Palo Community School Dist

What Palo Community School Dist does

Palos Community Consolidated School District 118 (DBA: Palos 118) is an Illinois public K-8 school district serving approximately 2,100 students across three schools — Palos East Elementary, Palos West Elementary, and Palos South Middle School — within a defined geographic catchment covering Palos Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, and unincorporated portions of Cook County and Orland Park. Founded in 1858 as a one-room schoolhouse on land donated by Richard C. McLaughry, the district took its current consolidated form in 1949 through the merger of Districts 118, 119, and 120, and is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Education with Dr. Anthony Scarsella serving as Superintendent. The district operates under the Illinois School Code and is funded primarily through local property taxes (over 80% of operating revenue) supplemented by Illinois state aid — a notably low per-student allocation of approximately $900, well below neighboring North Palos 117's $6,000+ per student — plus federal grants (IDEA, Title programs) and modest student fees.

The district runs a standard K-12 educational technology stack rather than proprietary software: Skyward for student information and gradebook, Schoology as the learning management system, ClassLink for single sign-on, Tyler Technologies for transportation management with parent-facing notifications, BoardBook for board meeting management, Finalsite as the web platform, and RevTrak WebStore for payments. Instructional programs include the ALPS accelerated learning program, the Capstone community-service initiative at the middle school, free full-day kindergarten (implemented ahead of the 2027-28 state mandate), music and athletics, English Language Learner support, and a functional program for students with disabilities.

Academically, the district consistently outperforms Illinois peers — 97th percentile in reading, 93rd percentile in math, top 10% statewide in science — and has earned two National Blue Ribbon School designations (Palos West 2022, Palos East 2024), repeated ISBE Exemplary rankings, and ASBO Meritorious Budget and Certificate of Excellence awards. Fiscal pressure is material: approximately $6.0 million in unfunded state mandates (grown from $2.4M in 2012), per-pupil spending roughly $1,000 below the state average, a successful March 2024 referendum reallocating ~$4.35 million from debt service to operations, and pending 2026 issuances of up to $8 million in Working Cash Fund bonds and $5 million in Tax Anticipation Warrants. Operating economics are captive: tuition is free for residents, fees are minimal (lunch $3.35 student/$3.95 adult, milk $0.60), and the customer base is geographically locked to the district's residential boundaries.

Name

Palo Community School Dist

Legal name

Palos Community Consolidated School District 118

Website

https://www.palos118.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Palos Community Consolidated School District 118 is an Illinois K-8 public school district serving approximately 2,100 students across three schools in Cook County. It is funded primarily through local property taxes and consistently ranks among the state's top-performing districts, with two National Blue Ribbon School designations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public K-8 education
• Elementary school services
• Middle school education
• Special education programs
• Student transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Palos Park

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, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Local Property Taxes: Primary funding source - over 80% of operating revenue comes from local property taxes. The district shifts funds between debt service and operating funds via voter-approved referendum.
2. State Funding: Illinois state funding formula distribution - receives approximately $900 per student from the state compared to neighboring North Palos 117 receiving over $6,000 per student.
3. Student Fees: Student fees for various programs and activities including lunch prices set at $3.35 for students, $3.95 for adults, and milk at $0.60.
4. Federal Grants: Federal funding including IDEA for special education and Title programs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Palos Community Consolidated School District 118 operates three district-run schools delivering free K-8 public education to approximately 2,100 resident students from preschool through 8th grade, including accelerated learning (ALPS), Capstone community-service projects, full-day kindergarten, special education, English Language Learner programs, music and athletics, and student transportation. Education is funded primarily through local property taxes and delivered through a defined geographic attendance area covering Palos Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, and unincorporated Cook County.

Product overview

Palos School District 118 operates as a traditional K-8 public school district serving approximately 2,100 students across three schools: Palos East Elementary, Palos West Elementary, and Palos South Middle School. The district utilizes an integrated suite of educational technology platforms rather than a unified commercial product. Core systems include Skyward for student information management and family access, Schoology as the learning management system, Tyler Technologies for transportation operations, and ClassLink for identity management. Educational programs include the ALPS gifted program, Capstone community service initiative, and full-day kindergarten mandate implementation. The district operates on the Finalsite web platform for public communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skyward Student Information System Comprehensive student information system managing grades, attendance, scheduling, and family access; supports parent and faculty portals with real-time access to student academic records and parent-teacher conference scheduling.
• Schoology Learning Management System Learning management system providing parent login access to student academic content, assignments, and classroom materials; primary platform for digital learning delivery across all three district schools.
• Tyler Technologies Transportation Management Bus route management system with turn-by-turn navigation tablets mounted in each bus, automatic rerouting for road closures, and a parent mobile app for automated late-bus arrival notifications.
• ClassLink Single Sign-On Unified authentication platform enabling faculty and staff to access multiple district digital resources through single sign-on, streamlining access to educational technology tools and administrative systems.
• ALPS (Accelerated Learning Program for Students) Gifted and talented education program identifying and serving academically advanced students, organizing career expos and accelerated learning opportunities for participating students across the district.
• Capstone Program Middle school community improvement initiative in which students develop and present real-world projects addressing local community needs, engaging with local government officials and implementing service-learning projects.
• Free Full-Day Kindergarten State-mandated free full-day kindergarten program implemented ahead of the 2027-2028 state deadline; operated alongside a half-day kindergarten option for families preferring shorter school days.
• Finalsite District Website Platform District website platform providing comprehensive information about schools, departments, calendars, news, and parent resources; powers the district homepage and all school subsites with integrated communication tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97th percentile in reading and 93rd percentile in math on state assessments
• +6 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• North Palos School District 117minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Intergovernmental agreement between Palos 118 and North Palos 117 for emergency bus mechanic services. Allows both districts to share mechanic resources when needed.
• Illuminate, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFinancial consulting services contracted to support the Business Office during CSBO transition period. Dr. Rob Grossi of Illuminate provides comprehensive financial consulting including budget development, grant reporting, and mentorship for incoming CSBO.
• Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)minorOthersSchool Safety Busing Program for transporting students on identified hazardous routes that live under 1.5 miles from school.
• Ivy League Before and After School CareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne-year agreement for before-and-after-school care services at district schools.
• Consolidated High School District 230coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict 118 eighth grade graduates continue their high school studies in District 230 at either Amos Alonzo Stagg or Carl Sandburg High Schools. Palos 118 is a feeder district to District 230.
• Lyons Township High School and Orland High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partner schools that eighth graders could attend prior to consolidation into District 230. Students had choice of attending these schools or schools in City of Chicago.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Indian Springs School District 109: Adjacent K-8 public district serving Bridgeview/Justice/Summit in Cook County. Comparable grade structure, suburban demographics, and Illinois School Code operating model.
• Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A: K-8 public school district in nearby southwest suburban Cook County. Directly comparable in grade span, governance model, and suburban Chicago property-tax funding dynamics, though serving a different municipal footprint.
• Consolidated High School District 230: The receiving high school district for Palos 118 graduates (Stagg and Sandburg). Comparable as a neighboring Illinois public school district serving the same families, but at the secondary level rather than K-8, making it a vertical extension peer.
• Tinley Park Community Consolidated School District 146: K-8 public district in the south suburban Chicago corridor. Comparable as a peer Illinois community consolidated school district operating multiple elementary schools and a middle school under property-tax-plus-equalized-aid funding.
• Lyons Township High School District 204: Historically one of the receiving high schools for Palos 118 graduates prior to District 230 consolidation. Comparable as a neighboring Illinois public school district with overlapping community ties.

Direct peers

• Orland Park School District 135: Adjacent K-8 public district serving Orland Park families that overlaps Palos 118's boundary at unincorporated Orland Park. Comparable in grade span, suburban Cook/Will County setting, and reliance on local property tax funding.
• North Palos School District 117: Neighboring K-8 public school district in the same southwest Cook County footprint. Directly comparable as a peer public elementary/middle district, and notably receives over $6,000 per student in state aid versus Palos 118's ~$900, making it the natural funding-mix benchmark.

Others

• Moraine Valley Community College District 524: Same southwest suburban Cook County footprint but postsecondary, not K-12. Useful as a regional public education peer for tax-base and funding dynamics even though grade span does not overlap directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7ofFdWfv7gJQlJICf1HAdQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Palos118FullPotential
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palos-community-consolidated-school-district-118
• Instagraminstagram.com/palos_118

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Palo Community School Dist