Paramount Schools Of Excellence, Inc.

What Paramount Schools Of Excellence, Inc. does

Paramount Schools of Excellence, Inc. is a non-profit public charter school network operating in the state of Indiana. Founded in 2010 with the opening of its first Paramount campus — extending from the legacy Andrew J. Brown Academy, which dates to 2003 — the organization operates seven physical K-8 campuses across Indianapolis, Lafayette, and South Bend, supplemented by a statewide Online Academy serving grades K-9. The network positions itself academically as a top-10% performer in Indiana with an A state rating, and has earned the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon National Award (2018) and National Green Ribbon Award (2021).

The business model is that of a tuition-free public charter school: the network derives essentially all of its revenue from per-pupil state funding allocated by the Indiana Department of Education, with no tuition charged to families. Pedagogy is described as "data-driven instruction," operationalized through widely used edtech platforms including Google Classroom and Pearson Realize. Specialized programming includes the Girls IN STEM Academy (with a new campus opened in 2025) and the Pathway to Purdue partnership, which establishes a formal college-readiness pipeline to Purdue University. The network is co-founded by Dr. Michelle Thompson and Dimitri Snowden, with executive leadership including Tara Gustin (COO) and Scott Sims (CFO). The organization is structured as a non-profit with no disclosed venture or private equity ownership, and growth is funded through operating cash flow and charter-authorized expansion.

Name

Paramount Schools Of Excellence, Inc.

Legal name

Paramount Schools of Excellence

Website

https://paramountindy.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Paramount Schools of Excellence is a non-profit Indiana charter school network operating seven tuition-free K-8 campuses across Indianapolis, Lafayette, and South Bend, plus a statewide K-9 Online Academy, funded primarily through per-pupil state allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Time Virtual K–12 Schools (Statewide/Cyber Charters & District Programs) (EDAJADAA), Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-8 education
• Online K-9 academy
• STEM education programs
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

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, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public charter school network, Paramount Schools of Excellence receives per-pupil funding from the state of Indiana based on student enrollment. This is the primary revenue source supporting school operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Paramount Schools of Excellence operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools serving kindergarten through 8th grade (and K-9 via the Online Academy) across seven physical campuses in Indiana plus a statewide virtual academy. The network delivers structured, data-driven instruction aligned to Indiana state standards, featuring 1:1 technology, STEM programs, and specialized pathways including the all-girls STEM academy and a direct college pathway to Purdue University through the Englewood campus. Unique hands-on learning facilities include a working urban farm with a licensed dairy operation, a planetarium, and a peace park with art installations.

Product overview

Paramount Schools of Excellence is a charter school network operating seven physical campuses (Brookside K-8, Cottage Home K-5, Englewood 5-8, Lafayette K-8, South Bend K-8, Girls IN STEM Academy K-8, and Andrew J. Brown K-8) and one virtual school (Online Academy K-9). The schools offer a structured, data-driven curriculum aligned to Indiana state standards, featuring 1:1 technology, STEM programs including robotics and environmental education, and unique pathways to Purdue University through Englewood's partnership with Purdue Polytechnic High School.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paramount Brookside K-8 Tuition-free A-rated K-8 public charter campus in Indianapolis featuring a 5.5-acre working farm with dairy goats, bee apiary, and planetarium, plus a VEX IQ Robotics program.
• Paramount Cottage Home K-5 Tuition-free A-rated K-5 public charter campus in Indianapolis offering award-winning academics with hands-on environmental education and robotics programming.
• Paramount Englewood 5-8 Tuition-free middle school (grades 5-8) public charter campus in Indianapolis offering a direct pathway to Purdue Polytechnic High School with guaranteed acceptance into Purdue University.
• Paramount Lafayette K-8 Tuition-free K-8 public charter campus in Lafayette, Indiana providing structured curriculum with STEM and robotics programs.
• Paramount South Bend K-8 Tuition-free K-8 public charter campus in South Bend, Indiana offering core curriculum with art, music, STEM, and foreign language programs.
• Girls IN STEM Academy K-8 First public all-girls STEM school in Central Indiana on Indianapolis' northwest side, partnering with Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and Every Girl Can STEM to offer robotics, Girls Who Code club, and STEM electives for K-8 students.
• Andrew J. Brown Academy K-8 Indiana's first K-8 tuition-free public charter school (opened 2003), founded in honor of civil rights leader Rev. Andrew J. Brown, offering comprehensive academic programs to K-8 students.
• Paramount Online Academy K-9 Free online school for kindergarten through grade 9 students statewide in Indiana, featuring live teacher-led instruction three times daily with real-time feedback via Google Classroom.

Quantifiable outcome

• Brookside ILEARN ELA Pass Rate 57.1% vs State Average 41%; Math Pass Rate 58.7% vs State Average 40.7%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration26 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, flagship and minor.

• National Bank of IndianapolismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner and sponsor supporting Paramount Schools of Excellence through financial contributions and community investment.
• Rotary Club of IndianapolismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing support for educational programs and community initiatives.
• Community Health NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner supporting student health and wellness initiatives.
• Junior League of IndianapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's organization supporting community service and educational programs.
• SAICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing technology and engineering expertise support.
• Girl Scouts of Central IndianaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner for Girls IN STEM Academy, providing STEM curriculum collaboration, enrichment activities on-site, and the Every Girl Can STEM program. STEM curriculum is one of four areas of focus in Girl Scouts.
• Purdue Polytechnic High SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglewood students receive priority enrollment into Purdue Polytechnic High School, creating a kindergarten-to-college pathway with guaranteed acceptance into Purdue University upon graduation.
• Every Girl Can STEMflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit supporting educational opportunities for Hoosier girls in science, technology, engineering, and math. Girl Scouts is a program partner of Every Girl Can STEM.
• Marion County Farm BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural partner supporting farm education programs.
• YMCAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBefore and after school care partner providing programs at select campuses with bussing to/from Paramount locations.
• Boys & Girls ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBefore and after school care partner for South Bend campus.
• Project Lead the WaycoreTechnology or IntegrationSTEM curriculum partner providing hands-on learning programs.
• SalesforceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate community partner supporting educational initiatives.
• IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting environmental education programs.
• Butler University Center for Urban EcologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for environmental and sustainability education.
• AramarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood service provider partner supplying breakfast and lunch programs for all students through CEP free meal program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Heritage Academies: Operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, including Indiana campuses — closely comparable in business model (per-pupil funding, multi-site K-8) and region.
• Charter Schools USA: For-profit multi-state charter management organization operating K-8 and high school campuses with per-pupil funding — a direct strategic and operational comp to Paramount's multi-site Indiana model.
• IDEA Public Schools: Multi-region nonprofit/public charter school network operating K-12 campuses with strong academic outcomes and college-readiness emphasis — broadly comparable operating model and growth orientation.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: High-performing large urban charter school network operating K-12 campuses in a major metro area — comparable in multi-site charter operating model and academic-outcome-driven positioning.
• Imagine Schools: Multi-state charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools with an academic and character-based curriculum — a direct operational comp for Paramount's charter-school-network model.
• Connections Academy (Stride Learning): Large online K-12 public school operator authorized in multiple states — directly comparable to Paramount's Online Academy K-9 statewide virtual offering.
• KIPP: KIPP is one of the largest U.S. charter school networks operating multi-site K-12 public charter schools with strong academic performance and college-prep focus, structurally and operationally comparable to Paramount's multi-site K-8 model.

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: Public charter school network known for rigorous college-prep academics — adjacent peer for Paramount's Pathway-to-Purdue/college-prep positioning and academic-quality reputation.
• Stride (formerly K12 Inc.): Large online learning provider operating state-wide virtual public schools in many U.S. states — provides scalable competition and an industry-scale reference point for Paramount's Online Academy.

Regional players

• Adelante Schools: Indianapolis-based public charter network operating multiple schools in the same metro area as Paramount and explicitly referenced in Paramount's management team backgrounds — a direct Indianapolis regional competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/paramountindy
• Facebookfacebook.com/PSOEBrookside
• Instagraminstagram.com/psoebrookside
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paramount-schools-of-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Paramount Schools Of Excellence, Inc.