and 29 preschools by grade level, school type, focus area, academics, and logistics within the Kansas City Public Schools boundaries.
• SchoolAppKC Common application system for charter schools in Kansas City that allows families to apply to multiple charter schools with a single application, streamlining the school choice process.
• One-on-One School Navigation Individual school navigation support provided by trained navigators who help families find the right school fit through in-person meetings or telephone and video conferences.
• City School Fair Annual school fair held in November at the Kansas City Public Library, bringing together district, charter, private, and faith-based schools under one roof so families can learn about 50+ school options in a single event.
• School Saturday Annual citywide open house where families visit participating schools for tours, student performances, and hands-on program demonstrations, with Spanish translators available at some schools.
• Show Me KC Schools Podcast Podcast series available on YouTube, Apple Podcast, and Spotify that discusses the education landscape in Kansas City, navigating school options, and features conversations with school leaders and relevant local topics.
• Video Library Collection of educational videos including webinars, a 5-part Finding a School series, a 4-part Educational Philosophies series, and a Welcome to Show Me KC Schools introduction.
• School Guide KC Print and PDF guide distributed at libraries and community centers that contains comprehensive school options information and workbook materials for organizing the school search.
• Show Me Spirit Special-project platform that supports schools by enabling easy ordering of branded school spirit wear merchandise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8000 families served annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National School Choice Awareness FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2026Collaborative partnership for city-wide open house events during National School Choice Week. Show Me KC Schools organizes local events in Kansas City as part of the national awareness campaign featuring 28,000+ events across America.
• Kansas City Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for the City School Fair held at the downtown Central Library location. The library serves as the venue and partner in spreading awareness about school options.
• SchoolAppKC Partner SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of 20+ charter schools (including Académie Lafayette, Academy for Integrated Arts, Brookside Charter, Crossroads Charter Schools, KIPP, and others) participating in the common application system developed by Show Me KC Schools.
• SchoolSmartKCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing community partner that works to improve educational outcomes in Kansas City and supports Show Me KC Schools as an important resource for families.
• RevEDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization working to improve educational outcomes and endorsing Show Me KC Schools as an important step toward accessible education.
• Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner focused on parent leadership development that collaborates with Show Me KC Schools to empower families in education decisions.
• Turn the Page KCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner working to improve educational outcomes in Kansas City, collaborating with Show Me KC Schools on family engagement initiatives.
• Local Partners in St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local organizations in St. Louis to launch a common application system for St. Louis families as part of the 2024 expansion to serve the entire state of Missouri.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Niche: National K-12 school search and comparison platform serving families with reviews, rankings, and data. Overlaps with Show Me KC Schools' school directory and search functionality but operates nationally with community-driven reviews rather than curated local navigation.
• SchoolDigger: School comparison and data platform providing rankings, test scores, and profiles for K-12 schools nationwide. Comparable as an information intermediary for school choice decisions, operating at larger scale but with less human navigation support.
• GreatSchools: The largest national nonprofit providing K-12 school information and ratings to families. Comparable to Show Me KC Schools in providing parent-facing school comparison content, but operates nationally with significantly greater scale and a broader (less locally curated) data set.

Direct peers

• SchoolMint: School enrollment and lottery management platform used by charter schools and districts to streamline applications. Directly comparable to Show Me KC Schools' SchoolAppKC common application functionality, though SchoolMint is a venture-backed for-profit serving schools as B2B customers.
• EdNavigator: School navigation and family support service that provides one-on-one guidance to families navigating school choice. Directly comparable in mission and service model to Show Me KC Schools' one-on-one navigation service, though geographically distinct (originally focused on New Orleans/Chicago).

Emerging players

• EdSource: Nonprofit education news and information organization covering California school choice and policy. Adjacent peer as an educational information nonprofit whose content informs family decision-making, though focused on a different state and policy journalism rather than direct navigation.
• National School Choice Awareness Foundation: Partner organization that runs National School Choice Week with 28,000+ events nationwide. Comparable in promoting school choice awareness and is already a documented partner of Show Me KC Schools; differs in operating at national awareness rather than local navigation.

Regional players

• KIPP Foundation: National charter school network with a KIPP St. Louis affiliate (one of the schools listed in Show Me KC Schools' directory). Comparable as a school choice ecosystem participant and partner relationship, though KIPP operates schools directly rather than serving as a neutral navigator.

Others

• Parents Across America: National parent advocacy network focused on public education and equitable school choice. Tangentially comparable to Show Me KC Schools as a parent voice in school choice, though more advocacy-oriented and less focused on neutral navigation services.
• Turn the Page KC: Kansas City-based education-focused community partner collaborating with Show Me KC Schools. An ecosystem partner and enabling organization rather than direct competitor, but operates in the same local education-improvement space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLxlO_NEb0EmEv24NgPrr3CXHcbLl2-cSK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/show-me-kc-schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Show Me Kc Schools