McKinleyville Union School District

What McKinleyville Union School District does

McKinleyville Union School District (MUSD) is a public TK-8 school district serving the McKinleyville community in Humboldt County, California. The district operates three schools delivering transitional kindergarten through eighth grade instruction, supplemented by an Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) funded through a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) federal grant and by interscholastic athletics that have produced championship-level results. Student support is structured around Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), with the district holding PBIS Gold recognition.

The district's technology stack is composed of integrated K-12 SaaS platforms: ParentSquare for family communication and engagement, Aeries as the student information system, Playground for student engagement, Nutrislice for nutrition services, and Informed K12 for administrative and board workflows. These tools support operational continuity rather than differentiated proprietary technology. The district partners operationally with the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) and the McKinleyville Community Services District (MCSD) for shared services and joint programming.

As a California public school district, MUSD does not operate on a commercial revenue model. Funding flows from California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) based on average daily attendance, supplemented by federal Title and categorical funds, the 21st CCLC grant, and voter-approved general obligation bonds. The 2025 passage of G.O. Bond Measure N provides a separate capital facilities funding stream. Leadership transitions, including Ashley Lankila's return to the principal role at Dow's Prairie Elementary, indicate institutional continuity rather than strategic redirection.

Name

McKinleyville Union School District

Legal name

McKinleyville Union School District

Website

https://mckusd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

McKinleyville Union School District is a public TK-8 district in Humboldt County, California, operating three schools that serve local students through standard academic programs, athletics, and a 21st CCLC-funded Expanded Learning Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

Keywords

• TK-8 public education
• Elementary education services
• After-school enrichment
• School meal programs
• Youth athletics programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckinleyville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Tax Revenue: As a public school district, MUSD is primarily funded through state and federal education funding, local property taxes, and various educational grants including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant for the Expanded Learning Program and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) funding based on average daily attendance.
2. Federal Child Nutrition Programs: District participates in federal meal programs including the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) providing free meals to all students, funded through federal child nutrition programs with compliance to CNP standards.
3. Athletic Program Fees: Bay League Passes sold for $45 providing admission to all Bay League games at multiple schools, with proceeds supporting athletics programs at the school where purchased.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McKinleyville Union School District (MUSD) is a public TK-8 school district operating three schools (Dow's Prairie Elementary, Emily Morris Education Center, and McKinleyville Central School) that deliver TK-8 academic instruction, whole-child enrichment, athletics, before/after school care through the 21st CCLC-funded Expanded Learning Program, and free school meals via the Community Eligibility Provision. Services are delivered to enrolled students in the McKinleyville community with operational support from ParentSquare, Aeries, Playground, Nutrislice, and Informed K12 platforms.

Product overview

McKinleyville Union School District is a TK-8 public school district operating three schools (Dow's Prairie Elementary, Emily Morris Education Center, and McKinleyville Central School) with a portfolio of integrated technology products and programs. Its core digital infrastructure centers on ParentSquare for all district-wide, school, and classroom communication; Aeries for student enrollment, grades, attendance, and health data management; the Playground platform for Expanded Learning Program enrollment; Nutrislice for meal menus; and Aeries Online Enrollment for new student registration. The district's flagship student programs include the Expanded Learning Program (ELP), a federally-funded 21st CCLC afterschool and summer enrichment program for TK-6th graders, and a TK-8th grade athletics program (sponsored through ELP) offering fall, winter, and spring sports. The district also maintains collaborative partnerships with external organizations including the Humboldt County Office of Education and Redwood Afterschool Network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TK-8 Public Education Program Core instructional program of McKinleyville Union School District delivering TK-8 public education across three schools (Dow's Prairie Elementary TK-3rd, Emily Morris Education Center TK-5th, and McKinleyville Central School 6th-8th) with a whole-child approach emphasizing small class sizes, STEAM, music, visual arts, and championship athletics.
• Expanded Learning Program (ELP) Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) federally-funded afterschool and summer enrichment program for TK-6th graders at Dow's Prairie and Morris schools, providing academic support, enrichment activities, daily snacks, and before/after-school care at little or no cost to families.
• TK-8th Grade Athletics Program Athletics sponsored through the Expanded Learning Program offering fall sports (cross country, soccer, volleyball), winter sports (basketball, cheer), and spring sports (wrestling, track and field, golf) for students TK-8th grade at McKinleyville Middle School and partner schools.
• School Meal Program (Free Breakfast and Lunch) Federal child nutrition program providing free breakfast and lunch to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) during the 2025-2026 school year, with digital menus published via Nutrislice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes leading to strong student-teacher relationships and personalized learning

Named customers1 record

Segments2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCOE is a key partner providing oversight, support, and resources including the Redwood Afterschool Network (RAN) coordination, Harvest of the Month and Taste, Make and Learn nutrition programs, and immigration support services.
• McKinleyville Community Service District (MCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCSD partners with the district for Parks & Recreation programming, providing enrichment opportunities and community resources for students.
• LIFT EnrichmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIFT Enrichment provides enrichment programming as part of the Expanded Learning Program offerings.
• Two Feathers - Native American Family ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo Feathers provides culturally relevant family services and support for Native American students and families in the district.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationParentSquare is the district's primary communication platform enabling school-to-family messaging, calendar sharing, volunteer coordination, and secure delivery of documents like report cards and IEPs.
• Playground (by Powered by Playground)coreTechnology or IntegrationPlayground is the enrollment platform used for Expanded Learning Program registration, providing online application and registration management for before/after school and summer programs.
• Aeries SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationAeries is the student information system used for online enrollment, grade tracking, attendance management, and health data for TK-8 students.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• ParentSquare: K-12 family communication and engagement platform vendor powering MUSD's districtwide messaging, calendar, RSVP, and document delivery workflows since March 2026. Relevant as the technology infrastructure layer on which MUSD's family-engagement brand promise is delivered.

Direct peers

• Jacoby Creek School District: Nearby K-8 public school district referenced in MUSD's Bay League athletics competition; comparable small-scale community-embedded model serving families in the Bayside/Jacoby Creek area with similar rural Northern California profile.
• Pacific Union School District: Adjacent K-8 district named in MUSD's Bay League athletic schedule; directly competes for middle-school students and operates under the same HCOE oversight framework with similar funding mix.
• Trinidad Union School District: Small K-8 public school district in Trinidad within Humboldt County. Directly comparable in scale, grade span, community-embedded operating model, and dependence on state/federal education funding.
• Fortuna Union School District: Humboldt County K-8 public school district serving the Fortuna community with multiple elementary and middle school sites. Comparable in funding model, grade span (K-8), and rural county context, competing for similar family profiles.
• Arcata School District: Neighboring Humboldt County TK-8 public school district of comparable small size and rural community profile. Operates multiple elementary and middle schools serving families in the adjacent Arcata area, with overlapping interdistrict transfer dynamics and shared reliance on HCOE partnerships.
• Eureka City Schools: Larger neighboring Humboldt County district serving TK-12 in the Eureka area. Most significant competitive threat for interdistrict transfers given broader program offerings, while sharing the same county funding framework and HCOE support structure.

Regional players

• Rio Dell School District: Small K-8 public school district in southern Humboldt County serving Rio Dell and Scotia communities. Comparable small-scale rural public education operating model within the same county oversight and funding framework.
• Blue Lake Union School District: Very small K-8 public school district serving the Blue Lake area within Humboldt County. Comparable rural micro-district footprint and similar dependence on federal Title and 21st CCLC-style funding streams.

Broad incumbents

• Northern Humboldt Union High School District: Feeder high school district for MUSD graduates, operating grades 9-12 across multiple sites in the same Humboldt County region. Provides context on the secondary continuation of MUSD's K-8 cohort and shares community and family relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/McKinleyvilleSchoolsPTO

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 McKinleyville Union School District