School Town of Highland

What School Town of Highland does

The School Town of Highland (STOH) is a public K-12 school corporation operating under Indiana state law and governed by a five-member elected Board of School Trustees. The district serves an estimated 3,000-4,000 students across six schools in Highland, Indiana: Highland High School (grades 9-12), Highland Middle School (grades 6-8), and four K-5 elementary schools (Johnston, Merkley, Southridge, and Warren). Programs include general academics, Advanced Placement courses, High Ability/gifted education, ESL/English Learner services, Special Education (delivered through the Northwest Indiana Special Education Co-Op), athletics, performing arts, guidance counseling, before/after-school dependent care, and free summer meals. Reported outcomes include a 98% graduation rate and a 97% IREAD passing rate achieved under the prior superintendent's tenure.

The district's technology stack is built on third-party K-12 ed-tech infrastructure rather than proprietary products. Core systems include RDS for student information and parent/employee access, Google Classroom for instruction, Raptor for visitor management, Safari Montage and SWANK K12 for video content, NWEA for assessments, and Savvas EasyBridge and HMH ED for curriculum delivery. Communications are centralized through Apptegy, which powers the district website, mobile app, and mass-notification alerts. A 1:1 iPad initiative provides every student with a device, supported by the SPIN parent technology portal and the STOH Mobile App (available in English and Spanish).

Revenue is derived primarily from public education funding — Indiana state per-pupil allocations, local property tax collections, and federal Title program funds tied to enrollment and free/reduced lunch eligibility. Secondary revenue comes from fee-based ancillary services: athletic camps ($40-$50 per camper), hourly dependent care fees, substitute teacher stipends ($120/day), and a one-time $31.50 background check fee. The customer base consists of Highland, Indiana residents with school-age children, plus a small open-enrollment intake from out-of-district families. As a public entity, STOH has no parent company, no private equity or venture capital ownership, and operates under political subdivision status.

Name

School Town of Highland

Legal name

School Town of Highland

Website

https://highland.k12.in.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

School Town of Highland is a public K-12 school district in Highland, Indiana, serving an estimated 3,000-4,000 students across one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools under an elected Board of School Trustees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Student Support & Related Services (Counseling, SEL, Health, Safety) (EDAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• Special education programs
• Before after school care
• Student transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Primary revenue from state per-pupil funding, local property tax collections, and federal Title program funds distributed based on enrollment and free/reduced lunch eligibility rates.
2. Fee-Based Programs: Revenue from fee-based services including athletic camp registrations ($40-$50 per camper), dependent care program fees based on scheduled hours, and summer meal program (though meals are free to children, there are operational costs).
3. Substitute Teacher Stipends: Substitute teachers earn $120 per day as compensation for daily teaching coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The School Town of Highland is a public K-12 school corporation providing tuition-free education to approximately 3,000-4,000 students across six schools in Highland, Indiana (one high school, one middle school, four elementary schools). Core offerings include academic instruction (general education, Advanced Placement courses, High Ability/gifted programs, ESL/English Learner services), special education through a regional cooperative, athletics and performing arts, guidance counseling, college and career readiness, food services, transportation, health services, and before/after school dependent care. Fee-based ancillary services include athletic camps ($40-$50 per camper), dependent care (hourly-based), and background checks for employment ($31.50).

Product overview

The School Town of Highland is a public K-12 school district in Highland, Indiana serving approximately 3,000 students across six schools: Highland High School, Highland Middle School, Johnston Elementary School, Merkley Elementary School, Southridge Elementary School, and Warren Elementary School. The district provides standard educational programs including general academics, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Special Education services through NISEC, ESL/English Learner programs, High Ability/gifted programs, athletics, before/after school dependent care, food services, transportation, health services, and guidance counseling. The district operates student information systems including RDS Parent Access and RDS Employee Access portals for gradebook, assignments, and student data management. This is a public education provider rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Highland High School (HHS): The district's high school serving grades 9-12, located at 9135 Erie Street, Highland, IN 46322.
• Highland Middle School (HMS)
• Johnston Elementary School (JN)
• Merkley Elementary School (MK)
• Southridge Elementary School (SR)
• Warren Elementary School (WN)

Products and services

• Public K-12 Education Program Tuition-free public K-12 education program serving approximately 3,000-4,000 students across six schools in Highland, Indiana. Includes general academics, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, assessments (ILEARN, PSAT, SAT, NWEA), athletics, performing arts, and college/career readiness programming.
• Special Education Services Special education programming delivered in partnership with the Northwest Indiana Special Education Co-Op (NISEC), serving K-12 students with identified special education needs. Kristine Besch serves as Special Education District Director for Highland.
• ESL Program English as a Second Language program providing English language instruction and cultural support for K-12 English Learner students, supported by Title III funding.
• High Ability Program Gifted and talented educational programming for students identified through CogAT testing, providing accelerated curriculum and enrichment activities.
• Dependent Care Program (Before & After School Child Care) Fee-based before and after school child care program for K-5 students with hourly-based fees determined by scheduled hours. Coordinated by Lisa Hodge and operated at Southridge Elementary during summer.
• Summer Athletic Camps Fee-based summer athletic camps hosted by Highland High School, including Girls/Boys Basketball ($40), Baseball ($45), Soccer ($50), and Football (Free). Registration via Eventlink.
• School Bus Transportation Services District-provided school bus transportation via 2025-26 bus routes serving students residing within the school district boundaries. Transportation office contact at 219.924.4730.
• Immunization Clinics Annual back-to-school immunization clinics held in partnership with Franciscan Health, offering school-aged vaccines to students at Highland High School. Immunizations offered at $10 each for uninsured families.
• Safe Hiring Background Checks Required criminal background check service for selected employment candidates, charged at $31.50 per check at employee expense.
• Food Services (School Meals) School meal services for K-12 students, including free summer meals program for children 18 and younger, plus free/reduced meal applications for the school year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% graduation rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Franciscan HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2026Partnership for immunization clinics offering school-aged vaccines to students. Franciscan Health provides healthcare staff and vaccines for annual back-to-school immunization clinics held at Highland High School. Immunizations offered at $10 each for uninsured families.
• Northwest Indiana Special Education Co-Op (NISEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional special education cooperative providing specialized services to member districts. NISEC serves as the Special Education District Director contact for Highland, with Kristine Besch serving as Special Education District Director for Highland.
• Highland Parks and Recreation DepartmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership for park feedback surveys and community engagement activities.
• Lake County Health DepartmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides immunization services through county health clinics available Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm, supporting student vaccination compliance with state requirements.
• Indiana Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency providing academic standards, ILEARN and IREAD assessments, Title funding, and regulatory oversight for Indiana public schools.
• ApptegycoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering district website, mobile app, mass notifications, and communications infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lake Central School Corporation: Multi-school Indiana public school corporation in Lake and Porter counties serving St. John, Schererville, and Dyer. Comparable as a slightly larger but structurally similar suburban Indiana public K-12 district with analogous funding model and academic programs.
• Griffith Public Schools: Indiana public school district serving Griffith, immediately adjacent to Highland. Operates elementary, middle, and high schools under the same state regulations and competes for open-enrollment students in the same geographic market as STOH.
• School City of Hammond: Lake County, Indiana public K-12 district serving Hammond. Larger in scale than STOH but operates under the same Indiana public school corporation framework and serves a similar Northwest Indiana demographic base.
• Hanover Community School Corporation: Small-to-mid-size Indiana public school corporation in Lake County serving Cedar Lake and surrounding areas. Comparable as a community-anchored K-12 district with similar revenue mix (per-pupil funding plus property taxes).
• Crown Point Community School Corporation: Neighboring Indiana public K-12 district in Lake County serving Crown Point with multiple elementary, middle, and high schools. Directly comparable as a similarly structured Indiana public school corporation operating under the same state funding and assessment regime.
• School City of East Chicago: Urban Lake County, Indiana public school district with multi-school K-12 operations. Comparable as another Indiana public school corporation operating under identical state standards, though serving a more urban population than STOH.
• Merrillville Community School Corporation: Lake County, Indiana public K-12 district comparable in scale and suburban profile. Competes for students in the same Northwest Indiana labor market and shares identical state assessment, funding, and accountability frameworks.
• Munster Community School Corporation: Adjacent Lake County, Indiana public K-12 district of comparable enrollment size and suburban profile. Operates under the same Indiana Department of Education oversight and serves a demographically similar community, making it the closest direct peer to STOH.

Others

• Apptegy: Ed-tech vendor powering STOH's district website, mobile app, and mass-notification communications. Relevant as an enabling technology provider to STOH and hundreds of other K-12 districts, illustrating the platform layer that public districts depend on for parent communications.
• Northwest Indiana Special Education Co-Op (NISEC): Regional special education cooperative that serves as STOH's partner for special education services. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, supplying shared special-education staffing and compliance infrastructure to member districts including Highland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OfficeStoh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_HT_v0gMt9JQ7Cnq5pp54w
• Facebookfacebook.com/officestoh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school-town-of-highland
• Instagraminstagram.com/office_stoh
• TikToktiktok.com/@office_stoh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 School Town of Highland