What CASTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT does

Castle Rock School District (District #401) is a public K-12 school district operating under Washington State law as a political subdivision, serving students in Castle Rock, Vader, Ryderwood, and surrounding communities across Cowlitz and Lewis Counties. The district operates four traditional school buildings spanning preschool through grade 12 (Castle Rock Primary School for K-2, Castle Rock Intermediate School for grades 3-5, Castle Rock Middle School for grades 6-8, and Castle Rock High School for grades 9-12, a 1A division school) plus Rocket Virtual Academy, an online alternative learning environment for grades 9-12 powered by Edmentum Edoptions Academy and Apex Learning, with on-site testing at the high school. Core technology infrastructure consists of a Chromebook-based 1:1 device program, Google Workspace for Education, the Skyward student information system (scheduled for migration to Qmlativ in April 2026), and new platforms being adopted for the 2026-27 school year including ParentSquare for districtwide communications and SchoolLinks for grades 7-12 career planning.

The district operates as a non-profit government entity funded through four revenue streams: Washington State Basic Education allocations based on enrollment and property values, voter-approved local levies supporting extracurricular activities, technology, curriculum, transportation, and selected staff positions, federal Title I/II programs serving at-risk and special education students, and federal child nutrition funding through the Community Eligibility Provision (which the district will exit for the 2026-27 school year). Pricing is non-commercial by design: K-12 education is tuition-free, meals were free for all students under CEP through 2025-26, with modest ancillary fees for athletics, adult meals, and optional student accident insurance. The district is governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors with day-to-day leadership provided by Superintendent Chris Fritsch, supported by directors of operations, student services, fiscal services, technology, and transportation, plus principals at each building.

Customer segments span the full K-12 spectrum including general education students, preschool-age children and families, students with disabilities receiving IDEA services, highly capable students in the gifted program, students requiring alternative education through Rocket Virtual Academy, and homeless students served under McKinney-Vento. Recent strategic activity is concentrated on operational modernization and facility renewal rather than expansion: SIS migration to Qmlativ, adoption of ParentSquare and SchoolLinks, high school facade replacement, middle school elevator improvements, and a districtwide PA/intercom system replacement, all funded by voter-approved levies.

Name

CASTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT

Legal name

Castle Rock School District

Website

https://crschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Castle Rock School District is a public K-12 school district in rural Washington State operating preschool, four traditional schools (K-12), and Rocket Virtual Academy online for grades 9-12, serving the Castle Rock, Vader, and Ryderwood communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Primary secondary education
• Special education services
• School nutrition programs
• Student transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Castle Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding (State): Washington State allocates funding to school districts based on enrollment, property values, and other factors through the Basic Education allocation formula.
2. Local Levy Revenue: Voter-approved local levies fund extracurricular activities, technology, curriculum, student transportation, and specific staff positions in Special Education and Health and Safety.
3. Federal Title Programs: Federal funding through Title I, Title II, and other programs for at-risk students, special education, and related services.
4. Student Meal Program (CEP): Community Eligibility Provision allows free meals for all students K-12, funded through federal child nutrition programs. District transitioned out of CEP for 2026-27 school year.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Castle Rock School District is a public K-12 school district providing free education to students from preschool through grade 12 across five schools (Primary K-2, Intermediate 3-5, Middle 6-8, High School 9-12) plus Rocket Virtual Academy for online grades 9-12. The district delivers core academic instruction, special education, learning assistance, highly capable programming, athletics, food service, transportation, nursing, and mental health counseling services to students residing in Castle Rock, Vader, Ryderwood, and surrounding communities in Washington State.

Product overview

Castle Rock School District is a public K-12 school district operating five schools and multiple programs in Castle Rock, Washington. The district's core offering consists of traditional in-person schooling at four school buildings: Castle Rock Primary School (K-2), Castle Rock Intermediate School (3-5), Castle Rock Middle School (6-8), and Castle Rock High School (9-12), supplemented by an online alternative through Rocket Virtual Academy and a preschool program. These are supported by specialized programs including Special Education, Learning Assistance Program (LAP), Highly Capable Program, and Title I. The district operates as a single unified educational system rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Operational services include food service (operating under the Community Eligibility Provision for free meals), student transportation with GPS-based routing, school nursing and health services, mental health counseling, and a comprehensive athletics program. The district has announced adoption of new technology platforms including ParentSquare for communications, SchoolLinks for career planning, and Qmlativ as its new student information system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rocket Virtual Academy: Online alternative learning environment for students in grades 9-12 who need flexible scheduling, offering credit recovery and standard courses in various subjects including Arts, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology, and World Languages.

Products and services

• Castle Rock Primary School (K-2) Elementary school serving students in kindergarten through second grade, providing foundational literacy instruction using Wilson Language Fundations curriculum and math instruction using My Math curriculum. Located at 700 Huntington Ave S, Castle Rock, WA.
• Castle Rock Preschool Preschool program for young learners ages 3-5, accepting registrations and maintaining a waitlist. Classes begin the week of August 31st with conferences, transitioning to regular schedule September 8, 2026.
• Castle Rock Intermediate School (3-5) School serving students in grades 3-5, also known as Junior Rockets. Provides differentiated instruction for highly capable students and LAP intervention programs.
• Castle Rock Middle School (6-8) Middle school serving grades 6-8 from Castle Rock, Vader, Ryderwood, and surrounding communities. Home of the Rockets. Offers middle school athletics and counseling programs.
• Castle Rock High School (9-12) 1A Division high school serving Castle Rock, Vader, Ryderwood, and surrounding communities. Provides college-preparatory curriculum, College in the High School program, career center, and comprehensive athletics.
• Rocket Virtual Academy Online alternative learning environment for grades 9-12 offering flexible scheduling for students. Classes completed online with on-site testing at Castle Rock High School. Provides credit recovery and standard course offerings in Arts, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology, and World Languages. Powered by Edmentum Edoptions Academy and Apex Learning.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education program providing services for students with disabilities including collaboration, accommodations, modifications, individualized instruction, and related services under IDEA and Washington state regulations.
• Learning Assistance Program (LAP) Supplemental services for K-12 students scoring below grade level in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Includes intervention instruction, prescribed intervention plans, and credit recovery at the high school level.
• Highly Capable Program Program for students with high aptitude in intellectual and creative areas. Provides differentiated instruction within mixed-ability classrooms and after-school activities for grades 3-5, with accelerated classes in Math, Language, or Science for grades 6-12.
• Title I Program Federal program providing financial assistance for extra instructional services supporting at-risk students in reading, writing, and mathematics, primarily serving middle school students.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive athletics program serving as a source of sportsmanship, dedication, and teamwork. Includes football, baseball, softball, basketball, wrestling, and other sports with eligibility requirements including conduct standards and physical fitness requirements.
• Food Service Program Onsite meal preparation at three school buildings. As a CEP District, all K-12 students receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2025-2026 school year. Accommodates students with food allergies and special dietary needs.
• Transportation Services School bus service serving students with text messaging notifications for delays. Bus routes accessible via Parent Portal. Requires K-2nd grade students to have an adult at bus stops.
• Nurse and Health Services Health services including vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings; illness protocols; medication administration; and health education. Addresses life-threatening conditions with nursing plans.
• Mental Health and Counseling Services School-based counseling services free of charge. Includes school psychologists, elementary counselors, middle and high school counselors, and a district social worker.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every student will graduate with the skills necessary to excel in life and thrive in their community
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Longview Public Schools: Largest school district in Cowlitz County, Washington — directly neighboring CRSD and serving a similar rural/small-city catchment with K-12 public schools, athletics, and special education programs.
• Kelso School District: Cow litz County public K-12 district operating multiple schools serving Kelso and surrounding communities. Directly comparable in governance, funding model, and rural Washington operating context.
• Toutle Lake School District: Small rural Cowlitz County K-12 district with similar size profile, multi-building structure, and reliance on local levies. Closest structural analog to CRSD.
• Woodland Public Schools: Cow litz County K-12 district serving Woodland and surrounding rural communities. Comparable funding mix (state Basic Education plus local levies) and small-district operating model.
• Kalama School District: Small public K-12 district in Cowlitz County serving Kalama and rural surroundings. Comparable enrollment scale and reliance on local levy funding for operations and capital projects.
• Onalaska School District: Lewis County 1A/2B rural K-12 district of similar size, multi-building structure, and reliance on local levies. Closest peer on size, classification, and rural Washington operating profile.
• Napavine School District: Small Lewis County K-12 district. Comparable rural enrollment footprint, classification tier, and operating model with multi-school grade-level segmentation.
• Toledo School District: Lewis County public K-12 district of similar size profile serving Toledo and surrounding rural communities. Comparable funding mix and small-district governance structure.

Broad incumbents

• Ridgefield School District: Larger and faster-growing Clark County K-12 district. Comparable Washington-state public K-12 operator with similar SIS, communications, and parent-engagement platforms, though at greater scale.

Regional players

• Washington State Charter Schools: Statewide charter school authorizer overseeing independent charter schools across Washington. Adjacent comparable public K-12 operators in the same state funding and regulatory environment, though operating under a different governance model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CastleRockSD

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 CASTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT