WEOC

What WEOC does

WEOC (Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium) is a public educational consortium founded in 2007 and based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that operates four alternative K-12 programs for students across eight Michigan counties: the Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University (ECA @ EMU), the Washtenaw International High School (WIHI) and Middle Academy (WIMA), both delivering International Baccalaureate curricula, and the Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education (WAVE), an online high school program. The consortium is governed by a Joint Steering Committee composed of superintendents from the nine Washtenaw County public school districts plus the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, with Van Buren Public Schools added as an out-of-county partner for ECA. ECA students attend classes on the Eastern Michigan University campus and may earn up to 65 transferable college credits, supported by a Direct Admission Partnership with EMU launching for the 2026-27 cohort that waives application fees and offers merit scholarship consideration to qualifying students.

WEOC's operating model is a public funding model rather than a commercial one. Revenue is generated by receiving a share of each participating school district's state per-pupil foundation allowance for every enrolled student; no tuition is charged to families, and ECA estimates roughly $35,000 in tuition savings per student via earned college credits. Programs are capacity-constrained: WIHI admits 130 ninth-grade students, WIMA admits 80 sixth-grade students, and ECA targets 160 students for 2026-27 (115 in the ninth-grade Academy). Enrollment occurs through home-district registration, School of Choice, and lottery systems when oversubscribed. The consortium is supported by marketing channels including family information nights, student shadow days, school counselor referrals, alumni testimonials, and social media.

The organization's technology stack is anchored by PowerSchool for student information and grade reporting, Follett Destiny for library management at ECA, Parchment and the National Student Clearinghouse for transcript services, Google Workspace for collaboration, and JotForm for applications. WEOC's value proposition centers on rigorous college preparation, flexible learning pathways, IB credentials, and college-credit accrual at no cost to students. The consortium has received recognition including a Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces 2021 award and the 2024 Dr. Chery S. Wagonlander Early Middle College Excellence in Practice Award from the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education and MEMCA. There is no parent company, private equity, or venture capital involvement; WEOC operates as a cooperative educational organization.

Name

WEOC

Legal name

Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium

Website

https://wihi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WEOC (Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium) is a public educational consortium founded in 2007, operating four tuition-free alternative K-12 programs — early college, IB, and virtual education — for students across eight Michigan counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Alternative K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Virtual & Blended Learning Programs (District-Run) (EDAJAAAI)

Keywords

• Public education consortium
• International Baccalaureate programs
• Early college education
• Virtual high school programs
• Alternative education pathways

Headquarters

HQ city

Ypsilanti

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Foundation Allowance: Public education funding model where WEOC receives a percentage of participating school districts' foundation allowance per enrolled student. This covers operational costs including staff salaries and program delivery. No tuition charged to students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WEOC is a public education consortium that delivers four free K-12 alternative education programs to students across southeastern Michigan. ECA @ EMU enables high school students to take college courses on Eastern Michigan University's campus and earn up to 65 college credits while completing their diploma. WAVE provides a free, public, year-round online high school with project-based learning. WIHI offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for grades 9-12, and WIMA delivers the IB Middle Years Programme for grades 6-8. All programs are tuition-free and funded through per-pupil foundation allowances from participating school districts.

Product overview

WEOC (Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium) operates as an educational consortium offering four distinct programs: Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University (ECA @ EMU) for early college credit; Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education (WAVE) for flexible online learning; Washtenaw International High School (WIHI) for IB Diploma Programme; and Washtenaw International Middle Academy (WIMA) for IB Middle Years Programme. These programs serve students in grades 6-12 across Washtenaw County and adjacent counties through School of Choice, providing alternative educational pathways including college campus immersion, virtual learning, and international baccalaureate education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Washtenaw International High School (WIHI): International Baccalaureate high school program serving grades 9-11
• Washtenaw International Middle Academy (WIMA)
• Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education (WAVE)
• Early College Alliance (ECA)

Products and services

• Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University (ECA @ EMU) A free, public early/middle college program hosted on Eastern Michigan University's campus where high school students attend classes alongside EMU students and can earn up to 65 college credits while completing their diploma. Open to students in grades 9-12 from consortium districts and partner districts such as Van Buren Public Schools through School of Choice.
• Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education (WAVE) A free, public online high school offering year-round, student-centered, project-based learning with both online and in-person learning community components. Designed for students who need flexible scheduling or a non-traditional learning environment, including those recovering from adverse circumstances.
• Washtenaw International High School (WIHI) A free, public International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme high school serving grades 9-12 with a rigorous, inquiry-based, student-centered curriculum emphasizing international-mindedness, interdisciplinary knowledge, leadership development, and critical thinking. Open to students from districts in Washtenaw, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, and Wayne counties.
• Washtenaw International Middle Academy (WIMA) A free, public International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) school serving grades 6-8 with inquiry-based, academically accelerated curriculum emphasizing international-mindedness, leadership development, and interdisciplinary knowledge. Hosted by Ypsilanti Community Schools with capacity for 80 students per grade cohort.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of ECA graduates complete Bachelor's degrees vs 32% Michigan state average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eastern Michigan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMU hosts the Early College Alliance (ECA) on its Ypsilanti campus. Students attend classes at EMU and can earn up to 65 college credits. EMU provides faculty, facilities, and academic environment for the early college program.
• Ann Arbor Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure. Students from this district can access all WEOC programs.
• Chelsea School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Dexter Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Lincoln Consolidated SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Manchester Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Milan Area SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Saline Area SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Whitmore Lake Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine Washtenaw County school districts in the WEOC consortium governance structure.
• Ypsilanti Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host district for WIHI/WIMA and ECA programs. Students must register through YCS district to attend WIMA.
• Washtenaw Intermediate School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISD provides oversight and governance support for the WEOC consortium. Part of the Joint Steering Committee governing structure.
• Van Buren Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayne County district partner in the ECA program. Students from Van Buren can access ECA through School of Choice.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Heritage Academies: Charter school management organization that runs multiple public schools across many states under a single operational umbrella. Like WEOC's consortium model, NHA operates schools it does not technically own, partnering with districts and charter boards to deliver public education.
• Charter Schools USA: Charter management organization that partners with districts to operate schools under one umbrella. Comparable to WEOC in operating multiple distinct public schools through partner agreements and pursuing program diversification across the K-12 spectrum.
• EdisonLearning: Public school management organization that partners with districts to operate schools, including online and alternative education programs. EdisonLearning's consortium-style district partnership model closely mirrors WEOC's structure of running multiple schools on behalf of member districts.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: High-performing NYC public charter network built around rigorous academics and a tight outcomes feedback loop. Comparable to WEOC because it pairs college-prep rigor with measurable graduate outcomes and operates free-of-charge public schools at scale.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large public charter network with a deliberate college-prep mission and publicly tracked college-completion outcomes. Like WEOC, IDEA tracks and publishes bachelor-degree-completion percentages to drive enrollment and partner trust, putting it in a directly comparable operating cadence.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Public charter network operating multiple high schools with a college-prep mission and measurable outcomes focus. Green Dot's portfolio-style multi-school management model and outcomes narrative align with how WEOC governs ECA, WIHI/WIMA, and WAVE under one umbrella.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Public charter network renowned for an academically rigorous, college-prep curriculum that competes with IB-level rigor. Like WEOC, BASIS wraps multiple grade bands under one operator with a strong college-outcomes orientation, making it the closest analog on academic positioning.
• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National public charter network whose mission is preparing students from under-resourced communities to and through college. KIPP's persistent focus on college-completion outcomes and free public status closely mirrors WEOC's value proposition, and KIPP has expanded into online (KIPP Online Academy) similar to WEOC's WAVE.
• Connections Academy: Public online K-12 program offered through partner districts in dozens of states. WAVE is a direct analog to a Connections Academy-powered public online school, serving similar demographics through state-allocated per-pupil funding.

Broad incumbents

• Stride Learning (formerly K12 Inc.): Large publicly traded online K-12 operator with public-school tuition-funded online programs. Comparable to WAVE as another tuition-free online public school alternative at much greater scale; functions as a broad incumbent in the online K-12 public space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WIMAHI_CAS
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Early-College-Alliance-at-EMU/100063858262231
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weoc
• Instagraminstagram.com/earlycollegealliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 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 WEOC