What Kps Inc does

Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) is a public K-12 school district headquartered at 1220 Howard Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, operating as a government state entity under an elected seven-member Board of Education. Founded in 1831, KPS is the largest and most diverse district in the region, serving over 12,000 students across 25 schools — 17 elementary (PreK-grade 5), 4 middle schools (grades 6-8), and 4 high schools (grades 9-12) — plus a KPS Virtual Program for grades 7-12 and a separate Adult Education program offering GED, HiSET, ESL, and Adult Basic Education at multiple community sites. The district employs over 1,200 staff and operates an extensive support infrastructure including transportation (115 buses serving 7,000+ students daily over 1.5+ million miles annually), food services (no-cost meals via USDA Community Eligibility Provision), special education, and multilingual learner services supporting families speaking 60+ languages.

The district's service portfolio is differentiated by The Kalamazoo Promise, a nationally recognized scholarship program established in 2005 by anonymous donors that provides up to 100% postsecondary tuition assistance to qualifying graduates at 62 participating Michigan institutions; the program has cumulaterally awarded over $230 million to 8,700+ graduates. Other distinctive programs include Career Launch Kalamazoo, KAMSC (Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center), Early Middle College dual enrollment, Education for the Arts, and Academically Talented programs. KPS does not generate tuition revenue; K-12 public education is free to resident families, and adult education is free to qualifying adults.

KPS's technology infrastructure is built on standard K-12 commercial platforms rather than proprietary systems: PowerSchool for student information and parent portal, Tyler/MUNIS for ERP (finance, HR, payroll, procurement) accessed via OKTA single sign-on, Chromebooks for 1:1 device access, Raptor for visitor management, Illuminate for assessment analytics, NWEA for academic growth measurement, Xello for career planning, Frontline for HR/absence management, Meal Magic for food service, RevTrak for payments, and Finalsite for the district website and helpdesk. The district is funded primarily through Michigan state aid, local property taxes, and federal categorical grants under Michigan public school funding regulations, with no commercial revenue model.

Name

Kps Inc

Legal name

Kalamazoo Public Schools

Website

https://kalamazoopublicschools.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1831

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kalamazoo Public Schools is a Michigan public K-12 district headquartered in Kalamazoo, operating 25 schools serving 12,000+ students with 1,200+ employees, funded by state aid, local property taxes, and federal grants, and distinguished by The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Time Virtual K–12 Schools (Statewide/Cyber Charters & District Programs) (EDAJADAA), Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH), Finance, Budgeting, Procurement & AP/AR (School/District Ops) (EDAJAHAL)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• K-12 educational programs
• Student transportation services
• Adult education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: KPS is a public school district funded primarily through state and local tax revenues, federal grants, and categorical funding for specific programs. The district operates under Michigan public school funding regulations.
2. The Kalamazoo Promise: Private scholarship program funded by anonymous donors that provides up to 100% postsecondary tuition and fee assistance to qualifying KPS graduates. Began in 2005 and has awarded over $230 million to 8,700+ graduates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) operates a public school district providing comprehensive pre-K through 12 educational programs and services across 25 physical schools (17 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high schools) plus a virtual program for grades 7-12. The district also offers adult education, food services, transportation, and specialized programs like the Kalamazoo Promise scholarship, serving over 12,000 students in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Product overview

Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) is a traditional public school district, not a technology company or SaaS provider. The district operates 25 schools serving over 12,000 students across a unified educational delivery system. Core educational offerings include Elementary Education (PreK-grade 5, 17 schools with the Strong Reader literacy program), Middle School Education (grades 6-8, 4 schools), and High School Education (grades 9-12, 4 schools including Kalamazoo Central, Loy Norrix, Phoenix, and KILP). Supporting programs include the KPS Virtual Program (online grades 7-12), Adult Education (GED/ESL services), Food Services (no-cost meals via CEP), Transportation (115 buses), Career and Technical Education (via KRESA), Education for the Arts (via KRESA), Early Middle College dual enrollment, Academically Talented programs, Multilingual Learner Services, and Special Education Services. The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program provides tuition assistance to eligible graduates. The district's technology infrastructure uses PowerSchool (SIS), Tyler/MUNIS (ERP), OKTA (SSO), and various educational platforms including Illuminate, Xello, NWEA, and Khan Academy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kalamazoo Promise: Scholarship program providing up to 100% postsecondary tuition and fee assistance to KPS graduates who meet attendance and residency requirements
• KPS Virtual
• PEEP/PreK
• KAMSC

Products and services

• Elementary Education Program Comprehensive elementary education serving PreK through grade 5 across 17 elementary schools with a focus on foundational academics, literacy (Strong Reader program), art, music, and enrichment opportunities for over 6,000 students.
• Middle School Education Program Middle school program serving grades 6-8 across four schools (Hillside, Linden Grove, Maple Street Magnet for the Arts, Milwood Magnet for Math, Science, and Technology) with academic, extracurricular, and athletic opportunities.
• High School Education Program High school program across four schools: Kalamazoo Central High School, Loy Norrix High School, Phoenix High School, and Kalamazoo Innovative Learning Program (KILP), serving grades 9-12 with college preparation, CTE, and career pathways.
• KPS Virtual Program Virtual learning program for students in grades 7-12 offering online courses with attendance procedures and flexibility for students who need alternative educational settings.
• Adult Education Program Free adult education program offering GED/HSE preparation (GED and HiSET testing), Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and digital/financial/health literacy courses at multiple community locations.
• Food Services School nutrition program providing breakfast and lunch at no cost to students through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), with Meal Magic Portal for parents to manage accounts.
• Transportation Services Student transportation service operating 115 buses covering over 1.5 million miles annually, transporting over 7,000 students daily with district-wide transportation procedures.
• Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC) Specialized magnet program providing advanced math and science education opportunities for eligible students.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career and technical education programs offered in partnership with KRESA providing students with workforce skills and industry certifications across various career pathways.
• Education for the Arts (EFA) Arts education program in partnership with KRESA offering comprehensive arts instruction and performance opportunities for students.
• Early Middle College (EMC) Early college program allowing high school students to earn college credits while completing high school requirements through partnership with KRESA.
• Academically Talented Program (A/T) Gifted and talented education program for academically advanced elementary students including the Curiosity Lab enrichment component.
• Multilingual Learner Services ESL and language support services for students and families who speak languages other than English at home, serving families that speak over 60 languages.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education programs and related services for students with disabilities, including Child Find identification and individualized education plans.
• The Kalamazoo Promise Unique scholarship program providing up to 100% postsecondary tuition and fee assistance to KPS graduates meeting attendance and residency requirements, awarded to over 8,700 graduates totaling over $230 million since 2005.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest overall graduation rates in district history achieved recently
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration25 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Western Michigan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor public university located in Kalamazoo; partner for Kalamazoo Promise and ATYP (Academically Talented Youth Program) for middle school students
• Kalamazoo CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate liberal arts college in Kalamazoo; partner institution for The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program
• Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-year community college in Kalamazoo; partner institution for The Kalamazoo Promise
• KRESA (Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional educational service agency providing Career and Technical Education (CTE), Education for the Arts (EFA), Early Middle College (EMC), and other career-connect programs for KPS students
• El ConciliominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization providing adult education services (ESL classes) at their location and serving as a community partner with multilingual services
• Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for GED program serving youth ages 16-18 who have dropped out of high schools. KAE partners with Y.O.U. for youth GED instruction.
• Public Media NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media partner streaming regular board meetings live on Discover Channel and maintaining meeting archives
• Communities In SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization providing dropout prevention and support services for KPS students
• Michigan Colleges AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of private Michigan colleges participating in The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Forest Hills Public Schools: Forest Hills Public Schools is a high-performing suburban Michigan public district near Grand Rapids that competes with KPS for families in the West Michigan region. It is a regional peer operating in the same state funding environment but serving a higher-income demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Schools: Chicago Public Schools is a large urban public school district comparable to KPS in operating a traditional K-12 public system with magnet, CTE, and adult education programs. It serves as a broad incumbent peer demonstrating the scale and complexity of running a major urban public district.
• Detroit Public Schools Community District: Detroit Public Schools Community District is the largest urban public school district in Michigan, operating a much larger but structurally similar public K-12 system with comparable social-service wraparounds. It is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping challenges in funding, demographics, and program scale.

Direct peers

• Toledo Public Schools: Toledo Public Schools is an Ohio urban public school district of similar size that operates traditional K-12 schools with magnet and adult education programs. It is a directly comparable cross-border peer for benchmarking urban district operations.
• Lansing School District: Lansing School District is a Michigan urban public school district of similar size operating K-12 schools with comparable program offerings and student demographics. Lansing is a directly comparable peer in operating model, funding structure, and program breadth.
• Ann Arbor Public Schools: Ann Arbor Public Schools is a high-performing Michigan public school district serving a comparable enrollment base with strong magnet and college-preparatory programs. It is a directly comparable peer in academic programming and serves a similar role as a regional education anchor.
• Battle Creek Public Schools: Battle Creek Public Schools is a neighboring Michigan public school district of similar mid-sized scale, also serving a demographically diverse student body. Its close geographic proximity and parallel funding model make it one of the most directly comparable peers to KPS.
• Grand Rapids Public Schools: Grand Rapids Public Schools is the next-largest urban public school district in West Michigan, serving a comparable diverse student population with similar magnet and CTE programming. GRPS is a direct peer in scale, governance structure, and the same Michigan funding environment.

Others

• Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA): KRESA is the regional education service agency that partners with KPS to deliver CTE, EFA, Early Middle College, and special education services. It is an ecosystem peer rather than a competitor, functioning as a shared services provider that extends KPS's program portfolio.

Emerging players

• National Heritage Academies: National Heritage Academies is a Michigan-based charter school operator that competes with KPS for K-8 students within the Kalamazoo area. It is an emerging-player peer representing the charter school alternative that constrains KPS's enrollment growth in its home market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kpsschools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kalamazoopublicschoolsvide3202
• Facebookfacebook.com/KalamazooPublicSchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kalamazoo-public-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/kalamazoo_public_schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Kps Inc