Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District

What Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District does

Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District (SHJUSD) is a public K-12 school district governed by an elected Board of Trustees and operating under the California Education Code in rural Southern Humboldt County, California. The district operates seven school sites spanning Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade: Casterlin Elementary, Casterlin High School, Miranda Junior High, Redway Elementary, South Fork High School, Whitethorn Elementary (expanding to TK-8 in March 2026), and Osprey Learning Center, the latter providing continuation education and independent study pathways. SHJUSD delivers free public education funded primarily through the California Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), local property taxes, federal ESSER grants, and the Education Protection Account; no tuition or fees are charged for standard enrollment. Supporting services include a regional bus transportation network covering four geographic corridors, mental health counseling and wellness centers, special education via SELPA, the After-School Education and Safety (ASES) program, career technical education, and community partnerships with So Hum Health, Mateel Community Center, Humboldt County Public Health, the Humboldt Workforce Coalition, and the CSU Summer Algebra Institute.

The district's operational technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS platforms rather than proprietary systems: Edlio powers the district and school websites, Aeries serves as the student information system with Parent and Teacher Portals, InformedK12 handles administrative forms and workflows, Keenan SafeSchools delivers employee compliance training, Simbli (eBoardsolutions) manages board governance, EdJoin handles recruitment, TransTraks manages transportation, and EdReady (NROC) provides adaptive math instruction within the CSU Summer Algebra Institute. The district maintains a standard Edlio-based public-facing website and uses Facebook, email newsletters, and ParentSquare-style notifications for stakeholder communications. Public accountability is discharged through annual LCAP and budget public hearings, Education Protection Account hearings, and instructional materials sufficiency hearings held at Redway Elementary School.

SHJUSD does not charge tuition, does not sell products or services to external customers, and is not an investable commercial enterprise. As a government entity, it has no parent company, no private equity or venture capital ownership, and no funding rounds; its revenue base is entirely public-sector appropriations subject to California Department of Education oversight. The district's leadership team includes Superintendent Stephanie Steffano-Davis, Chief Business Officer Johnna Emery, Director of Payroll & Personnel Morgan Heffington, Director of Transportation Lisa Cory (since 2013), Director of Maintenance Ethan Ricca, and Small Schools Principal Sarah Schipper, supported by an elected Board of Trustees.

Name

Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District

Legal name

Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District

Website

https://sohumusd.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District is a public K-12 school district in rural Humboldt County, California, operating seven school sites spanning TK through 12th grade, funded by state LCFF and federal grants, and serving geographically assigned students with free public education, bus transportation, and mental health services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district administration
• Student transportation services
• Special education programs
• Community education wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Miranda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District provides free public K-12 education through seven school sites spanning Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade, including traditional elementary, junior high, and high school campuses plus the Osprey Learning Center for continuation and independent study. Supporting the instructional program, the district operates a multi-region bus transportation network, school-based mental health and wellness services, career technical education, special education through SELPA, and supplemental programs such as the CSU Summer Algebra Institute and Expanded Learning Opportunities. The district is governed by an elected Board of Trustees and operates under the California Education Code with public accountability through LCAP planning, SARC reporting, and community input sessions.

Product overview

Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District operates a network of seven schools serving students from transitional kindergarten through high school across rural Humboldt County, California. The district includes six school sites (Casterlin Elementary, Casterlin High School, Miranda Junior High, Redway Elementary, South Fork High School, and Whitethorn Elementary expanding to TK-8) plus Osprey Learning Center for alternative/continuation education. Supporting services include transportation with multiple bus routes, mental health counseling, and specialized programs like the CSU Summer Algebra Institute. The district uses Edlio for its website platform, Aeries for student information management, and various administrative systems including InformedK12 for forms and Simbli for board governance. The district's educational programs are guided by its Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), with public accountability through board meetings, school accountability reports (SARC), and community engagement initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Casterlin Elementary School
• Casterlin High School
• Miranda Junior High School
• Redway Elementary School
• South Fork High School
• Whitethorn Elementary School (expanding to TK-8)
• Osprey Learning Center Continuation School
• Transportation Services
• CSU Summer Algebra Institute (SAI)
• Mental Health Services
• Student Registration Portal

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Humboldt Workforce CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2023Sponsoring organization for the Southern Humboldt Job Fair held May 17, 2023 at Mateel Community Center. Humboldt Workforce Coalition coordinates workforce development resources for the region.
• So Hum HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2023Community partner supporting the Southern Humboldt Job Fair. So Hum Health provides healthcare resources and support to the Southern Humboldt community.
• Vocality Community Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2023Community partner supporting the Southern Humboldt Job Fair. Vocality Community Credit Union provides financial services to the local community.
• Mateel Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2023Host venue for Southern Humboldt Job Fair and community events. Located at 59 Rusk Lane, Redway, CA. Mateel Community Center provides community gathering space for Southern Humboldt County.
• Humboldt County Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for COVID-19 vaccination clinics and catch-up vaccine programs for students. District hosted vaccination clinics and provided information about Humboldt County Public Health services to families.
• Stanford University d.schoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Susie Wise from Stanford d.school served as keynote speaker at Creative Education Symposium attended by SHJUSD teachers and staff. Dr. Wise is author of 'Design for Belonging' and guided attendees on cultivating belonging in schools through design tools.
• California State University (CSU) Summer Algebra InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU Summer Algebra Institute (SAI) program offered to SHJUSD students in grades 5-12. Four-week virtual program integrating STEAM, robotics, and EdReady math curriculum. Students can earn up to 5 math credits toward graduation.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Round Valley Unified School District: Tiny unified K-12 district in remote Mendocino County serving an isolated rural community; comparable on extremely small enrollment scale, multi-school-unified governance, and similar reliance on state and federal funding streams.
• Eureka City Schools: Larger unified K-12 district headquartered in nearby Eureka within Humboldt County; comparable geographic and regulatory operating environment, with broader program depth that illustrates the upside of scale within the same county funding context.
• Fortuna Union Elementary School District: K-8 elementary district in Humboldt County serving Fortuna and Eel River area; comparable small-to-mid California public district profile, rural-adjacent operating environment, and similar LCAP/LCFF funding mechanics.
• McKinleyville Union School District: Humboldt County K-8 elementary district in a similar rural-coastal Northern California context; directly comparable on per-pupil funding, governance, and integration with the same county's SELPA and county education office.
• Mattole Unified School District: Tiny rural K-12 unified district in neighboring western Humboldt County serving a comparably small and geographically dispersed student population; directly comparable on rural scale, multi-site model, and reliance on state LCFF funding.
• Arcata School District: K-8 public school district also located in Humboldt County serving Arcata and surrounding areas; comparable on county-level funding dynamics, community-engagement model, and small-district governance structure.
• Laytonville Unified School District: Small rural unified K-12 district in neighboring Mendocino County; directly comparable as a small, geographically dispersed North Coast unified district with similar LCFF-dependence and multi-site rural operations.
• Northern Humboldt Union High School District: Humboldt County unified high school district serving the northern portion of the county; directly comparable as a county-based multi-school public secondary provider operating under California LCFF with similar community-school dynamics.

Others

• California Department of Education: State-level regulator and funding administrator that oversees SHJUSD's LCAP/LCFF compliance, instructional materials sufficiency hearings, and accountability reporting; relevant ecosystem relationship rather than a competitor.
• Humboldt County Office of Education: Intermediate county-level administrative and support body serving all K-12 districts in Humboldt County, including SELPA coordination and shared services; relevant county-level overlay to SHJUSD's operations rather than a market competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sohumusd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District