Grow Public Schools
Grow Public Schools is a nonprofit TK-8 public charter network operating two campuses in Kern County, California, serving 1,600+ students from underserved rural communities through personalized learning, co-teaching, and wraparound wellness programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBakersfield, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Grow Public Schools does
Grow Public Schools is a nonprofit TK-8 public charter school network operating two campuses in Kern County, California — Grow Academy Arvin (founded 2011) and Grow Academy Shafter (opened 2017) — serving more than 1,600 students from underserved rural communities. The organization was founded by Barbara Grimm Marshall and is led by Superintendent Dr. Ric Esquivel (since July 2022). Governed by a Board of Directors and headquartered in Bakersfield, GPS publicly committed via its August 2025 'From Deep Roots to Bold Futures' strategic plan to grow to four campuses by 2030.
The instructional model is a blended learning approach built on a co-teaching model with two educators per classroom, a Learning Lab for personalized academic acceleration and remediation, and an Edible Schoolyard program integrating garden-based and kitchen-based hands-on learning with the Grow Café scratch-cooked meal service (90% scratch-cooked, ~4,800 meals weekly). Supporting programs include College and Career Empowerment starting in TK, Social-Emotional Learning with on-campus counselors, social workers, psychologists, and nurses, the ELOP afterschool program, the Grow Beyond Alumni program supporting 964 alumni through high school, and a Community Schools initiative backed by a five-year $2.85M Community Schools Grant. Teacher pipeline is supported through a Teacher Residency partnership with Alder Graduate School of Education.
Revenue is generated almost entirely from California per-pupil funding (based on average daily attendance) plus federal and state categorical grants (Title I, ELOP, Prop 28 arts, Community Schools). No tuition is charged to families; enrollment is conducted through an annual lottery during the October–December open enrollment window. Customer segments are concentrated in geographically underserved rural communities in Arvin and Shafter, with specific programs for English Learner students and McKinney-Vento eligible homeless students. Reported operational metrics include 98% teacher retention, 98% family satisfaction, and 6,000 pounds of produce grown annually in school gardens.
Grow Public Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grow Public Schools
- Legal name
- Grow Public Schools
- Website
- https://growpublicschools.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Grow Public Schools is a nonprofit TK-8 public charter network operating two campuses in Kern County, California, serving 1,600+ students from underserved rural communities through personalized learning, co-teaching, and wraparound wellness programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grow Public Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-8 Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)
Keywords
Where Grow Public Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bakersfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Grow Public Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Per-Pupil State Funding: Public charter schools receive per-pupil funding from California state sources based on average daily attendance. Grow Public Schools operates as a free public school, meaning no tuition is charged to students.
- Federal and State Grants: Grow received a five-year, $2.85 million Community Schools Grant to expand wraparound services. Additional grants include Title I, ELOP (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program), Prop 28 arts funding, and other state/federal education grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free Public Education |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Grow Public Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grow Public Schools operates a free, public TK-8 charter school network serving more than 1,600 students across two campuses in Kern County, California. The schools deliver personalized, college- and career-focused education through a co-teaching model with two educators per classroom, supported by a Learning Lab for individualized academic support, an Edible Schoolyard hands-on garden and kitchen program, and a Grow Café providing scratch-cooked meals.
Product overview
Grow Public Schools is a network of high-performing TK-8 charter schools serving over 1,600 students across two campuses in Kern County, California. The organization offers a unified educational program built on personalized learning, where instruction is tailored to each student's needs through a co-teaching model with two educators per classroom. The core program includes a Learning Lab for academic support, the Edible Schoolyard hands-on garden and kitchen program, and College and Career Empowerment starting in TK. Supporting programs include ELOP (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program) for afterschool enrichment, the Grow Beyond Alumni program for ongoing student support through high school, Community Schools for family and community engagement, Social-Emotional Learning services, and a Teacher Residency Program in partnership with Alder Graduate School of Education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Grow Academy Arvin: TK-8 public charter school campus located in Arvin, California, serving students in Kern County since 2011.
- Grow Academy Shafter
- Grow Beyond Alumni
- Grow Café
- Learning Lab
- Teacher Residency Program
Products and services
- Grow Academy Arvin TK-8 public charter school campus located in Arvin, California, serving students in Kern County since 2011 with personalized learning, co-teaching, Edible Schoolyard, and college/career empowerment programs.
- Grow Academy Shafter TK-8 public charter school campus located in Shafter, California, serving students in Kern County since 2017 with personalized learning, co-teaching, Edible Schoolyard, and college/career empowerment programs.
- ELOP (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program) Structured afterschool program supporting the whole child through academic support, enrichment, and physical activity, aligned with the school day to reinforce learning in a safe, engaging environment.
- Grow Beyond Alumni Alumni support program providing college and career coaching, 1:1 advising on academics and A-G requirements, dual enrollment opportunities, career experiences, and ongoing engagement through high school graduation and beyond.
- Community Schools Partnership program connecting families and community organizations to provide academic, health, and social-emotional support and services for student success, supported by a five-year $2.85 million Community Schools Grant.
- Teacher Residency Program Year-long residency partnership with Alder Graduate School of Education combining four days per week classroom experience with mentor teachers and one day per week research-based coursework, leading to a Master of Arts in Education and Teaching Credential.
- Grow Café Food Service Food service program providing 90% scratch-cooked meals using fresh, seasonal ingredients with no hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial additives. All students receive free breakfast, lunch, and after-school supper.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% teacher retention rate
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Grow Public Schools
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Grow Public Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Grow Public Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Alder Graduate School of EducationcoreGrow Public Schools partners with Alder Graduate School of Education to offer a year-long Teacher Residency Program. The program combines four days per week of classroom experience with a mentor teacher and one day per week of research-based coursework. Residents complete a Master of Arts in Education and Teaching Credential. Benefits include personalized academic support, learning within a collaborative cohort, access to financial aid, scholarships, and a stipend, with priority hiring at Grow Public Schools.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Grow Public Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Grow Public Schools social profiles
Digital presenceGrow Public Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grow Public Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Grow Public Schools subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Grow Public Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grow Public Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grow Public Schools
What does Grow Public Schools do?
Grow Public Schools operates a free, public TK-8 charter school network serving more than 1,600 students across two campuses in Kern County, California. The schools deliver personalized, college- and career-focused education through a co-teaching model with two educators per classroom, supported by a Learning Lab for individualized academic support, an Edible Schoolyard hands-on garden and kitchen program, and a Grow Café providing scratch-cooked meals.
Is Grow Public Schools a public or private company?
Grow Public Schools is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Grow Public Schools founded?
Grow Public Schools was founded in 2011.
Where is Grow Public Schools based?
Grow Public Schools is headquartered in Bakersfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Grow Public Schools make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Per-Pupil State Funding is the primary driver. The others are federal and State Grants.
Does Grow Public Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grow Public Schools.
What industry is Grow Public Schools in?
Grow Public Schools's product category is K-8 Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAC, Charter School Networks (Multi-Site), with a secondary code of EDAJACAF, Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs. Its NAICS code is 61111 and its SIC code is 8200.