What Mason County Eastern Schools does

Mason County Eastern Schools is a K-12 public school district headquartered at 18 S. Main St. in Custer, Michigan, operating under Michigan state law as a government entity governed by an elected Board of Education. The district provides comprehensive educational services spanning early childhood (Cardinals Corner Daycare for children 30 months and older, and a preschool program for 4-year-olds), elementary education (K-5), and combined middle and high school education (grades 6-12). It completed the annexation of the Free Soil school district in 2013, expanding its service area. The district's defined enrollment catchment is broadened through a School of Choice program covering Mason, Lake, Oceana, and Manistee Counties. Enrollment is tuition-free for district residents and school-of-choice enrollees from the four-county area.

The district's underlying technology stack is built on industry-standard K-12 platforms: PowerSchool for student information and parent access, Illuminate for assessment, Edgenuity (E2020) for online course delivery, Renaissance Accelerated Reader for literacy, Career Cruising for career planning, Edulog for transportation management, BoardDocs for board governance, and SafeSchools for staff training, with SMART Boards deployed in classrooms and a Unbound Library digital catalog. Programmatic offerings extend beyond core academics to include a no-cut athletics program (covering 12+ sports), band and drama, FIRST Robotics (Team 6005 Cardinaltronics), National Honor Society, Student Council, and Tech Wizards. Student support services include counseling, a school-based Wellness Center serving youth ages 5-21 with medical and mental health services, food service, and bus transportation.

Revenue is generated through Michigan State School Aid (primary, enrollment-based), local property tax revenue, donations channeled through the Mason County Community Foundation (including the MCE Education Fund, Scholarship Fund, Athletic Boosters, and Art Department), and grant funding (including Wellness Center coverage and 23g MICIP Plan funds). The district employs approximately 40-50 staff across teaching, administration, support, and maintenance roles and reports external recognition including Bridge Magazine's #1 Rural School in Michigan ranking, a US News and World Report Bronze Medal, and a 90% graduate college continuation rate.

Name

Mason County Eastern Schools

Legal name

Mason County Eastern District Schools

Website

https://mceschools.com

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Mason County Eastern Schools is a K-12 public school district headquartered in Custer, Michigan, operating tuition-free preschool-through-12th-grade programs plus daycare, athletics, and a school-based wellness center for families across a four-county rural catchment under Michigan state governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA), School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Preschool programs
• Dual enrollment
• Student support services
• Extracurricular athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Custer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State School Aid: Primary funding from Michigan State School Aid based on student enrollment and attendance
2. Local Property Tax Revenue: Local tax revenue supporting district operations and educational programs
3. Donations and Fundraising: Donations directed to MCE Education Fund, Scholarship Fund, Athletic Boosters Club, Art Department, and general district support through the Mason County Community Foundation
4. Grant Funding: Wellness Center grant covering co-pays, deductibles, and uninsured individuals; various educational grants including 23g MICIP Plan funding

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mason County Eastern Schools is a public K-12 school district providing free education from Cardinals Corner Daycare (30+ months) and preschool through high school graduation. The district delivers core academic instruction alongside Dual Enrollment, Career and Technical courses, counseling, transportation, food service, and a school-based Wellness Center, complemented by extensive athletics, arts, and STEM extracurriculars.

Product overview

Mason County Eastern Schools is a K-12 public school district offering a unified educational program spanning early childhood (Cardinals Corner Daycare for 30mo+, Preschool for 4-year-olds), elementary (K-5), middle school (6-8), and high school (9-12) education. The district provides core academic instruction alongside support services including counseling, transportation, food service, and a school-based Wellness Center. The school supports student development through extensive extracurricular programs including athletics (volleyball, basketball, cross country, bowling, soccer, softball, baseball, golf, track, cheerleading, equestrian), arts programs (band, drama), STEM (Robotics Team 6005), and academic clubs (National Honor Society, Student Council, Quiz Bowl). Technology-enhanced learning is supported through online courses via Edgenuity, digital library access through Unbound Library, and career planning through Career Cruising. The district emphasizes Dual Enrollment opportunities where students can earn college credits before graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MCE Preschool Program Preschool education program for 4-year-olds designed to develop learning, listening, and concentration skills through a structured curriculum.
• Cardinals Corner Daycare Daycare services for children 30 months and older, part of the Early Childhood Center focusing on developing self-esteem and socialization.
• Mason's Nest After School Program After-school care and enrichment program for elementary students.
• K-5 Elementary Education Elementary school program (Kindergarten through 5th grade) with broad-based curriculum including reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, writing, and physical education.
• Middle/High School Program (6-12) Combined middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) educational programs offering rigorous academics, Dual Enrollment, and Career and Technical courses.
• School Counseling Services Comprehensive counseling services including academic guidance, college applications, scholarships, career exploration, and social-emotional support.
• Wellness Center School-based health center for youth and young adults aged 5-21 offering medical services (well child visits, sports physicals, immunizations) and mental health services (counseling, risk assessment, trauma treatment).
• Student Transportation School bus transportation services managed through Edulog Parent Portal for route information and issues.
• Food Service Program School meal program including breakfast, lunch, and summer food service program.
• Unbound Library Digital library platform with separate catalogs for elementary and middle/high school students providing access to reading resources.
• Robotics Program (Team 6005 - Cardinaltronics) FIRST Robotics Competition team teaching skills in robotic engineering, team management, safety, graphic arts, logistics, communication, and computer programming.
• Band Program Music education program including middle school bands (6th grade beginning band, 7th/8th grade combined band) and high school band (9th-12th grade) with performances throughout the year.
• Drama Club In-school rewards program for honors students grades 6-12 producing annual plays with opportunities for cast and crew participation.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive athletic program with no-cut philosophy offering volleyball, cross country, basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, baseball, golf, track, cheerleading, and equestrian teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of MCE graduates continue on to college
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EDUSTAFFminorOthersThird-party substitute teacher staffing service providing teacher and paraprofessional substitutes as needed. Contact via edustaff.org or 1-877-974-6338.
• EdulogcoreTechnology or IntegrationTransportation management system providing parent portal for bus route tracking and transportation issue management. Edulog Parent Portal enables parents to track transportation in real-time.
• Illuminate EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent assessment platform used for tracking and analyzing student performance data
• Career CruisingcoreTechnology or IntegrationCareer exploration and planning platform helping students identify career pathways and educational requirements
• Edgenuity (E2020)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline course delivery platform providing virtual course options for students. All MCE courses may be adapted for virtual delivery.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent information system providing real-time access to grades and attendance through Parent Portal for parents and teachers
• Mason County Community FoundationminorOthersManages MCE Education Fund investment for the district, enabling charitable donations to support educational programs
• BoardDocscoreTechnology or IntegrationBoard management system hosting Mason County Eastern School District Board of Education policies and meeting minutes
• MCE Athletic Boosters ClubminorOthersParent-organized fundraising group supporting athletic programs and opportunities for students

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Baldwin Community Schools: Small rural public school district in Lake County, Michigan - one of the four counties MCE targets for School of Choice enrollment. Comparable by geography, enrollment scale, and rural funding model.
• Hart Public Schools: Public school district in Oceana County, Michigan - directly overlaps with MCE's school-of-choice catchment. Comparable rural K-12 model with similar per-pupil funding dynamics.
• Kaleva Norman Dickson Schools: Small rural K-12 district in Manistee County, Michigan - one of MCE's four target counties. Directly competes with MCE for school-of-choice students in a similarly small rural footprint.
• Pentwater Public Schools: Small rural Michigan public school district with comparable K-12 enrollment and similar dependence on state aid and local property tax. Comparable in scale and rural service profile.
• Walkerville Public Schools: Very small rural Michigan public school district in Oceana County with similar enrollment size and operating scale. Comparable by funding model and rural demographic exposure.
• Mesick Consolidated Schools: Small rural consolidated K-12 district in Wexford County, Michigan. Comparable in district structure, scale, and reliance on state school aid funding.
• White Cloud Public Schools: Small rural Michigan public school district in Newaygo County with comparable K-12 enrollment and rural funding profile. Same state funding formula and similar demographic dynamics.
• Shelby Public Schools: Public school district in Oceana County, Michigan - directly in MCE's school-of-choice catchment. Comparable rural K-12 model competing for the same student pool.
• Evart Public Schools: Small rural Michigan public school district in Osceola County with comparable enrollment scale and rural operating model. Similar dependence on state aid and local property tax.

Others

• Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB): State-level membership organization supporting governance, policy, and training for Michigan school boards including MCE. Comparable as an ecosystem/peer-governance reference rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MasonCountyEasternSchools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Mason County Eastern Schools